Squared Apple

Those of you with a Toyota, you very well could be effected by the gas pedal recall.  Toyota seems to have identified a fix for the over 4 million effected cars, and is working with dealers to get them out to customers as soon as possible.  If you have a Toyota and aren’t familiar with the issue, continue reading.  I hope that Toyota execs find a way to keep their image of quality intact.  With other companies making great strides in quality, you might see Toyota looking up at a new leader in quality real soon.

Toyota reveals plans to fix pedal problem - Repair kits being shipped to dealerships this week

Hoping to put the brakes on a public relations disaster, Toyota Motor Corp. revealed plans Monday to fix a sticking gas pedal that halted sales and production for eight models and prompted a massive recall.

Customers and dealers have been in the lurch since Jan. 21, when the company owned up to the manufacturing defect, which could cause unintended and potentially devastating acceleration. The recall affects some 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S. alone.

Described as “effective and simple,” repair kits are being shipped to dealerships this week, sealed with a very public mea culpa from company officials.

“We are truly sorry for what has happened,” said Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer of Toyota’s U.S. sales division.

The unprecedented situation put a big dent in Toyota’s reputation for quality. A poll by HCD Research showed that 56 percent of respondents said they were less likely to buy a Toyota after watching Lentz's appearance on the NBC’s “Today” show to explain the fix Monday morning.

The Japanese automaker said it had isolated the problem to a “friction device” within the pedals in the more than 4 million vehicles it has recalled worldwide.

The repair will install a steel reinforcement bar into the pedal assembly to reduce friction. Newly-produced cars and trucks will receive entirely new pedal assemblies, Toyota said. Production of those vehicles, on six assembly lines in the U.S. and Canada, ceased Monday but will resume Feb. 8, the automaker said.

Bob Waltz, Toyota’s vice president of product quality and service support, said the automaker had rigorously tested both fixes and that they would “last for as long as the life of the vehicle.”

With parts and technical manuals expected to arrive as soon as Wednesday, dealerships are gearing up to handle the massive task of fixing several million cars. Many dealers said they would extend service hours.

The company said it was sending letters to all owners of affected vehicles with instructions on how to schedule the repair. A Toyota spokesman indicated the company would prefer that customers wait for the letter before scheduling an appointment unless the vehicle's accelerator has shown signs of stickiness, but he said it’s probable that many people will seek the fix before getting the letter.

“It is very rare for this to happen,” said spokesman John Hanson. “What we’re telling owners is that if you are not experiencing any problem with your accelerator pedal, you are safe.”

The affected models — including the Corolla, RAV4, Matrix, Avalon, Highlander, Tundra, Sequoia and certain Camry sedans — represent 57 percent of Toyota’s U.S. sales last year.

Toyota has come under fire for its decision last month to announce the recall of the defective pedals, which the automaker said can cause vehicles to suddenly accelerate out of control, without immediately determining a remedy. That step, along with a subsequent announcement last week that it would halt all sales and production of some of its most popular vehicles, led to widespread confusion among consumers and dealers.

The sticking pedal recall is Toyota’s second in recent months to handle a nagging sudden acceleration problem. Last fall, Toyota said it would recall seven models to prevent the risk that the vehicle’s floor mats could entrap the gas pedal.

In the pedal recall, Toyota pointed the finger at supplier CTS Corp., which makes many of the pedals used in Toyota vehicles made in North America. The Elkhart, Ind.-based company said it is cooperating with the automaker to make a fix, although it noted that the design was Toyota’s.

Toyota has advised drivers who experience sudden acceleration to step firmly on the brake, with two feet if necessary, shift the vehicle into neutral, steer it to a safe location and turn off the ignition.

via Toyota reveals plans to fix pedal problem – baltimoresun.com.