Carl Hogan of Carl Hogan Toyota in Columbus Wednesday said Toyota is being “very, very proactive” in recalling vehicles to fix faulty gas pedals.
Japan”s Toyota Motor Corp. announced late Tuesday it would halt sales of some of its top-selling models to fix gas pedals that could stick and cause unintended acceleration. Last week, Toyota issued a recall for the same eight models affecting 2.3 million vehicles.
“Toyota is trying to be proactive to ensure customer safety is the first concern,” Hogan said, advising customers who think their vehicles may be affected to bring their vehicles to the dealership to be inspected.
Those customers whose vehicles are recalled will be placed on a list and the issue when be addressed when required parts are available to the dealership, he said.
“Obviously, the recalled vehicles will be taken off the lot,” Hogan added, declining to estimate the number of vehicles affected, but noting the dealership has more than 100 vehicles for sale, which are not affected by the recall. “But we still have plenty of models and vehicles for sale. I cannot overstress these (problems) are very rare instances. But Toyota”s approach is they don”t care how small the incidents are, they want to fix it.”
The suspect parts are made by a U.S. supplier, but they also are found in its European-made vehicles, an official with the automaker said Wednesday.
Toyota also is suspending production at six North American car-assembly plants beginning the week of Feb. 1. It gave no date on when production could restart.
The sales and production halt involves several best-selling U.S. models, including the Camry and Corolla sedans and the RAV 4 crossover, a blend of an SUV and a car. RAV 4”s sales surged last month.
In addition, the problem could spread to Europe, where a similar accelerator part is being used, said Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi. She declined to give the number of vehicles affected. The company was studying possible responses there, including a recall, she said.
“For Europe, the number and models potentially concerned are under evaluation,” said Philippe Boursereau, spokesman for Toyota France.
The supplier is CTS Corp., based in Elkhart, Ind., and the problem part was manufactured at its plant in Ontario, Canada, according to a report Toyota handed to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last week.
Toyota”s report says it first received reports in March 2007, of gas pedals being slow to come back in the Tundra pickup, and fixed the problem in February 2008.
Starting in December 2008, similar problems were reported in Europe with the Aygo and Yaris models. Toyota said it lengthened a part and changed the material to fix the problem, starting in August 2009.
The latest problem emerged in North America, culminating in the decision for the recall earlier this month, Toyota said in the report.
John Wolkonowicz , a longtime auto analyst with IHS-Global Insight, said Toyota is fortunate in that it has a loyal customer base — primarily baby boomers who have been buying Toyotas for decades. That, he said, will help minimize the sales impact in the short term.
“But it will further impede their ability to get the younger buyers that they so dearly want to get into the Toyota fold,” Wolconowicz said.
Toyota has said it was unaware of any accidents or injuries due to the pedal problems associated with the recall, but could not rule them out for sure.
The automaker said the U.S. sales suspension includes the following models: the 2009-2010 RAV4, the 2009-2010 Corolla, the 2007-2010 Camry, the 2009-2010 Matrix hatchback, the 2005-2010 Avalon large sedan, the 2010 Highlander crossover, the 2007-2010 Tundra pickup and the 2008-2010 Sequoia large SUV.
About 300 workers who build V8 engines at a Toyota plant in Huntsville, Ala., will be affected, said Stephanie Deemer, a spokeswoman for the plant. Goss said the shutdowns will also affect engine plants in Georgetown, Ky., and Buffalo, W.Va.
Tuesday”s announcement follows a larger U.S. recall months earlier of 4.2 million vehicles because of problems with gas pedals becoming trapped under floor mats, causing sudden acceleration. That problem was the cause of several crashes, including some fatalities.
About 1.7 million vehicles fall under both recalls.
The auto company said the sales suspension wouldn”t affect Lexus or Scion vehicles. Toyota said the Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser and select Camry models, including all Camry hybrids, would remain for sale. Those vehicles contain gas pedals produced by a different North American supplier from the one whose parts are involved in the current sales halt, Toyota has said.
Toyota sold more than 34,000 Camrys in December, making the midsize sedan America”s best-selling car.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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