2007 report of sticky Tundra gas pedal but no cause: Toyota
Market watch top headlines
Australian reports
- Aust markets: Stocks end higher on jobs surge
- Aust dollar report: $A reaches four-month high on jobs data
- Aust credit close: Bonds mixed after Japanese auction
World reports
- World commodities: Crude oil prices fall
- World markets: Wall St lower on European debt fears
WASHINGTON, Feb 8 AFP
February 09 2010, 12:54AM
Japanese automaker Toyota received a report of a sticky gas pedal on a Tundra model in 2007 but was unable to pinpoint the cause, a senior Toyota US executive said Monday.
Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales USA, also said in an interview with news-sharing website Digg.com that, since last week, over 100,000 customers in the United States have brought their vehicles into dealerships for repairs associated with the mass recall of Toyota cars.
Lentz said the first reports of unintended acceleration problems with Toyota models in the United States were received late last year.
"In the US we first had knowledge and technical reports of three Corollas back in late October 2009," he said.
"There was a report of one Tundra back in 2007 but we could never really pinpoint the cause of that sticky pedal," he said. "It's really since October 2009 that we've been working on this."
Asked about reports that Toyota plans to recall more than 300,000 hybrid Prius vehicles because of a brake issue, Lentz said "I can't tell you that right now.
"We know that we have had some reports from customers that are reporting an inconsistency in the brake feeling, especially an inconsistency at slow speeds, on slippery roads, going over potholes or bumps," he said.
"Exactly what the solution's going to be I can't tell you but I can assure you that we're going to do whatever's necessary," he said. "We are working on a solution and we hope to have a solution for that very soon."
A report in the online automotive magazine The Detroit Bureau indicated that Toyota's problems with the Prius may be deeper than initially thought.
The Japanese automaker has said the Prius brake problems only affect 2010 models. But the Detroit Bureau reports that Prius owners in the United States have registered "hundreds" of complaints with safety officials.
Other Prius problems found in a review of complaints registered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration include sudden headlight failure, unexpected powertrain shutdowns and acceleration issues.
Asked whether he could guarantee Toyota has resolved all of the problems associated with the gas pedals and unintended acceleration, Lentz told Digg.com, "I'm confident that with what we know today that we have a solution in place.
"I don't think you can guarantee, guarantee, but we are very confident," he told Digg.com. "The challenge with unintended acceleration is it's very complex. It's an industry-wide issue.
"It's very difficult to pinpoint exactly what the cause might be," he said. "There are a lot of causes of sudden acceleration and we continue to look at what they may be. You always have to continue looking."
Lentz also said he was confident Toyota cars were safe. "I wouldn't have my loved ones driving cars that I did not think were safe," he said. "I put my own family into the cars because I know that they're safe vehicles."
Toyota, whose brand has long been synonymous with safety and quality, faces a slew or class-action lawsuits on behalf of owners in the United States alleging that it hid problems that have led to the rash of recalls.
Toyota's North America president, Yoshimi Inaba, is set to testify at a US congressional hearing on Wednesday as part of a wider probe by lawmakers.
