To(yo)ta(l) Recall

Previously perfect Toyota – the world’s most reliable car company – having to recall millions of cars because of a safety fault and US Transportation Secretary, Ray Lahood, telling all American owners not to drive them, before hastily recanting and citing it as ‘a misstatement’.

The problems for Toyota began at the end of last year in the US, when more models had to be recalled due to the accelerator pedal getting caught on/under the floor mat and interfering with its ability to function properly.

Now we are alerted to a new problem with the accelerator pedal – it can become sticky, leading to it remaining partially or, in some cases, fully depressed.

There was some horrific story mentioned in the UK media about a family who died as a result of this happening, with graphic recordings of the telephone call to the emergency services as they careered towards an intersection, desperately trying to get the vehicle to stop.

It’s all great copy! And, on the news and radio, reporters use their faster, concerned-but-almost-hysterical voice which has the effect of engendering panic in the listener.

So, let’s stop and think about this rationally. I bought my Toyota in the middle of last year from new and it has done about 5,000 miles in that time. I need to know if this is a problem that is likely to affect me personally. So, I listened to all the experts and then went on to the Toyota UK website to find this:

Toyota has pinpointed an issue that on rare occasions could cause accelerator pedals in certain vehicles to “stick” in a partially open position. The recall is being undertaken as a precautionary measure as only a tiny percentage of the vehicles could develop this specific problem.

There is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.

This is caused because the accelerator pedal mechanisms concerned may become worn. This progressive wear, combined with certain operating and environmental conditions, can cause friction in the mechanism to increase and intermittently result in the accelerator pedal being harder to depress, slow to return or, in the worst case, stick in a partially open position.

In case of occurrence, the driver may notice that the accelerator pedal is progressively harder to depress or is slower to return. A rough or chattered feeling may also be experienced when depressing/releasing the accelerator pedal.

If you have not experienced the problem, it is highly unlikely that you will. The recall Toyota is undertaking is precautionary as only a tiny percentage of the vehicles could potentially develop the problem.

What all the experts seem to agree is that this fault will not just happen suddenly.

In the meantime, Toyota have to get in touch with the licensing authority to ascertain who owns the cars that will be recalled. So, the owners of such a vehicle will be receiving a letter alerting to the fact over the next couple of weeks and then a second letter will be sent inviting them to come in to a local garage for the repair to be effected.

However, if you go to their website, you can input your VIN or Registration Number and email details to find out a bit more quickly than that.

The VIN will be on your registration document or you can find it printed on one of the door columns in the car itself – the website says it will be on the driver’s side, but mine was on the passenger side.

If you have any questions or would like to speak to someone within their dedicated Customer Relations team please call 0800 1388744.

Toyota do now have a fix for this issue. A precision-cut steel reinforcement bar will be installed into the accelerator pedal assembly. This 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. Toyota will cover all repair costs associated with this work.

There is no point in just driving straight to the Toyota garage as the part will not be available until next Wednesday anyway. However, in the interim, there will be a lot of very concerned Toyota drivers out on Britain’s roads for the next few weeks.

Models affected by the UK recall:

AYGO (Feb 2005 – Aug 2009)
Only AYGO MMT is affected
**NEW INFORMATION**

iQ (Nov 2008 – Nov 2009)

Yaris (Nov 2005 – Sep 2009)

Auris (Oct 2006 – 5 Jan 2010)

Corolla (Oct 2006 – Dec 2009)

Verso (Feb 2009 – 5 Jan 2010)

Avensis (Nov 2008 – Dec 2009)

Models NOT affected:

AYGO Manual
**NEW INFORMATION**

RAV4
**NEW INFORMATION**

Urban Cruiser
Avensis Verso
Corolla Verso
Celica
MR2
Prius
Previa
Land Cruiser
Land Cruiser Amazon
Land Cruiser V8
Hilux
Hiace
Dyna
Any pre-2005 Toyota

Please note: Not all the cars in this date range will be recalled.

Urban Cruiser, Prius, Land Cruiser, Hilux, Hiace and Dyna are not affected, and no Lexus vehicles are affected.

Toyota will continue to produce all models.

Toyota is confident that all models that contain the potentially sticking pedals have been identified.

Questions that we will all be asking:

Is my car safe to drive if it has not yet had the repair?

If you have not experienced any faults with your vehicle so far, it is very unlikely that you will, as reported faults are very rare and, in most cases, would have been apparent for some time. The recall is precautionary as only a tiny percentage of the vehicles manufactured have potential to develop the fault. There have been no accidents reported in Europe that can be attributed to this specific problem.

Does this recall have anything to do with the floor mat recall in the USA?

No. The floor mat recall is in the USA only. However, please note that Toyota does not advise customers to use third-party aftermarket floor mats in their vehicles. Unsecured mats can cause problems by interfering with pedals in the driver’s footwell of any car from any manufacturer. Our advice is to only ever use the genuine manufacturer supplied mats correctly secured in your car.

In US a Production Stop has been issued for the involved vehicles. Is same action taken in Europe?

No, starting from August 2009, a running change in production has been implemented model-by-model. Current production is counter measured.

What should I do if I experience a sticking accelerator while driving?

If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.

The US version of this press release is here

I couldn’t help thinking of the Arnie film ‘Total Recall’ when I typed in the title of this post so the following link is vaguely relevant, especially as it is one of my favourites and so deserves a mention.

Alternatively you could rent it from LoveFilm.