Toyota Suspends sales of Selected Vehicles

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http://www.toyota.ca/cgi-bin/WebObjects/WWW.woa/23/wo/Home.WhatsNew.LatestNews-HXZ9rgxv8aEzt2xlUprYj0/3.9?n306368e.html

Toyota Temporarily Suspends Sales of Selected Vehicles

Toyota Canada Inc (TCI) announced that it is instructing Toyota dealers to temporarily suspend sales of the eight models involved in the recall for sticking accelerator pedal, announced on January 21, 2010. Toyota is making every effort to meet the needs of customers and this decision will enable TCI to coordinate activities and expedite the accelerator pedal repairs for customers as quickly as possible.

Toyota will recall approximately 270,000 vehicles to correct sticking accelerator pedals on specific Toyota Division models. Toyota has investigated isolated reports of sticking accelerator pedal mechanisms in certain vehicles without the presence of floor mats. 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.

Toyota's accelerator pedal recall and suspension of sales is confined to the following Toyota Division vehicles:

2009-2010 RAV4,
2009-2010 Corolla,
2009-2010 Matrix,
2005-2010 Avalon,
Certain 2007-2010 Camry,
2010 Highlander,
2007-2010 Tundra,
2008-2010 Sequoia
No Lexus Division or Scion vehicles are affected by these actions. Also not affected are Toyota Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, and select Camry models, including all Camry hybrids.

Due to the sales suspension, Toyota is expected to stop vehicle production on seven production lines for the week of February 1. The North America vehicle production facilities affected are:

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Holy mother of god.  This is pretty big...

[Drunkn Munky]

Reporter,
January 2011

Toyota profits were down in 2010.....

Wow, thats going to hurt, but for the better.

[SamSamSam]

wow...

[tonyzoomzoom]

did Q/A just go out the door for Toyota ??

[DKaz]

Maybe... my 2008 Corolla developed rattles at less than 5,000km, it was quite common. I used to be a hardcore Toyota fanatic and now the only Toyota I'd consider is the rock solid Tacoma.

[M Speed]

wow that is messed up!

[derrick]

Venza isn't on the list. I'll go buy one now.

[Keiichi]

Wow....I wonder how this will affect their reputation.

[jimmy]

ppl will forget so fast

[Username]

This is going to hurt. We'll see in the long run how this affects the brand and it's reputation.

It's one part of the accelerator pedal. Maybe you guys can tell what it is.

Good part:



Faulty part:



  Kev

[derrick]

If that is the pedal assembly, then I would think the pedals were getting physically stuck on something.

[Keiichi]

ppl will forget so fast

I dunno if that applies in the car industry.

Look at how long it has taken Hyundai to come up the ranks....

But I guess it is easier to be at the top and screw up and come back...than from the bottom.

[tonyzoomzoom]

Toyota needs to ensure that these are isolated incidents.

Once you lose your reputation because of perceived repeated / frequent QA issues, then you are starting to look like what was the Big 3 and their quality problems.

[DKaz]

Venza isn't on the list. I'll go buy one now.

V-V-V-Venza!!!

[vicvic]

This is going to hurt. We'll see in the long run how this affects the brand and it's reputation.

It's one part of the accelerator pedal. Maybe you guys can tell what it is.

Good part:



Faulty part:



  Kev

Can't see the pictures and can't find them on google.. do you still have it?

[zephyrantes]

Toyota needs to ensure that these are isolated incidents.

Once you lose your reputation because of perceived repeated / frequent QA issues, then you are starting to look like what was the Big 3 and their quality problems.

agreed.

Now on a tangent... apparently Honda is recalling Fits/City/Jazz in Europe and a few N.American sales.   Something about a failing window switch that killed a child in the States due to a fire... the article I read didn't elaborate too much.

[Elder_MMHS]

This is a decently technical autoblog post about the matter.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/29/video-in-depth-look-at-toyotas-sticky-accelerator/

I always thought it was a floor mat issue (like it was with the early MS3 recall), but in this case, the Autoblog editor is suggesting it is a mechanical issue in the position sensor bushing of the pedal assembly.  Whether it is a material, manufacturing QA, design or other defect - they didn't explicitly specify or suggest.

I previously read on Autoblog that it was speculated to be an issue with a damper in the pedal return travel (if they even have one).  Guess that could just be another inconclusive theory to add to the list.

So basically, a lot of people are speculating, but it seems so far that the only general agreement is that there is something unaccounted for with the mechanical aspect of the pedal assembly.

[Elder_MMHS]

Now on a tangent... apparently Honda is recalling Fits/City/Jazz in Europe and a few N.American sales.   Something about a failing window switch that killed a child in the States due to a fire... the article I read didn't elaborate too much.

This is due to a design issue with the way the power window mechanism/controls are secured + mounted in/on the doors (it isn't specified if it is the user control, internal mechanism, drainage from door internals or something else).  It is possible for the mechanism to fail.  In extreme cases this can cause an electrical fire.

Practically all previous generation Honda Fits are being recalled worldwide.

The noted death was in South Africa.

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2010/01/29/honda-recall.html

[Google]

Ford's been kicking Toyota's butt lately and this certainly won't make things any better.  Like the Audi gas pedal issue many years ago, my guess is that it'll take a very long time for Toyota to regain people's loyalty and trust.

[tonyzoomzoom]

I doubt that.  Toyota has created a significant reputation on building reliable cars.  This is a huge hit, no doubt, but reputations (good or bad) don't disappear all of a sudden.