Since October 2009, Toyota has announced five recalls stemming from complaints of sudden unintended acceleration caused by several factors in multiple models and year vehicles, as well as issues with brake systems. After meetings between Toyota’s President Akio Toyoda and global governments, the world’s leading automobile manufacturer has been making great strides in correcting the problems and reaffirming that the Toyota brand is worthy of the trust and quality recognition it has long been awarded.
However, despite the manufacturer’s best efforts, at least 97 Toyota owners have reported continued issues with their models even after having them repaired and reassured by Toyota dealerships. Various reports cite drivers, who had the coinciding recall repair completed for their vehicles, experiencing sudden unintended acceleration issues for the first time since purchasing their Toyotas. Toyota leadership has previously maintained that these incidents were being caused by defective parts, or a lack thereof, and have insisted that there are no problems with the electronic throttle and brake systems in Toyota vehicles.
Toyota’s problems began in September 2009 when consumers started experiencing unintentional acceleration in their vehicles. Toyota initially stated that the problem revolved around improperly sized floor mats in certain models interfering with the gas pedals and causing the acceleration. The initial recall affected many of Toyota’s models, including their most popular models in the Camry and Corolla. The floor mat issue led to Toyota recalling 4.3 million vehicles internationally and affected popular models like the Camry, Corolla, Avalon, Rav4, Highlander, and Tundra.
The automaker’s situation worsened when another recall was announced earlier this year after incidents of unintended acceleration continued to occur in many Toyota models, including many affected by the previous floor mat recall. The more recent recall pertained to faulty gas pedals that would stick, causing acceleration. Toyota stated that when the pedals were operated, friction occurred that could make the pedal hard to depress, delay its return, or cause it to stick down. The recall affected 2.3 million Toyota models manufactured between 2005 and 2010. The affected models included the 2009 and 2010 RAV4, 2009 and 2010 Corolla, 2009 and 2010 Matrix, 2005 through 2010 Avalon, 2007 through 2010 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007 through 2010 Tundra, and 2008 through 2010 Sequoia. While a small number of Lexus and Scion models were included in the earlier floor mat recall, Toyota stated that none of those models were affected by the subsequent gas pedal recall.
The recalls have had a wide ranging impact on the automaker. In February, Toyota halted production and ceased U.S. sales of eight affected models. The recalls were not confined to the U.S. either, with China recalling 75,000 Rav4 models affected by the floor mat and gas pedal issues. Major car rental companies like Hertz, Avis, and Enterprise have removed affected Toyota models from their inventories and the recall has led to investigation on even more Toyota models.
If you or a loved one owns one of the affected Toyota models and have experienced problems with Toyota vehicles and sudden unintended acceleration or stuck accelerators, contact Newsome Law Firm and fill out a case evaluation form today. Our team of attorneys has experience specific to complications associated with automobile recalls. Not only can they give you the legal guidance you need, they can help you get the compensation you deserve.