SANTA MONICA, California — Dealers are receiving more detailed information from Toyota regarding the recall and sales suspension of the eight models with possible sticking accelerator pedals, a problem Toyota blames on a supplier.
Dealer sources have provided Edmunds.com, parent of Inside Line and AutoObserver.com, with documents they received from Toyota Tuesday that provide more specifics on just which vehicles are or are not included in the latest action, how to inspect the pedal for the supplier that produced its accelerator mechanism and what dealers should do with the vehicles on their lots and those brought in by customers.
Vehicles affected are equipped with an accelerator mechanism produced by an Elkhart, Indiana,-based supplier, CTS Corp. Others equipped with a mechanism made by Japanese supplier Denso are not affected.
In the materials sent to dealers, Toyota says 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."
Over time, some accelerator pedal mechanisms may become worn. One dealer source told Edmunds.com that it generally occurs when the vehicle has reached 38,000 miles on the odometer.
In addition to seeing the manufacturer's name on the mechanism, dealers can verify which vehicles are affected or not based on the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
Only Toyota-brand models are covered by the 2.3-million vehicle recall and suspension of sales and production. No Lexus and Scion models are included, as they use Denso parts. Dealers tell Edmunds.com that Toyota is seeking an alternate supply of the acceleration pedal parts.
Toyota emphasizes in the document that the incidents "are rare." In a Question and Answer document, Toyota says the number of incidents involving the condition remains under investigation, as are the number of accidents caused by the condition.
Inside Line says: Detailed information on the Toyota pedal recall continues to trickle out. Check back often for more updates. — Michelle Krebs, Edmunds' Senior Analyst and Editor at Large
Add A Comment »
colorado1974 says:
09:13 AM, 01/28/2010
Guy1974. Then why don't European cars meet US crash test standards? Why do US cars meet all European crash standards? Why does Europe allow over 50% diesel sales rates on engines that are banned here?
Our consumer protection laws ARE the strictest in the world. We also have the loosest legal system in the world that allows for the most frivolous lawsuits. That aside, I'm sure that every market in the world has a different pedal configuration and therefore different issues with each. The fact that issues are now coming to light in every corner of the world indicate that all the designs are faulty, not just the US.
guy1974 says:
07:42 AM, 01/28/2010
jhv1 - try to hide you anti union, anti-American worker attitude. The part at fault does not invalidate US manufacture since as you well know thousands of parts are assembled into a car and there have been no other issues. Stop hugging toyota so tight and kicking America down.
guy1974 says:
07:40 AM, 01/28/2010
colorado - I agree with most of what you post. However Europe has the strictest safety and emmission lawas. That is why BMW and others have the "flattened nose" on their cars for pedestrian safety rules. The list goes on.
The issue is bigger here because Toyota sells more here than in Europe. In Europe GM, Ford and the European makes (VW, Peugeot, Renault) rule supreme. The Japanese are bit players. For example in the UK Lexus has given up trying to compete with BMW, Audi etc and gone to a hybrid only range since they couldn`t compete on petrol or diesle engines. They sell around 7000 a year whereas BMW sells 70000 a year in the UK.
colorado1974 says:
07:02 AM, 01/28/2010
jvh. sorry, nice try.
1. you should read more than idiotic posts here, on the most biased site this side of consumer reports.
2. different markets around the world call for different specs.
3. if we follow your scenario, then toyota is responsible to make sure that all the parts meet their standards.
4. that, however is not the case.
Toyota designed the part and simply had a low cost bidder build it. That's it. The supplier has already gone public with all of this information. Toyota wanted to be number one, now they have all the headaches that come along with it.
jhv1 says:
10:23 PM, 01/27/2010
Colorado 1974: Thanks for your reply. However, if Toyota designed the part, it should be made the exact same way regardless of manufacturer. CTS didn't follow Toyota design or their change should not have been approved by Toyota for final assembly.
Also, there's a post that the Denso and CTS designs are not interchangeable, and that Denso cannot produce enough to fulfill recall modifications. This just to throw another wrinkle into the mess.
Many products are like this. Just a bunch of sub-assemblies produced by anyone and everyone, then final assembly taking place and putting a final corporate label on it - in this case - Toyota. Hardly any manufacturer makes the components inside their machine.They're final assembly plants using their specifications for the sub-assemblies.
We wouldn't want to know all the potential for breakdown, loss and injury due to faulty production and parts of articles we own.
But here the problem is - this is on a vehicle going 65 mph with our family inside.
colorado1974 says:
09:04 PM, 01/27/2010
JHV1. Toyota designed the pedal. It was not faulty American designs. The parts supplier built the pedal that Toyota wanted. There have been problems all over the world but it is exaggerated here because of our government. we have the strictest consumer protection laws, emission laws and safety laws of anywhere in the world.
Again, Toyota designs every part on a car and simply asks the cheapest supplier bid to build it.
jhv1 says:
08:55 PM, 01/27/2010
Let me be another to voice my dismay at faulty production at a US manufacturing plant.
And people wonder why we have a balance of payment deficit in the US? Even if we can make something of similar quality as other nations, people would not want to pay the price we charge for US labor for it.
And in most cases, we fail in the former also.
Every other Toyota I've ever purchased has been made in Japan, and I was always appreciative of it. And I've owned 12 since 1992.
US products are mainly inferior and priced well out of of the ballpark if we even make a quality-competitive product. That's why companies like Zenith, Motorola, Dupont, Sylvania, Amana, Kelvinator, Admiral, Magnavox, American Motors, etc., etc., etc are memories of my childhood. But no, we have to start US assembly and using US parts so that our UNIONS are happy and our politicians satiated.
Because of the above, I fear driving my new Highlander - which has 215 miles on it. Way to go American production and UNIONS!!! Why couldn't my accelerator pedal be made in Japan by Denso so I wouldn't be facing this dilemma and worry.
And has anyone ever checked most any product they currently buy - from furniture to wearing apparel - most everything's made in China. So don't get me started on sounding un-American. It's the way it is. Period.
colorado1974 says:
08:37 PM, 01/27/2010
Sorry guys, Toyota designed the part. The parts supplier just made the pedal that Toyota asked them to.
This from Automotive News!
There's only one level of telling the truth. If you almost tell the truth, it's not the truth.
Toyota Motor Sales USA sent a notice to its dealers, suggesting a script of answers if customers call with questions about the accelerator-pedal problem. Here's one of the Q&As from that script.
Q. Have there been any accidents reported?
A. The number of accidents are still under investigation.
That's the truth, but it's not the whole truth. The accurate answer would be, "Yes."
Or, if Toyota wants to spin the news -- and most automakers in Toyota's position would be desperate to put some spin on the situation -- the answer could be, "Yes, sadly there have been accidents. But we're determined to prevent any future ones, so please come in and let us check out your vehicle."
But that's not what Toyota suggests its dealers say.
I hope Toyota's dealers are more honest with customers than Toyota wants them to be.
pbrahma says:
08:15 PM, 01/27/2010
The DENSO is a supllier company which was established in Japan. They manufacture their components in Japan which mainly supply Toyota Japanese assembly lines.
dg0472 says:
02:32 PM, 01/27/2010
Uhm, sassy, according to a DetNews story, some Yaris and other models made in Japan have complaints against them in Europe, so you might want to hold your tongue until all the facts are in.