Toyota Offers Quick Pedal Fix, But It May Not be Enough

(MoneyWatch) 

Toyota announced today that it has what it called a "comprehensive plan" to fix its sticking accelerator pedals--adding a "precision-cut steel reinforcement bar" designed to reduce friction in the assembly and allow them to return normally. The company said the solution "is both effective and simple," and it will begin installing its bar on recalled vehicles this week. Reinforcing the pedal reportedly takes 30 minutes.

"We know what is causing the sticking accelerator pedals, and we know what we have to do to fix it," said Jim Lentz, president and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales,

According to Toyota, the pedal assemblies made by CTS Corp. of Elkhart, Indiana contain a shoe device whose purpose is to give the proper "feel." When worn, the company says, the surfaces can stick. "In some cases, it said, "friction could increase to a point that the pedal is slow to return to the idle position or, in rare cases, the pedal sticks, leaving the throttle partially open."

Toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles, and suspended sales on eight models, January 21 because of the pedal problems. A separate recall for the floormats was issued November 25, and since some Toyotas are involved in both the company is trying to combine box fixes into one visit.

Toyota is obviously trying to put the problem behind it--which is a very good idea from a business standpoint. According to Michelle Krebbs of Edmunds.com, the stop sale and recalls will likely lead to a 12 percent drop in sales compared to January 2009. (Without sudden acceleration, sales would have been up, the site said.) Toyota market share could drop below 15 percent, its lowest level in four years.

But a major question remains: Many victims of sudden acceleration, as reported to me, describe the car just taking off on its own, sometimes while idling at a stop sign. This could not be caused by a sticking pedal, since the pedal was not depressed when the incident occurred. A floormat could presumably cause that condition, but some of these incidents occurred with the mats in the trunk, as the company had advised. Many cases are in cars other than Toyotas.

Here's the owner of a 2008 Camry LE: The car started accelerating on its own."

Here's a report from the owner of a late-model Ford F150 pickup: "I took my foot off the gas pedal in order to slow down, and the truck started to accelerate on its own while coasting."

From the owner of a 2005 Camry XLE: "The car started to speed up on its own and started to go faster. The worst ride of my life ended when my car hit a utility pole and cracked it in half."

These reports suggest that the cause could be electronic interference in modern cars' "throttle by wire" systems. This is indeed the cause suggested by many plantiffs' attorneys, but it has been dismissed by both Toyota and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (which has been slow to act in this crisis).

According to Toyota spokesman Mike Michels, the company has looked extensively at its computerized throttle system and found nothing wrong. He told the New York Times, "If we found anything, we would take appropriate action."