Toyota to fix 'very dangerous' gas pedal defects

[DainBramaged]

The recall, which covers 4.26 million cars and trucks, is aimed at reducing the vehicles' risk of sudden accelerations, which have led to 19 deaths since the 2002 model year.

Moving to correct what federal regulators have termed a "very dangerous problem," Toyota Motor Corp. said it would modify and replace gas pedals on 4.26 million cars and trucks to reduce the vehicles' risk of accelerating out of control.

Toyota said the measures were designed to prevent floor mats from jamming the accelerator pedal open. As an additional precaution, the Japanese automaker said most of its cars would be modified so that the brake overrides the accelerator if both pedals are pressed at the same time.

The action follows widespread reports of runaway Toyota and Lexus vehicles, including an Aug. 28 crash near San Diego that killed a California Highway Patrol officer and three family members. Sudden acceleration incidents involving Toyota-made cars and trucks have claimed 19 lives since the 2002 model year, The Times has reported, which federal officials say is more than all other manufacturers combined.

"We are very, very confident that we have addressed this issue," Toyota spokesman Irv Miller told reporters in detailing the recall plans Wednesday.

Toyota declined to estimate the cost of the recall, the biggest in its history. But industry experts said it could easily top $250 million, citing the time and labor that will be needed to service more than 4 million vehicles.

Auto industry experts, while crediting Toyota for initiating the recall, questioned why the automaker had taken so long to act. (deny deny deny)


http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-toyota-recall26-2009nov26,0,3295310.story

[latebloomer]

1. Sudden acceleration is not new with Toyota vehicles.

I experienced it myself years back in an 83 Cressida. Started to back up in a church parking lot, after going to a playgroup with my 6-month-old. Car started wildly going backward and neither brake nor emergency brake would stop it. I was too panicked to think of turning off the ignition. One mom was slightly injured, but it could have been tragic.

I researched it then and they admitted to problems with the 81 and 82 models, but not mine.

[stray cat]

2. It sounds like the current problem is due to a floor mat getting stuck on the pedal

[DainBramaged]

3. Toyota Agrees to Sludge Settlement for Consumers

Consumers saddled with sludge-clogged Toyota engines may soon get some help from the Japanese auto giant under the terms of a class-action lawsuit settlement that covers roughly 3.5 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles damaged by engine oil sludge.

An engine gummed up with oil sludge can cost thousands of dollars to repair and in many cases must be replaced. The class action settlement could potentially cost the automaker hundreds of millions of dollars.

The agreement will allow consumers whose claims have been denied by Toyota to submit those claims to a third-party mediator at no cost for binding arbitration.

The lawsuit, filed in a Louisiana district court, could receive final approval by the middle of February. Details of the settlement are being mailed to 7.5 million current and previous Toyota and Lexus owners.

The agreement provides owners of sludge-damaged Toyota's eight years plus 120 days from the original purchase date to file a complaint.

Toyota consumers who have repaired their sludge-damaged engines may be able to recover their costs. The car only needs to show evidence of oil sludge damage.

The terms of the settlement are transferable to future vehicle owners.

Toyota owners have repeatedly written ConsumerAffairs.com detailing Toyota's attempts to blame sludge problems on inadequate vehicle maintenance by the owner.


http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/01/toyota_sludge_settlement.html


WOW nothing wrong with them fancy japanese cars, never needs maintenance nope never.

[DainBramaged]

4. Toyota Truck Owners Clamoring For Recall Over Dangerously Rusted Frames

After the bodies on Toyota pickups of the 70s and 80s turned into little piles of brown dust, you'd think Toyota would have figured out how to build a pickup capable of standing up to the elements. It seems you may have thought wrong. Owners of Tacomas and Tundras from between 1995 and 2002 have lodged complaints with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration over dangerously corroding frames, with some examples so weak you can poke a finger through crossmembers. Stories of large sheets of corroded metal falling off the truck, shackles and spring mounts rusting through, frames so bad you can't weld replacement brackets on make it sound pretty bad. These allegations are very serious, and may lead to NHTSA investigating whether a recall might be in order.

http://jalopnik.com/5232946/toyota-truck-owners-clamoring-for-recall-over-dangerously-rusted-frames






If you've been following the Toyota Tundra rust saga, you're aware that NHSTA recently requested data from Toyota about the purported frame corrosion affecting 2000 and 2001 models. Today, Toyota has extended that recall to include the 2002-03 model years, saying that a small number of trucks could suffer from frame corrosion that could cause the spare tire to detach from its underbody housing. That brings the total up to 110,000 Tundras located in 20 cold-weather states and the District of Columbia.

