Toyota: 1.7 million recalled vehicles have been fixed, March sales to be 35% higher

Posted: Mar 30, 2010
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According to top execs, Toyota has repaired about 1.7 million vehicles under its two recall programs and expects sales for March to be 35% higher than the same period last year. Jim Lentz had also mentioned that the company welcomes the moves taken by the Obama administration to probe the vehicles’ electronic systems, as the Toyota investigation has a largely mechanical focus.

“We have 40 million cars with electronic throttle controls, and not one case of failure of ETCs that has resulted in unintended acceleration,” Lentz told an auto dealer forum sponsored by the National Automobile Dealers Association and IHS Global Insight. Lentz had also pointed out that most of the recalled models that received repairs were covered by the sticking pedal recall, and that the floor mat recall will take longer to address.

Toyota has a barrage of incentives out there, having caused Honda to follow suit. Some speculate that Toyota could outsell all other automakers in the U.S. this month.

- By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Free Press


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  • Beelzebub

    Proof that Americans will buy just about anything that's on sale …

  • fyi

    This 2009 Camry was “serviced” as well……

    Toyota accelerator in Camry as part of recall to blame for Kohler woman's crash into Sheboygan Falls YMCA?
    Sheboygan Press staff • March 30, 2010 Marseille had her foot on the brake of her 2009 Toyota Camry when it surged forward with an “awful roar” and traveled up a small embankment into the side of the Sheboygan Falls YMCA, the Kohler woman said this morning.

    “I had my foot on the brake and was about to put it into park and all of the sudden it accelerated and shot forward,” Marseille said. “There was a witness and that person said they saw my brake lights, so they know I had my foot on the brake, and they heard this awful roar, also.”

    Police Chief Steve Riffel said witness accounts appear to confirm Marseille’s belief that the car accelerated on its own.

    Marseille said the crash is particularly concerning since she already took her car in for the repairs Toyota recommended.

    Mark Frank, service manager at Lakeland Automotive in Sheboygan, confirmed Marseille’s car was serviced on Feb. 11 as part of the recall. It received adjustments to the accelerator pedal, on-board computer and carpet.

    A shim was placed in the accelerator pedal designed to make sure it returns to the full stop position, and the shop also removed a portion of the carpet padding and cut out the bottom of the accelerator pedal to provide more clearance below the pedal, Frank said. The shop also tweaked the computer, which Marseille believes is responsible for the crash.

    “We re-flash memory into the computer, so if in fact the vehicle is accelerating on its own … or if your foot is on the accelerator and you apply brake pressure, it automatically cuts down the throttle to an idle position so if you would be pushing on both pedals at the same time it virtually cannot accelerate,” Frank said

    Lyons said Toyota does not believe electronics are to blame for the sudden acceleration crashes.

    “We’ve never found a problem with the electronic system that’s led to unintended acceleration,” he said.

    Riffel said Marseille’s car has been impounded and will be examined by the Wisconsin State Patrol later this week. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been notified of the crash.

  • casey verdant

    Toyota is back in the news with recall reports, improved safety guidelines, and the new hybrid leasing arrangement with Mazda. Let’s hope they improve their battered image and get back to the business of improving and selling green cars.

    Researching how to make your company, product, or next project more Green? Go to http://www.greencollareconomy.com for sustainability white papers and the largest b2b green directory on the web.