Toyota Has a Fix for Gas Pedal Problems, But Will it Work?

As Toyota Motor Corp. continues to recall more vehicles due to problems with faulty gas pedals which can stick and cause vehicles to speed out of control, the car maker finally says it has a way to fix the problem.

Of course, we wonder if what the company has come up with really is an effective way to prevent the problem, or just a case of corporate public relations and spin doctoring in an attempt to limit damage to Toyota’s image and reputation?

Toyota says it has worked with CTS Corp., the company that supplies the car maker with accelerator pedals, to fix the problem of sticky gas pedals in more than a dozen Toyota and Lexus models, including the popular Camry and Carolla.

Officials had said it could take more than a year to make enough new replacement pedals to outfit the more than four million vehicles affected worldwide. However, Toyota now says it has come up with a “modified pedal” that will use a “selective spacer” to repair the faulty gas pedals, rather than replacing them all, according to a report on Automobilemag.com.

The car maker said it is “working closely with our pedal supplier CTS on a revised design that effectively remedies the problem. These pedals are now in full production at CTS to support Toyota’s needs. At the same time, we continue to work with CTS to test effective pedal modifications for existing vehicles on the road that will be available to our customers as quickly as possible.”

But Toyota’s approach to this scandal begs the question: Is using a Band-Aid type fix rather than a total replacement of the defective pedals really the way to go, when the risks from out-of-control speed in millions of popular vehicles around the world are so high?

AUTHOR: tgrenda

11 Responses to “Toyota Has a Fix for Gas Pedal Problems, But Will it Work?”

Posted by Wanda Glover on January 29th, 2010 at 2:59 PM

How many times will Toyota be allowed to “fix” this/these
problems before the Lemon Laws go into effect?

Posted by Steve Cohen on January 31st, 2010 at 10:43 PM

The cars should be repaired the same as if they were brand new and just comming off the line. The extra parts that they will install to correct the problem are just an extra part that they are gonna install that may become a problem as well.

Posted by Eric Striepeke on January 31st, 2010 at 11:05 PM

Hello I have a m2005 sion xb and the floor mat has got stuck on the gas pedal many times. Most of the time is when I take it to the car wash and they put the floor mats in and then they get stuck very scary. Any help would be great thanki you. Eric D Striepeke 1-951-682-7267

Posted by patpall2 on January 31st, 2010 at 11:56 PM

I am 10 months into a 3 year lease on a Rav4 2009. The car was manufactured in approximaely April or May of 2009. the drivers side has two reverse “L” hooks with an alarm that goes off if you try to lift or move the carpet. Since nobody really knows yet what is causing the pedal to stick,
and there is no telling how long it will take to get around to the various toyota models with this problem, what are my options, if any, for getting out of this lease or changing to a model without this problem for the same monthly payment?

Posted by patpall2 on February 1st, 2010 at 12:00 AM

No further comment other than above as written.

Posted by wayne on February 1st, 2010 at 3:07 AM

I have a Toyota( one in a long line) and have had great experience with them but, with the 09 I have I have had pedal problems and a dealer from another car maker said that the will now be difficult to sell or trade. I owe too much to hear that. Help Honda!

I am thinking class action.

Posted by Joann Hutt on February 1st, 2010 at 11:42 AM

About a month ago I went on line and found a Toyota that I liked .The owner is leaving the country and needed to sell it.He offered a excellent price.I hate to leave him in a jam at the last minute but I didn’t know there would be a recall on it.Please tell me what you would do being I am a senior citizen I am scared .HELP!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Sheila Redmond on February 1st, 2010 at 11:52 AM

I had a stuck gas pedal on 17 November 09. I broke my hand gripping the steering wheel and I can still not lift my finger to the height of the other fingers (almost 3 months later) and don’t think I will ever be able to. I have a concussion where I forget words and names, but Toyota says nothing was wrong with the unfixable car. Was it a mat? NO. Was it a gas pedal? Maybe. I just know that I am out the money for a new car and I still have medical problems and Toyota has washed their hands on me, which is a pretty sad situation for me. I was shocked when all I asked for was a new car and I got the spin doctor’s bum rush.

Posted by Barb Nichols on February 1st, 2010 at 1:36 PM

We had the very same problem with our 2003 Chevy. We now have a 2003 Toyota Avalon and are extremely hapy with it.

Posted by Scott Jones on February 1st, 2010 at 2:20 PM

This is a serious problem and I recently bought a 2009 RAV4 for my wife. I would never have bought the car with a problem like this, as I would prefer an American car anyway.

Please let me know if they can really fix this problem,as my wife drives back and forth to Houston frequently. TThank you for your assistance.

Posted by Mark on February 2nd, 2010 at 3:30 PM

It will take months to repair & replace these pedals. Even then, there seems to be some evidence that the problem might also be in the electronics. Since the problem is rare, most people will never encounter it in miles and miles of driving–but of course no one knows that in advance. The chances of getting into an accident from other causes are almost surely greater, but people tend to focus on known risks, rather than unknown or vague ones.

So, the best thing is to be prepared: if you encounter this problem in a Toyota or any other car, shift the transmission into neutral, get to the side of the road, and turn off the engine. Then, after you’ve had your car towed, get a bicycle.