Toyota Recall Explained
Toyota Recall Explained By San Antonio and Austin Sudden Acceleration Attorney Justin A. Hill
After many reported sudden accelerations related to Toyota and Lexus vehicles, months of speculation regarding the cause of the sudden accelerations, and NHTSA getting involved, Toyota now plans to fix the gas pedals in affected vehicles. According to the Wall Street Journal:
Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it would fix the gas pedal on four million vehicles the Japanese auto maker recalled in September over sudden acceleration issues related to floor mats causing the pedal to get stuck. The remedy, which covers eight models of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, is expected to get under way in early 2010, the National Highway Transportation and Safety Department said. The auto maker plans to change the shape of the gas pedal, alter the floor pan under the pedal in some cases, and install a brake override system in the affected Toyota Camry and Avalon models and the Lexus ES 350, IS 350 and IS 250 models as an “extra measure of confidence.” On Tuesday, Toyota already announced a recall of 110,000 Tundra pickups over a corrosion issue. The recalls dent Toyota’s reputation of leading in safety and come as the company is in the midst of turnaround efforts after posting its first annual net loss in 59 years in the previous fiscal year. Toyota President Akio Toyoda in October apologized to the owners of the eight Toyota and Lexus models affected by the floor-mat recall. At that time, Mr. Toyoda said the auto maker was working on identifying the cause of the problem. “The safety of our owners and the public is our utmost concern,” Mr. Toyota said in a statement. “Toyota has and will continue to thoroughly investigate and take appropriate measures to address any defect trends that are identified.” Toyota declined to provide an estimate of the recall’s cost. “We have not put a pencil to it,” Toyota spokesman Irv Miller said on a conference call. “We really don’t know what the costs are at this moment.” Mr. Miller added that the auto maker is confident that these measures have addressed the issue. “We believe that pedal entrapment is the major issue,” Mr. Miller said referring to questions about the vehicles’ electronic control systems as playing a role in the accidents.
A class action was recently filed relating to the problem of sudden acceleration in Toyotas. Our firm is currently investigating Toyota sudden acceleration cases. Sudden acceleration is a dangerous and potentially fatal defect. If someone you know was injured or killed as the result of a sudden acceleration defect, encourage them to immediately contact a competent attorney for advice. It is extremely important to do this quickly to ensure that evidence is preserved, statements are taken, and the rights of all are protected.
