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Automotive Consumer
AUTOS: Toyota Ready To Fix Pedals This Week
Steel-bar insert will repair throttle problem that caused 2.3 million vehicle recall, shook consumer confidence.
Bob Golfen  |  Posted February 01, 2010   Toyko (JA)
Jim Lentz, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales, said the automaker knows what the problem is and can fix it. (Photo: Toyota)
Toyota will begin repairs this week on a throttle-mechanism glitch blamed for incidents of unintended acceleration and causing the recall of 2.3 million vehicles, the Japanese automaker announced today.

The automaker already has begun shipping the parts to dealerships and assembly plants around the world, with plans to keep some dealerships open around the clock to fix the problem on consumers’ vehicles and, hopefully, undo the damage to Toyota’s reputation.

“We deeply regret the concern that our recalls have caused for our customers and we are doing everything we can – as fast as we can – to make things right,” said Jim Lentz, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales.

With the company in crisis mode, Toyota took the unprecedented step last week of halting sales of the eight Toyota Division vehicles affected by the recall, a move that will cost the company and its individual dealers billions of dollars.

Toyota distributed this diagram showing how the sticking throttle-pedal problem would be repaired. (Diagram: Toyota)
Toyota plans to shut down production of the eight cars, truck and SUVs this week until the remedy is in place and the backlog of unsold vehicles is cleared.

“We are focused on making this recall as simple and trouble-free as possible, and will work day and night with our dealers to fix recalled vehicles quickly,” Lentz said. “We want to demonstrate that our commitment to safety is as high as ever and that our commitment to our customers is unwavering.”

The recall affects 2009-2010 Corolla, Matrix and RAV4; 2007-2010 Camry and Tundra; 2005-2010 Avalon; 2010 Highlander; and 2008-2010 Sequoia. Not every Camry, RAV4, Corolla and Highlander vehicles are being recalled, Toyota said; those with Vehicle Identification Numbers that begin with "J" are not affected.

The repair, which Toyota says takes about 30 minutes, involves inserting a steel bar into a small part of the throttle-pedal mechanism that controls the movement of the pedal returning to idle position.

“We know what’s causing the sticking accelerator pedals, and we know what we have to do to fix it,” Lentz said.

In a media release, Toyota explained the problem.

“The issue involves a friction device in the pedal designed to provide the proper ‘feel’ by adding resistance and making the pedal steady and stable,” the release says. “The device includes a shoe that rubs against an adjoining surface during normal pedal operation.

“Due to the materials used, wear and environmental conditions, these surfaces may, over time, begin to stick and release instead of operating smoothly. In some cases, friction could increase to a point that the pedal is slow to return to the idle position or, in rare cases, the pedal sticks, leaving the throttle partially open.”

The repair is simple and effective, the company said:

“A precision-cut steel reinforcement bar will be installed into the assembly that will reduce the surface tension between the friction shoe and the adjoining surface. With this reinforcement in place, the excess friction that can cause the pedal to stick is eliminated.”

As well as recalled 2.3 million vehicles in North America, nearly two million have been recalled in the Europe and China for the same problem.

The recall also comes in the wake of another unintended acceleration recall of 5.4 million vehicles because of floor mats that can cause the throttle pedal to jam.

For more information about the recall, see www.toyota.com/recall or call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

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