Toyota puts it in the ditch

[altiain]

Toyota halts sales of eight models in the United States in wake of safety recall of 2.3 million vehicles for throttle control problems.

This is on top of the previous 4.2 million vehicles that were recalled to fix floor mat problems earlier this year.

In fact, according to The Detroit Free Press, Toyotas were the most recalled car in America in 2009 with almost one-third of all recalled cars being Toyotas (4.87 million Toyotas recalled out of a total 15.2 million vehicles recalled).

Wow.

To top it off, Toyota intends to cut supplier part cost up to 30% over the next three years to improve profitability. That money won't come out of thin air, so expect cheaper parts to go into future Toyotas. Maybe now isn’t such a good time to buy a new Toyota.

[POS Racing]

I called Toyota Corprate since my vehicle is one of the ones they stopped selling and is being recalled.

They couldn't even tell me what the fix will be for it or when it would be availble.

I asked if my wife should quit drivng they didn't know how to answer.... So I offered to give it back they declined my offer.

Lease only has 28 months to go!

[Majik]

I called Toyota Corprate since my vehicle is one of the ones they stopped selling and is being recalled.

They couldn't even tell me what the fix will be for it or when it would be availble.

I asked if my wife should quit drivng they didn't know how to answer.... So I offered to give it back they declined my offer.

Lease only has 28 months to go!

I didnt think she ever took her foot off of the throttle anyway.

[POS Racing]

I didnt think she ever took her foot off of the throttle anyway.

That is a good point!

[altiain]

It just keeps getting better for Toyota...

Another 1.8 million cars recalled in Europe for the same issue. Of course, this kinda shoots the whole "the problem is with the American supplier who manufactured the pedals for us" excuse, since none of the recalled European cars use the American pedal assemblies.

Methinks this is going to really FUBAR Toyota's plans for world domination.

[Sharpie]

What's the point of a recall if you don't have a plan to fix it?

[Radio-Active]

[url=http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/29/officially-official-toyota-europe-recalling-8-models-1-8-milli/]Methinks this is going to really FUBAR Toyota's plans for world domination.

It hasn't stopped people from buying Honda's. They keep having issues with transmisions and people still think they are the best cars out there. Go figure.

[jrj512]

A video of the issue:

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/29/v...tor/#continued

[POS Racing]

Why do they want you to hit the brakes while in drive and then kick it in neutral?? Wouldn't it be easier to just knock in neutral and then bring the car to a stop??

[cam76034]

Ever been in a car with the accelerator stuck wide open? It's not easy to rationally think through the proper procedures one should follow when your vehicle is speeding up while you're hitting the brakes. When I was 17 I had a 67 cougar that had a broken motor mount. One night I came up on a yellow at Rochelle & Story in Irving so I punched it to get through the intersection, but when I let off the gas, it kept accelerating. Brakes weren't much help and so I shifted into neutral and it was screaming for what seemed like a lifetime before I thought to just turn off the key. It didn't take long to figure out that somehow the motor had lurched enough to bind up the linkage to the carb so it was stuck WOT. Replaced motor mount soon after.

[POS Racing]

Yes I have I had a TR6 that liked to hang at WOT just hit the key kill the motor push in the clutch stop the car pop the hood wiggle the linkage and away I'd go again.

But unlike Toyota's advice I'd always kill the motor first then stop the car.

[cam76034]

Yes I have I had a TR6 that liked to hang at WOT just hit the key kill the motor push in the clutch stop the car pop the hood wiggle the linkage and away I'd go again.

Back in the good old days when owner's manuals actually had information you could use.

[cone-cerned]

Mine was a 1957 Ford with an AT. When the throttle would stick, I would hit the shift lever with my forearm as I reached for the key, shifting into neutral and killing the engine. I had lots of practice, I was very good at it.

Ah, sweet youth.

[altiain]

Well, it wouldn't be a scandal if it didn't involve crooked Louisianna cops, now would it?

Seems as everyone's getting miffed at Toyota these days. Customers are angry over the millions of recalls and/or sudden yet unintended acceleration, readers are ticked at Toyota for taking our focus away from more exciting car news and we're frankly annoyed at having to write about the ailing Japanese giant every time we switch the computer on. But none of us are as miffed as one man in Louisiana.

If we may get all Don the Rum on you for a moment, here's what we know and what we think know: A man was returning his truck to All Star Toyota in Baton Rouge, LA when the truck rammed into the dealership. The Baton Rouge Police Department is placing the blame squarely at the feet of a "stuck accelerator pedal." However, things sound a little fishy.

Upon hearing about the ThrottleGate recall, the owner of the truck in question decided he didn't want his Toyota anymore, and attempted to get All Star Toyota to take the truck back and refund his money. The dealership, obviously, felt different, and offered instead to repair the man's accelerator pedal and give him a loaner. In fact, the dealership had to explain to the owner three separate times that he could not get his money back. Three separate times on the day of the incident.

In fact, it was after the third such explanation (and third refusal by the owner to accept a loaner vehicle) that the owner of the truck experienced a stuck gas pedal and rammed into the dealership. The building received only superficial damage. The truck however, is in a pretty bad shape. When asked if they felt the accident was intended or unintended, the dealership said, "no comment."

Hey Meesh - feel like running over anyone at the local Toyota dealership? You could probably get away with it right now!

[POS Racing]

Hey Meesh - feel like running over anyone at the local Toyota dealership? You could probably get away with it right now!

Nah I'm good for now.

[POS Racing]

Wow!

Appearing before a House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation this morning, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that Toyota owners should "stop driving" their recalled vehicles until they're fixed.

"We need to fix the problem so people don't have to worry about disengaging the engine or slamming the brakes on or put it in neutral...If anybody owns [one] of these vehicles, stop driving it and take it to a Toyota dealer."

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/03/s...s-until-fixed/

[jrj512]

I think that is way overboard and irresponsible of Mr. LaHood. I agree that owners should get them fixed, but causing undo panic by telling people to stop driving them is too much. It's not like I am seeing someone having to put their Toyota into neutral in order to avoid hitting a puppy farm is a daily occurence. Sheesh.

[Titus]

I would be interested in seeing numbers on odds of occurrence. I suspect the odds are higher that you get hit by a drunk driver than have a gas peddle failure in a Toyota.

[POS Racing]

I think that is way overboard and irresponsible of Mr. LaHood.

Yea I take it someone at Toyota pissed him off...

[sammm]

Yea I take it someone at Toyota pissed him off...

Probably when he saw Mr. Toyoda leaving a conference in an Audi.