Toyota Announces Fix for Gas Pedal Defect that Prompted Recall of 2.3 Million Cars in the US
Toyota says it has developed a remedy for the gas pedal problem that led to the recall of 2.3 million vehicles in the US last month. Another 1.9 vehicles have been recalled in China and Europe over this particular auto defect.
The sticky gas pedal issue is causing huge safety concerns and further damaging the automaker’s reputation as a manufacturer of reliable, safe cars. It doesn’t help that Toyota just expanded its recall of 4.2 million vehicles last November for an unrelated accelerator defect—this one involving the gas pedal and the floor mat on the driver’s side—with with another 1.1 million autos.
Four family members died last August when the gas pedal got trapped under the floor mat, which prevented the driver from being able to stop the Lexus they were riding. Instead, the vehicle accelerated to excessively high speeds before going off the road and crashing. The driver, his wife, child, and brother-in-law died from their injuries.
In December, another four people died in what could be another runaway Toyota car crash. A floor mat was not involved in this deadly collision. More than 60 runaway Toyota car incidents are said to have occurred in the past few months. Toyota has asked motorists to stop using the ill-fitting floor mats and it is replacing the gas pedals.
With this latest gas pedal defect, Toyota says it will fix the problem by reinforcing pedal assembly so that excess friction doesn’t cause the part to stick. A precision-cut steel reinforcement bar will be installed to reduce tension.
Motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents can happen when a driver loses control of his/her auto. A gas pedal defect is a serious problem and auto manufacturers should make sure this kind of issue doesn’t exist or has been fixed before distributing them for sale.
Our Charlotte, North Carolina auto products liability lawyers represent North Carolina car accident victims and their families throughout the state. With law offices conveniently located in Hickory, Monroe, and Charlotte, we are committed to helping North Carolina and South Carolina injury victims recoup their losses.
Toyota announces gas pedal fix, CNN Money, February 1, 2010
Toyota recalls 2.3 million autos, MSNBC, January 22, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Toyota Motor Corporation
Safercar.gov
