www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDLNOzrWfi8

It’s great that they have find a solution about this major problem. Dealerships are repairing 50,000 vehicles a day!

Inspection of Power Steering Hose Position on Certain 2010 Camry Also Announced

Recalls Underscore Toyota’s Commitment to Address All Vehicle Quality and Safety Issues Promptly and Effectively

TORRANCE, Calif., February 8, 2010 – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc, today announced it will conduct a voluntary safety recall on approximately 133,000 2010 Model Year Prius vehicles and 14,500 Lexus Division 2010 HS 250h vehicles to update software in the vehicle’s anti-lock brake system (ABS). No other Toyota, Lexus, or Scion vehicles are involved in this recall.

The ABS, in normal operation, engages and disengages rapidly (many times per second) as the control system senses and reacts to tire slippage. Some 2010 model year Prius and 2010 HS 250h owners have reported experiencing inconsistent brake feel during slow and steady application of brakes on rough or slick road surfaces when the ABS is activated in an effort to maintain tire traction.

Toyota has responded to owner concerns with a running production change for 2010 Prius that was introduced last month, improving the ABS system’s response time, as well as the system’s overall sensitivity to tire slippage. The production change for the HS 250h is planned for later this month.

“We’re committed to doing everything we can – as fast as we can – to restore consumer trust in Toyota, and these recalls are part of this effort,” said Jim Lentz, President and Chief Operating Officer, Toyota Motor Sales. “We regret the inconvenience this recall will cause to Prius and HS 250h owners, and will do our best with the support of our dealers to make sure that it is conducted in the most trouble-free manner possible.”

Mr. Lentz continued: “As part of the quality improvement program announced by Toyota President Akio Toyoda last week, our company is undertaking a top to bottom review to ensure that our vehicles meet our own high standards of safety and reliability, now and for the future. We are taking steps to implement more stringent quality control across the company, to investigate customer complaints more aggressively and to respond more quickly to any safety issues we identify.”

The recall will allow Toyota dealers to perform the software update on 2010 Prius vehicles sold prior to this running production change. Only Prius vehicles produced since May 2009 and all HS 250h vehicles are subject to this recall. First- and second-generation Prius vehicles use a different ABS system and are not involved in this campaign.

The ABS system on the Lexus HS 250h is similar in design to the Prius. The software adjustment planned for HS 250h production and dealer modification is being finalized and will be announced very soon.

Toyota will begin mailing letters to Prius owners included in this recall next week and HS 250h owners within the next few weeks, to let them know when to bring their vehicles into a dealership. Owners will only receive a letter if their vehicle is involved in the recall.

Separately, Toyota will conduct a voluntary safety recall on approximately 7,300 early production – 2010 model year Camry vehicles equipped with the 4 cylinder engine to inspect for a power steering hose that may be in contact with a front brake tube. This contact could lead to a hole in the brake tube and cause a brake fluid leak, increased brake pedal stroke and greater vehicle stopping distance.

Owners of the involved 2010 Camry vehicles will be notified by mail starting in the middle of February.

Detailed information about these recalls is available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and at the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Toyota Motor Sales, Corporate Communications
(310) 468-5297
(310) 468-7359

Source: Toyota Pressroom

The same models of Toyota Motor Corp. which has been called back in the U.S., Europe and China are on the roads of Japan as well. But since they use different supplier of parts and hence they are out of trouble with reference to defective gas pedals.

Naeko Kawamata, a salesgirl at a Tokyo Toyota trader stated on Saturday that; “Some of our customers express sympathy about Toyota’s overseas problems. But we aren’t getting queries on recalls.”

Tokyo’s Waseda University business and economics professor Hideaki Miyajima said that, “Toyota appears to be trying to respond with care. Toyota has grown to where it is now by sticking to safety standards. If it can overcome this problem, it can even make the experience a plus for its future.”

Some of the Japanese experts are hopeful the effect from the U.S. sufferings will pass off in a few months. This will happen only till Toyota reacts comparatively speedily to mend the trouble. They also feel that this crisis has surfaced only because the auto manufacturer spread out too rapidly over the last number of years, making it hard to copy the “Toyota Way,” recognized for faultless quality checks, outside Japan.

Source: Examiner

Brian Lyons the Company spokesman stated that he was not aware as to when the parts would reach or the duration it would take the car manufacturers to finish fixings on the 4.2 million vehicles universal out of which 2.3 million in the U.S. He alleged that Toyota did not yet decide whether to fix the accelerators or restore them altogether. He further stated that Toyota was to make public particulars sometime next week as to how it thinks to resolve the problem.

On Friday, Akio Toyoda the Toyota CEO stated publicly for the first time with regard to the recall. In Davos, Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum he stated to the Japanese broadcaster NHK: “I am very sorry that we are making our customers feel concerned.
“People can feel safe driving in the current situation,” he added. “Please trust that we are responding so it will be even safer.”

Jim Guest the president of Consumers Union stated that “Although incidents of sudden acceleration are rare, we are taking this action because the vehicles have been identified as potentially unsafe without a fix yet being available to consumers.”

Toyota blocked marketing 8 U.S. models, which includes the top-selling Camry, on Tuesday. It also declared that it will cease constructing them till the trouble is fixed.

The different models which are being recalled are: iQ (Nov 2008 – Nov 2009); Aygo (Feb 2005 – Aug 2009); Auris (Oct 2006 – 5 Jan 2010); Yaris (Nov 2005 – Sep 2009); Verso (Feb 2009 – 5 Jan 2010); Avensis (Nov 2008 – Dec 2009); Corolla (Oct 2006 – Dec 2009) and RAV4 (Nov 2005 – Nov 2009). No other Toyota models are involved.

Tadashi Arashima who is the Toyota Motor Europe president and CEO remarked in a statement that “Toyota’s policy is to put its customers first in all circumstances.” He further stated that; “We understand that the current situation is creating concerns and we deeply regret it. We would also like to reassure customers the potential accelerator pedal issue only occurs in very rare circumstances. The announced action is a preventive measure aimed to guarantee the highest safety standards to all customers.”

The recall was due to the European unit affirming that 26 happenings – and perhaps more were recorded after its throttle pedal mechanism clinging trouble had turned up.

Toyota announced that: “A running change in production using different parts has already been implemented model-by-model for the models on sale in Europe. Therefore there is no need or intention to stop production in Europe.” Toyota further stated that it did not get news of any accidents even though it notified owners with concerns to reach their adjacent dealer.

The vehicles for the recall includes the 2005-2010 Avalon, the 2008-2010 Sequoia, the 2007-2010 Camry and the 2007-2010 Tundra, the 2009-2010 RAV4, the 2010 Highlander, the 2009-2010 Corolla and the 2009-2010 Matrix.

Toyota alleged that the recall of Thursday is due to possible problems with the real gas pedal mechanics, inducing the accelerator to cling no matter even if the vehicle comprises of a floor mat. Toyota said in some remote cases, the gas pedal mechanics wears down, inducing the throttle to become more difficult to press, duller to return or, in certain cases, stuck. In a letter to federal safety officials dated Thursday, Toyota said the problem looked to be linked to the possible build-up of condensation on slipping surfaces in the accelerator arrangement that assists drivers push down or discharge the gas pedal.

Toyota representative John Hanson stated that “the automaker does not yet have a solution to the latest problem but is working to develop one”. He further stated that “the company is unaware of any accidents or injuries due to the gas pedal problems associated with Thursday’s recall, but could not rule it out for sure. In reality the recall came together very quickly.”