TOYOTA RECALLS 1.8 MILLION VEHICLES FOR FUEL PUMP FAILURE RISK 2
Total Views: 40 East County News Service March 9, 2020 (San Diego) — Last week, Toyota amended a safety recall involving fuel pumps first announced on January 13, 2020. Approximately 1.8 million vehicles in total are now involved in this recall due to a risk of fuel pumps that may cease operating, calling the vehicle to stall, not restart, and increase the risk of crashes especially following stalls at high speeds. The models and model years that have vehicles included in this recall are certain: 2013-2015 Model Year Lexus LS 460; 2013-2014 Model Year Lexus GS 350; 2014 Model Year Toyota FJ Cruiser, Lexus IS-F; 2014-2015 Model Year Toyota 4Runner, Land Cruiser; Lexus GX 460, IS 350, LX 570; 2015 Model Year Lexus NX 200t, RC 350; 2017 Model Year Lexus IS 200t, RC 200t; 2017-2019 Model Year Toyota Sienna; Lexus RX 350; 2018 Model Year Lexus GS 300; 2018-2019 Model Year Toyota Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra; Lexus ES 350, GS 350, IS 300, IS 350, LC 500, LC 500h, LS 500, LS 500h, RC 300, RC 350, RX 350L. Per Toyota, “The vehicles are equipped with a fuel pump which may stop operating. If this were to occur, warning lights and messages may be displayed on the instrument panel, and the engine may run rough. This can result in a vehicle stall, and the vehicle may be unable to be restarted. If a vehicle stall occurs while driving at higher speeds, this could increase the risk of a crash.” For all involved vehicles, Toyota and Lexus dealers will replace the involved fuel pump with an improved one at no cost to customers. Owners of vehicles currently included in the recall, that were not included in the original recall population on January 13, 2020, will be notified by early May. Information about automotive recalls, including but not limited to the list of involved vehicles, is current as of today’s filing date and is subject to change thereafter. To see if your vehicle is involved in a safety recall visit Toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or license plate information. For the most up to date information surrounding recalls visit nhtsa.gov/recalls. For any additional questions, customer support is also available by calling the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1.800.331.4331 or the Lexus Guest Experience Center at 1.800.255.3987. Printer-friendly version
2 viewsTOYOTA RECALLS CERTAIN CAMRY, VENZA AND TACOMA VEHICLES 4K
Total Views: 73 Warning lamp and switch failures may cause airbag failure or inability to start vehicle March 8, 2012 (Torrance, CA)– Toyota Motor Sales, USA announced yesterday that it will conduct two voluntary safety-related recalls. One involves air bag warning lamps that may fail, preventing deployment of airbags in a crash. The second is a stop lamp switch that may result in vehicles behind unable to start or shift out of park. Certain 2005 to early 2009 Tacoma vehicles will be recalled to replace the steering wheel spiral cable assembly. Approximately 495,000 Tacoma vehicles are covered by this recall. Due to the combination of steering wheel spiral cable design and characteristics unique to the Tacoma chassis, friction between the spiral cable and the retainer in the steering wheel spiral cable assembly may occur in some vehicles. Friction over time may result in loss of connectivity to the driver’s air bag module. If connectivity is lost, the air bag warning lamp on the instrument panel will remain illuminated after starting the vehicle and the driver’s air bag may be deactivated, preventing deployment in the event of a crash. Toyota is currently obtaining the necessary replacement parts. Once the replacement parts are available, we will notify owners. In the interim, owners of the involved vehicles will be notified by first class mail in early April, 2012. The interim notification letter will advise owners of this safety recall, that they will receive a future notice once the replacement parts are available, and what to do if they experience this condition. The repair will take approximately 30 minutes depending upon the dealer’s work schedule. The other recall involves certain 2009 Camry and 2009 to certain 2011 Venza vehicles to replace the stop lamp switch. Approximately 70,500 Camry and 116,000 Venza vehicles are covered by this recall. During installation of the contact-type stop lamp switch on one of the North American assembly lines, silicon grease may have reached the inside of the switch and caused an increase in electrical resistance. If this occurs, warning lamps on the instrument panel may be illuminated, the vehicle may not start, or the shift lever may not shift from the “Park” position. In some cases, the vehicle stop lamps may become inoperative. Toyota is currently obtaining the necessary replacement parts. Once the replacement parts have been produced, we will send a notification by first class mail advising owners to make an appointment with an authorized Toyota dealer to replace the stop lamp switch at no charge. The repair will take approximately 30 minutes depending upon the dealer’s work schedule. No other Toyota vehicles are involved nor these models distributed outside the North American market. Toyota is not aware of any accidents or injuries caused by these two conditions. Detailed information is available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331. Printer-friendly version
4K viewsCHP REPORT CONFIRMS RUNAWAY PRIUS DRIVER “VISIBLY SHAKEN” & “IN SHOCK” 4.7K
Total Views: 32 By Miriam Raftery March 18, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – A report released by the California Highway Patrol confirms that James Sikes, the driver who called 911 to report that his Prius accelerated out of control on I-8 in East County last week, appeared “panicked” during the incident. A CHP officer pulled alongside and offered advice via his vehicle’s P.A. system, eventually helping Sikes bring the vehicle to a stop unharmed. After the wild ride ended, CHP officer J. Neibert reported Sikes was “visibly shaken and breathing deeply” and appeared to be in shock, clearly shaking, his voice labored. He had the look of “someone really scared”, Neibert added. A Border Patrol Agent/emergency medical technician on the scene took vital signs and found Sikes blood pressure and pulse “very high.” Sikes, who has previously undergone heart bypass surgery, was placed in an ambulance but was not transported to a hospital since his pulse and blood pressure eventually slowed down. Some have speculated that Sikes, who is in debt , faked the incident in hopes of suing Toyota or drawing media attention. But the CHP report confirmed that Sikes initially did not want to speak to media, and agreed only after the CHP officer cautioned him that media would likely seek him out at home if he did not participate in a press conference. Sikes’ attorney has stated that his client has no intention of suing Toyota. The report offered details on the officer’s close-hand observations, including new details such as that hazard lights were flashing and that the officer instructed Sikes to press both the brake pedal and emergency brake pedal simultaneously. Toyota tests found nothing wrong with the vehicle’s operating systems, but suggested that Sikes alternately pressed the brake and accelerator pedal many times. The question arises whether Sikes, in a panicked state, may have pressed the accelerator instead of the emergency brake, along with the brake pedal. The CHP report confirmed that he could smell the burning brakes. Although millions of Toyotas have been recalled for sudden acceleration problems, the Prius is not among the vehicles recalled for sticking accelerator problems. (2004-2009 Prius models have had floormats recalled which can jam the accelerator pedal, however Sikes has said that was not the problem with his vehicle. The 2010 Prius has a recall for braking issues.) The CHP report does not offer conclusive proof whether Sikes was truthful or not in his assertion that the accelerator pedal was stuck, but the CHP officer’s detailed description of Sikes’ physical condition would appear to lend weight to Sikes’ contention that he was caught up in a terrifying situation, rather than a scamster carrying out a plan to fake the whole scenario. The full CHP report can be viewed here: http://www.10news.com/download/2010/0317/22870209.pdf. Printer-friendly version
4.7K viewsRUNAWAY TOYOTA TAKES DRIVER ON TERRIFYING HIGH-SPEED RIDE; OWNER SAYS VEHICLE NOT RECALLED 1
Total Views: 33 In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine, driver says Toyota advised him 2 weeks ago that his 2008 Prius was not on the recall list March 8, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – James Sikes, 61, considers himself lucky to be alive following a harrowing high-speed ordeal on a highway in San Diego’s East County. “I am still shaken up,” the local real estate agent told East County Magazine this evening, just hours after surviving a chilling 94-mph race against time after the accelerator on his car became jammed on I-8 east this afternoon. It took over half an hour to bring the runaway vehicle under control with help from California Highway Patrol, including a patrolman who bravely placed his car in front of Sikes to assure that the vehicle could be stopped before entering a perilous downhill stretch of