Pat Gaudette

The announcement by Toyota that they would stop selling and building eight of their models because of accelerator pedal problems is not something that Toyota owners should ignore. The recall affects 2.3 million vehicles that have been sold but it is too late for the 18 people who have died and 275 crashes because of “sudden, uncontrollable acceleration in Toyotas since 1999″ which have been identifed by a private firm. The latest notice comes after their November 25, 2009 advisory regarding floor mat problems on certain Toyota and Lexus models.

Here’s the notice from Toyota’s website: Latest News About Toyota’s Safety Recall Campaign. Models include Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sequoia, and Tundra. According to this notice on Toyota’s website, “No Lexus Division or Scion vehicles are affected by these actions. Also not affected are Toyota P5rius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Highlander hybrids and Camry hybrids, which will remain for sale.”

The notice on Toyota’s website includes the following Q&A (which I would print out and attach to my car’s visor if I owned one of the recall vehicles):

What if you experience a sticking accelerator pedal while driving?

Each circumstance may vary, and drivers must use their best judgment, but 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.

In 1986 I experienced a similar problem with my 2-year old Nissan 300ZX. The first time it happened I was preparing to stop at a stop sign prior to entering a major 4-lane highway. I was traveling about 15 miles an hour at the time as I had just left my house which was at the end of the street. As I approached the stop sign and pressed on the brake pedal, the car accelerated. 

While the car tried to surge forward, I put both feet on the brake pedal and “stood” on the pedal as I pushed it to the floor. The car kept trying to move onto the highway and I remember screaming in terror while pulling up on the emergency brake and shifting into neutral (it was an automatic transmission). Only then did the car come to a complete stop.

Because I had no problems with my car before that incident, and for a few months afterward, I began to think I had somehow caused the problem. However, after two more random occurrences, with no way to pinpoint the cause, I no longer trusted the car and was happy to trade it in. My Zs since that time have had manual transmissions and I have not experienced any more acceleration problems.

Having experienced an accelerator surge first hand, if I owned one of the Toyota models in question, I would get my vehicle into the dealership immediately. Regardless of how few vehicles “might” be affected, I would want assurance my vehicle was not one of them. It could save my life, the lives of my family, and the lives of others on the highway.