Florida Toyota Driver Alert: Toyota Recalls Millions of Vehicles; Sales & Production Halted Over Gas Pedal Problem
Florida motorists who own a Camry, RAV4, Avalon, or any other number of popular Toyota cars, trucks, and SUVs may have reason to be concerned as to whether they are safe to drive.
Toyota, which has prided itself as an industry leader in building safe, reliable cars, has expanded its safety recall of millions of vehicles. They've also done what no other auto manufacturer has ever done before -- stopped production and sales while they try to identify the source of a suspected automotive defect that could lead to deadly traffic accidents on Florida and U.S. roads and highways. Six factories so far are involved in the shutdown.
Problems for Toyota made the news last year when in November, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that the auto maker had a fix for a problem with the gas pedal becoming entrapped by floor mats on some models. The serious safety issue came to light after fatal car crashes were attributed to the accelerator getting stuck and motorists being unable to stop their out-of-control, speeding vehicles (see previous blog entry, Florida Driving Alert: Toyota Lexus Issues Safety Advisory After Fatal Car Accident Involving Floor Mats).
However, Toyota has now expanded the recall in the U.S. and to Europe and has stopped production and sale of vehicles that may have the potential for the same deadly problem. It is unclear what repairs or redesign Toyota will come up with to permanently fix the problem. The Associated Press reports that Toyota learned about an accelerator problem for the Tundra in March 2007; concerns about truck accidents arose when owners reported the gas pedal was slow to rise when they tried to slow down.
Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers follow automotive safety recalls closely, as they involve auto manufacturer product liability and Florida driver safety. We have not heard the last in this historic automotive recall and production and sales stoppage -- as Toyota works to identify and fix the source of the problem, dealers stand by idle with showrooms and lots full of cars, and consumers wonder what to do with vehicles that they thought were safe to drive. Car and Driver reported that owners of affected cars may be able to ask for and obtain loaner vehicles (see link below), though to date, Toyota had not issued a mandate for dealers to loan out other cars.
Toyota recalls additional 1.09M vehicles in US
Associated Press, MiamiHerald.com Jan. 28, 2010
Background: Toyota Announces Fix for Accelerator Pedal Entrapment Problem
NHTSA Press Release Nov. 25, 2009
Related Web Resources
Frequently Asked Questions For Sticking Accelerator Pedal Recall and Suspension of Sales
Toyota Press Room Jan. 2010
List of Recalled Toyota Models
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Jan. 28, 2010
How To: Safely Drive a Recalled Toyota (Or Score a Loaner)
Car and Driver Jan. 27, 2010
Toyota recall Q & A: What to do if your car suddenly accelerates
Los Angeles Times Jan. 28, 2010