freeway. “If this could happen to me, it could happen to anyone,” said Sikes. “I went to El Cajon Toyota about two weeks ago and I took a recall notice…They just looked on the computer and said `You’re not part of the recall.’” The local dealer did not examine the car’s accelerator pedal, he said. Sikes’ ordeal began around 1:30 p.m. as Sikes, a real estate agent, was driving eastbound on I-8 towards his home in Jacumba. As he accelerated to pass a slower-moving vehicle near Lake Jennings Park Road, he noticed that the vehicle seemed to be accelerating on its own, according to a CHP press release. “I tried the brakes obviously, but that wasn’t working at all,” Sikes said. “I actually reached down and was pulling at the gas pedal thinking it was stuck, but it didn’t do anything.” He said the floor mat was in place, had not moved, and was not trapped beneath the accelerator. “At that point I was coming into a lot of traffic,” said Sikes. “I called 911. I almost hit a truck; that was near Alpine. I started losing it a little bit – I had no control. I dropped the phone a couple of times.” Asked if he tried shifting into neutral, he said he did not initially because he was afraid he would be hit by another vehicle if his car halted too suddenly. “There were cars all around me. They were passing me left and right…They kept someone on the line but I couldn’t hold onto the phone. I kept yelling so they would know where I was. Then I finally saw a CHP car.” The CHP officer located Sikes’ runaway Prius east of Kitchen Creek Road and tried a number of actions with negative results, according to the CHP press release. The officer pulled alongside Sikes and gave instructions through the public address (PA) system while another in an unmarked car pulled ahead to lead the way, Sikes said. “I rolled my window down…he could see I was standing up in the car. He could see the lining coming off. I was wearing down the brakes.” Adding to the danger, there were steep embankments—and Sikes knew that soon, he would reach an area where the risk would be even worse. “There was about a mile and a half ahead to all downhill and 50 mph turns,” he revealed. At the officer’s instruction, Sikes pulled on the emergency brake. “It started to slow it down just a little bit, not much. You could hear it revving,” he recalled. “Then when it got down to 55 miles per hour, I started hitting the off button. I had to do it several times because it wasn’t going off.” The officer told him he would pull ahead of Sikes on an uphill stretch in a last-ditch effort to halt the runaway car before Sikes reached the downhill stretch. If that failed, officers planned to lay out spike strips. Finally, after several tries hitting the off button, the car began slowing on the uphill stretch in the fast lane shortly after 2 p.m.. “As I rolled to a stop, he [the CHP officer]pulled in front of me,” Sikes said, grateful that the officer put himself at risk. Mercifully, the car stopped in the nick of time – resulting in only minor dings to both vehicles, according to Sikes. Asked what flashed in his mind during the ordeal, he asid, “I always knew this couldn’t happen to me…My thought was on that CHP guy that got killed,” he said, referring to officer Mark Saylor, who died in a fiery Santee crash with his family after a Toyota accelerator pedal reportedly jammed. “I thought `Gee, he should have just hit the off button.’ But it’s not that simple when you’re out there doing it.” A married father of grown children, Sikes works with his wife, Patty, operating a real estate site at www.pattyandjimsikes.com. After the terrifying ride, he said, “I just wanted to come home and relax.” The vehicle will be taken from a CHP facility to El Cajon Toyota tomorrow, Sikes said, adding that he has not yet spoken with Toyota. According to the website http://www.newcar.com/15/01/2008/toyota/prius/recalls/index.html , some 2008 Toyota Prius models have been implicated in braking problems, but none are included in the sticking accelerator recall. A call to Toyota El Cajon this evening was answered by a sales representative, who declined to give his name and who said that no manager was available. He declined to leave a message for a manager, instead referring us to an 800 phone number for Toyota at the national level. No one was available at that number to answer our inquiry this evening and there was no option to leave a message. Sikes concluded, “I always loved Toyotas, but now I’m not so sure.” Printer-friendly version
1 viewsTOYOTA ORDERS FIX FOR 2.3 MILLION RECALLED VEHICLES 3