Toyota will begin an inspection program next month which will run through January of 2010, and if you're driving one of the affected pickups, you can get all the details in the press release below the fold. Hat tip to Mike from Pickuptrucks.com.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/24/toyota-extends-tundra-rust-recall-to-include-2000-03-models-tot/


Toyota Extends Warranties On 813,000 Tacomas Due To Rust

Rust, as they say, never sleeps. But Toyota does......

It certainly never sleeps in the states where road salt is in heavy use, and we’ve recently become aware of additional evidence of that fact.

We’ve received reports that on a small number of model-year 1995 to 2000 Tacomas, excessive corrosion of the frame has caused perforation of the metal. The reason for this, it appears, is that the frames of some of the 813,000 vehicles built during this time-frame may not have adequate corrosion protection.

As a result, when they’re exposed to severe environmental conditions, especially in states where salt is used for the de-icing of roads, these frames may develop corrosion that goes beyond the normal surface rust that’s commonly found on metal after years of exposure – and in this case, these trucks are from eight to 13 years old.

Because of our oft-stated commitment to standing behind our products, we’re extending the rust-perforation warranty covering these trucks for a period of 15 years from each vehicle’s original date of purchase, with no mileage limitation, for corrosion damage that results in perforation of the vehicle’s frame material. Owners of these Tacomas need not be the original owners. Even if you bought your Tacoma second- or third-hand, it’s covered by this extended warranty.


http://www.autospies.com/news/Toyota-Extends-Warranties-On-813-000-Tacomas-Due-To-Rust-27364/

[DainBramaged]

5. Sunday kick for the deniers.

[DainBramaged]

6. Monday kick for the god ToyHonNisSub

[DainBramaged]

7. Monday afternoon kick for the god ToyHonNisSub

[DainBramaged]

8. Monday night kick for reliable old Toyota's......

I'll kick this sonofabitch for a month if I have to, one of you import lovers will notice.

[Xicano]

9. I own a 2000 Toyota Tundra and it looks and drives as good as it did 9 yrs ago.

I know one truck I'll never buy. Ford F150's seem to have this problem with catching fire

[DainBramaged]

10. Awwww such pretty pictures.....

:eyes:



If you owned that Tundra where there is salt used on the roads the frame would be powder by now. But we know YOU'RE special.

[Xicano]

12. I'd rather have a truck that had a corrosion problem than one that had a catching fire problem

However, my almost 10 year old truck has been used numerous times throughout the years on camping, skiing and other trips and has seen plenty of driving on roads where there was salt laid down because of the winter conditions. Yet, like I said, my truck looks as good today and drives as good today as it did back when I bought it. The only rust that can been seen is the light dusting of rust typical on the non breaking surfaces of break calipers and break disks all vehicles have. That is it.

Again, all my American made vehicles I've owned always required lots more maintenance than the two Toyotas I've owned as well as their paint and interiors not lasting nearly as good as the two Toyotas I've owned.

I, as I am sure you and everyone else here does, work hard for my money and will spend it where I can get more from it. And sorry but its been my experience as a consumer and a mechanic (former A&P) that Toyota has consistently put out a better product. But you don't see me obsessing over ragging on American made automobiles the way you're obsessing over Toyota. But we know YOU'RE special.


Peace,
Xicano

[Brickbat]

11. Tried to rec it, but it was too old. Glad to see a "but but but U.S. cars are crap too!" post.

They might have been. But things are changing. Toyota is not the green, jobs-loving, squishy love company people seem to want to think it is. They're out to make a buck like everyone else, which is why they outsource to the southern U.S., and why they think they can cut corners.