Toyota Corrects Media Reports

1. Toyota Corrects Reports about Pedal Replacement Policy

Some news accounts have misinterpreted a letter sent recently by Toyota to dealers regarding an improved parts ordering process for accelerator pedals. These reports suggest inaccurately that this process improvement represents a change in Toyota’s recall policies.

In response, the company released a statement on Tuesday noting that: “Toyota is confident that the remedies it has announced to address sticking accelerator pedals and floor mat entrapment represent a comprehensive solution to these issues. However, if a customer is not satisfied with the modification to his or her repaired accelerator pedal, dealers will replace it at no charge.”

The statement also noted that this policy was included when Toyota initially filed with NHTSA in November regarding floor mat entrapment issue and in February regarding the sticking accelerator pedal issue. It is also contained in the official owners letters for those recalls.

To view this statement and other information on the recalls, please click on http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota/toyota-consumer-safety-advisory-102572.aspx

2. Addressing False Claims Regarding a 2002 Technical Service Bulletin

Toyota today addressed false claims included in a report by CNN regarding a Technical Service Bulletin issued by Toyota for some Camry vehicles in 2002. Plaintiffs’ attorneys involved in litigation against Toyota as well as other advocates have attempted to infer that this Bulletin proves that Toyota knew of issues with vehicle electronics that could cause unintended acceleration, and that the company and NHTSA conspired to keep this information from the public. Both claims are patently false.

The facts, as presented in a statement that Toyota released on Tuesday, show that the Technical Service Bulletin in question was issued to “remedy a vehicle drivability issue that some Camry owners were experiencing at speeds between 38 and 42 MPH at light throttle.” This condition, strictly related to a function of the transmission torque converter, manifested as a “flat spot” during acceleration and created a slight rocking motion, or surge, while holding steady throttle at the specific speed window.

This issue was in no way related to any kind of sustained acceleration or unintended acceleration and was addressed with updated software for the Electronic Control Module. Drivability issues related to momentary “surges” are not unique to Toyota, and every major auto manufacturer has published Technical Service Bulletins to address this issue in their vehicles.

Furthermore, claims that the 2002 Toyota Technical Service Bulletin is a secret internal document that has not been made public are simply wrong, as are allegations that Toyota and NHTSA kept this document from the public eye. To the contrary, this Technical Service Bulletin was publicly available through Toyota at https://techinfo.toyota.com/ as well as through a number of independent and government internet sites.

To read Toyota’s full statement on the matter, please click on
http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota-addresses-false-claims-155779.aspx

A detailed analysis of the CNN report (“Debunking CNN’s Latest Attack on Toyota”) from auto website Jalopnik is available at
http://jalopnik.com/5500275/debunking-cnns-latest-attack-on-toyota?skyline=true&s=i

3. Columnist Criticizes Media for Uncritical Look at Complaints About Toyotas

Under the headline “Toyota, Flying Saucers and Bigfoot” Tuesday, Forbes columnist Jerry Flint took members of the media to task Tuesday for accepting as real the claims of runaway Toyotas “without serious questioning.”

Flint also shared a few of his thoughts about why so many new complaints are being filed and what the long-term impact may be on Toyota. In addition to drivers putting their foot on the wrong pedal and “dreams of the big payoff” from a lawsuit, Flint suggested that people’s feet may simply be getting bigger. “Maybe these bigger feet overlap” the brake and gas pedals, he said. As for how all this will impact Toyota, Flint said the company “might spend more money on lawyers over the next few years than on developing fuel-stingy engines.”

To read the entire column, click on
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/23/toyota-autos-brakes-business-backseat-safety.html