Total Views: 54 February 6, 2010 (San Diego) – Toyota announced it has identified the cause of a sticking accelerator problem believed to have caused the death of CHP officer Mark Saylor and three of his family members in a fiery Santee crash. The manufacturer has ordered recall of 2.3 million Toyotas. This weekend, Toyota began sending letters to owners urging them to schedule appointments with Toyota dealers to fix the problems. Toyota also halted production on some new models at five North American plants. “Ensuring your safety is our highest priority,” a statement from the company assured. According to USA today, there have been eight cases of sticking pedals among 2.3 vehicles included in the recall. Congress has announced plans to hold hearings on Toyota safety issues. This week, concerns also arose over the 2010 Toyota Prius, as 80 complaints of problems linked to braking software were reported in Japan, including five non-injury accidents attributed to the problem. Toyota has announced two safety recalls to address conditions related to the accelerator pedal. The first recall, "Floor Mat Entrapment," http://www.toyota.com/recall/floormat.html regards the potential for an unsecured or incompatible driver’s floor mat to interfere with the accelerator pedal and cause it to get stuck in the wide-open position. The second recall, "Pedal," http://www.toyota.com/recall/pedal.html is being conducted because there is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position. As part of the recall campaign, new car sales of vehicles subject to the pedal recall have been temporarily suspended until the problem is remedied. In addition, Toyota has temporarily halted production at some North American plants to focus resources on remedying the recalled vehicles. North American vehicles equipped with accelerator pedals manufactured by CTS are the only vehicles included in the stop, sale and delivery. All vehicles equipped with Denso produced gas pedal assemblies are unaffected regardless of where they were produced. Affected Models: Avalon: VINs beginning with 4T1; MY 2005 – 2010 Matrix: VINs beginning with 2T1; MY 2009 – 2010 Tundra: VINs beginning with 5TB; MY 2007 – 2008 Tundra: VINs beginning with 5TF; MY 2007- 2010 Sequoia: VINs beginning with 5TD; MY 2008 – 2010 Camry: VINs beginning with 4T4; MY 2007- 2010 Camry: VINs beginning with 4T1 with CTS accelerator pedal; MY 2007- 2010 Corolla: VINs beginning with 1NX and 2T1; MY 2009 – 2010 Highlander: VINs beginning with 5TD; MY 2010 RAV4: VINs beginning with 2T3; MY 2009 – 2010 Determining whether the Camry is equipped with a CTS or Denso accelerator pedal can be done with a visual inspection without removing the pedal. Denso pedals are constructed of all black plastic versus the CTS pedal which is made of metal. The CTS pedals have shiny metallic components on both sides at the top of the arm which are clearly visible from the footwell. Motorists who notice that their accelerator pedal is hard to depress, slow to return or unsmooth during operation should drive to the nearest location, shut off the engine and contact a Toyota dealer for assistance, according to the company. If the accelerator sticks while driving, Toyota recommends taking one of the following actions: If you need to stop immediately, the vehicle can be controlled by stepping on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for the power brake assist. Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine. If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost. If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button. If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel. If you have additional questions, contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331. The Toyota Customer Experience Center hours are: Mon.–Fri. 5:00 am-6:00 pm PST, Sat.–Sun. 7:00 am-4:00 pm PST. Printer-friendly version
3 viewsTOYOTA EXPANDS RECALL DUE TO STICKING ACCELERATOR ISSUE 3.5K
Total Views: 45 Toyota has dramatically expanded earlier announced recalls of vehicles due to problems associated with a sticking accelerator. The design flaw made national news after a stuck accelerator caused a tragic accident in Santee that killed a law enforcement officer and his family. The Toyota recall now includes some RAV4, Corolla, Matrix, Avalon, Camry, Highlander, Tundra and Sequoia models including the following years: • Certain 2009-2010 RAV4, • Certain 2009-2010 Corolla, • 2009-2010 Matrix, • 2005-2010 Avalon, • Certain 2007-2010 Camry, • Certain 2010 Highlander, • 2007-2010 Tundra, • 2008-2010 Sequoia Toyota has also halted construction on some new models while a solution is sought. For more information, visit http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota/FAQ-for-Sticking-Accelerator-Pedal-152196.aspx . Printer-friendly version
3.5K views