Posted on 01/26/2010 8:59:06 PM PST by NorwegianViking
Toyota to halt sales of many vehicles for sticking accelerator pedal Toyota is "temporarily" halting the sales of many of its passenger cars and trucks because it can't figure out why the accelerator pedal has stuck in some instances. These vehicles already are under recall. Now, Toyota is taking the extraordinary step -- I can't recall a time when this has happened before -- of literally pulling them off the showroom floor and halting production lines. The models affected are: # 2009-2010 RAV4. # 2009-2010 Corolla. # 2009-2010 Matrix. # 2005-2010 Avalon. # Certain 2007-2010 Camrys. # 2010 Highlander. # 2007-2010 Tundra. # 2008-2010 Sequoia. Vehicles that are NOT affected include Lexus and Scion vehicles, the Toyota Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser and select Camry models, including all Camry hybrids, which will remain for sale. The sales halt means a production stoppage for the week of Feb. 1 at the following plants: # Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Canada (Corolla, Matrix and RAV4). # Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana (Sequoia and Highlander). # Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky – Line 1 (Camry and Avalon). # Subaru of Indiana Automotive (Camry). # Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas (Tundra) "Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company," said group vice president and Toyota Division general manager Bob Carter. "This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized. We're making every effort to address this situation for our customers as quickly as possible." The stuck accelerator pedal has been a mystery to Toyota, which first advised drivers to remove the floor mat as a preventive measure.
(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...
Be careful with your approach to avoid wrecking out. Toyota recommends:
What if you experience a sticking accelerator pedal while driving?
• Each circumstance may vary, and drivers must use their best judgment, but Toyota recommends taking one of following actions:
• If you need to stop immediately, the vehicle can be controlled by stepping on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for the power brake assist.
• Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine.
• If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.
o If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button.
o 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.
I have a 2007 Camry...I have experienced no problems, and I do like this car very much. Hope they can solve the problem. I am due a maintenance soon, and will ask them about this recall. I haven’t received a letter from them or anything of the sort.
It may sound conspiratorial, but why were no hybrids recalled? Could there be some hidden incentive/threat for toyota to give back market share to Obama’s auto companies? The exec they quoted didn’t seem to be in enough of a rush to restart production
You guys should be ashamed of driving those 2005 and later (LATER!) yuppy-jap vehicles.
There is nothing in Toyota Camry 1998 that requires any further innovation. Except disabling its theft alarm system that does not work, which a child could do as soon as the car is off the dealer’s lot.
However, now that the buzz is up my ear level, I remember that I do have to sort of force the gas pedal to work after the car was idling at a lights stop.
It never sticks while the throttle is open, but it does stick, lightly, when the pressure has not been applied for maybe a minute. I can’t say if it also happens at cold start, it probably does, but I don’t care if I have to shake her up to life at cold start anyway.
This effect is intermittent. At its worst, I experience surprising resistance to the foot. I can overcome it by stabbing or tapping the pedal momentarily. Most times, it is barely noticeable. It gets a bit worse in cold (sub-freezing) weather.
It is not something I’d bother a somber Oriental Gentleman with, but if you had a similar experience I’d like to know. Mine’s beige in color, and says LE on the trunk lid.
I bought a Camry years ago, and sure enough it had a sticky pedal. Fortunately my son was learning at the time to be an mechanic, and he fixed it.
I can’t remember what we did but it wasn’t greasing the cable, that makes it worse.
Goodness, mine is an LE and beige also! It is a 97. My son is a mechanic and he fixed it.
When I first bought it and drove it around the block, the pedal kept sticking and was “creaky”. I thought I might have to go back to the dealer, but my son fixed it in about ten minutes.
How much did he charge?
The accelerator stuck down in my 2006 Scion xB on the FDR Drive in New York. I had read about the floor mat problem a few weeks before (Thanks FR!), so I knew enough to pull the mat out and throw it into the back seat. My wife was very impressed!
Of course, on the 2006 xB, flooring the accelerator means the engine just makes a slightly higher noise. It doesn’t really take off like a scalded cat, or anything.
When I got home, I hooked the mats to the restraining hooks, like they are supposed to be, and I have not had a problem since.
No sale of most Toyota vehicles in Ca will mean an immediate loss of sales tax revenue..nearly 10% of the price of the car. With LA about to go broke, it could be a significant hiccup in their cash flow.
If this had been GM, there would have been a parade of posts about how crappy GM cars are. Toyota? Not a squeek. They are just praised for “taking care of the problem.”
You can’t fight public perception.
Hybrids are "drive by wire" and the gas pedal isn't mechanically connected to anything; only its position is reported using an electronic sensor, and the sensor itself can be automatically tested by the car's computer. So the only possible reason for the gas pedal to be stuck is the floor mat; if that is taken care of there should be no problem. Also switching to neutral is easy on hybrids since the transmission is electrically operated.
Get out the tin hats chem trails retarded.
Hybrids have completely different throttle systems.
Toyota is not doing this to be kind to their customers,the information got out due to investigative reporting.Now the defects are public record and there is legal exposure if they do nothing and continue selling and producing these cars.
You know, years ago we decided it was better to have a mechanic in the family than a college graduate!
Let’s put it this way.
I haven’t spent one cent on cars in the past six years, except as a present I did buy him an old Acura he thought was neat.
I believe most (if not all??) of the Toyota’s recalled/sales suspended are “drive by wire”...I rented an ‘08 Rav4 that was electronic throttle controlled...my 1st hint was no pedal movement after turning off the cruise control. Prius’s have also suffered “throttle sticking”. I bet they are looking at an electronic throttle “glitch”/bug now, as the floor mat recall didn’t resolve the problem.
“before more people are killed”
Is there evidence that lives have been lost because of this problem?
Well, we Toyota owners are rightly pleased with our cars, so why complain?
Acellerator control pedal via IP protocol....using a blue tooth like sensor. I test drove
a honda civic using that system. I could sense a 5 to 10 ms delay in moving the pedal versus response by the engine.
I asked the sales man what were the options if the sensor went bad in heavy high speed traffic? Didn’t buy the car. Our 2009 corrolla was not a ‘sensor type’. Don’t know about the 2010’s.
thank you. And for all the GM haters, “How’s that rice burner working for you?”
The news last night mentioned how many deaths and injuries have occurred, but I don’t remember the numbers. It was significant, though. Deaths I believe in the teens, injuries much higher.
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