Toyota Recall: Should You Feel Safe Now?

Is it safe to drive a Toyota? I've heard that question a lot in the last year as the company was recalling nearly 8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles for sticky gas pedals and floor mats that could trap the accelerator. It was a hard question to answer given the contention that malfunctioning electronic throttles might be causing the cars to surge out of control. Now, federal auto safety officials have declared the electronic controls innocent. "Toyota vehicles are safe to drive," says Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who earlier had cautioned Toyota owners to be careful.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration enlisted NASA engineers with expertise in electronics and software to test the Toyota systems. They looked for computer code error and investigated the possibility that electromagnetic radiation could cause malfunctions, but found nothing. The NHTSA study said reported incidents of unintended acceleration resulted from either sticky gas pedals, problems with floor mats or driver error -- pushing the accelerator instead of the brake. To help offset any of these problems, Toyota now is installing a "brake override" system in all new models. If both the accelerator and brake are being pushed down, the system will cut off the throttle to slow down the car.

So if those are the issues, what do you need to do to make sure you and your family avoid a terrifying surge of acceleration?

?€? Get all recall fixes. If you have a Toyota or Lexus model subject to recall, make sure you take your vehicle into a dealer. The repairs are free.

?€? Check your floor mats carefully. Whatever your car brand, make sure the floor mats fit well under the accelerator and are anchored so they cannot slide forward over the pedals.

?€? Don't brake with your left foot. CEO Bill Buff of Driving Dynamics, a firm that teaches corporate employees to be safer drivers, says he often has to convince students in his training classes to change this habit. "When you brake with your left foot, you can inadvertently keep pushing on the gas pedal," says Buff. "In a stressful situation, you may not realize what is happening."

Even if its electronics have now been exonerated, Toyota has suffered from the recalls. Among car shoppers surveyed on the Kelley Blue Book web site, more than half of respondents said they believed the Toyota reputation had been tarnished. And Toyota's overall sales were down slightly for 2010 even as sales for competitors such as Ford and Hyundai were surging.

But recently, company fortunes have been looking brighter. Toyota Motor January sales rose 17% over a year earlier. Kelley Blue Book analysts note that values for used Toyota models -- many of them subject to recall -- were down just 3% for the year and were recovering by year-end. In the recently announced Intellichoice Best Overall Value Awards -- which consider expected resale value as an important factor -- Toyota and Lexus 2011 models won in 11 of 21 categories.

So which Toyotas look most interesting right now? The Camry remains a strong seller, but fresher mid-size competitors such as the Hyundai Sonata and Ford Fusion seem more appealing. These three, however, are worth a look:

Prius Unless you count the new electric models (and the EPA does not), Prius is still the mileage champ, rated at 51 mpg city, 48 highway. Now Toyota is giving you more choices to capitalize on its reputation as the leader in hybrids (a Consumer Reports survey shows Toyota still leads in the "environmentally friendly" category.) The Prius V -- with cargo space approximating that of a crossover SUV -- will go on sale this summer. (Toyota has not yet announced pricing, but it presumably will be above the $22,800 starting list price of the Prius sedan). In 2012, Toyota will bring out the Prius C -- a smaller car version similar in size to the Toyota Yaris. Toyota says the C will be the cheapest and highest-mileage hybrid sold in the U.S. Also due in 2012 is a plug-in version of the Prius sedan, which will be able to go farther on battery alone than the standard hybrid.

Sienna The Sienna's stylish redesign for 2011 has found favor with reviewers. Following the overall trend to higher mileage, the Sienna offers a four-cylinder engine in addition to the V-6, which is traditional in minivans. The four cylinder is EPA-rated 19 mpg in the city, 24 on the highway, the V-6 18/24. As for safety, a major issue for minivan buyers, the Sienna comes with standard stability and traction control and seven airbags, including side and head protection. It receives four stars out of five from federal crash tests and garners a "top safety pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which does its own crash tests. The Sienna starts at a list price of $24,360 and, like most minivans, the price ranges much higher -- up to $39,770 for the all-wheel drive Limited version. The Sienna looks like excellent value -- at least at the low end.

Highlander For families who need an SUV with three rows of seats, the Highlander is a contender. Reviewers praise it for being affordable, comfortable and thrifty on fuel (20 mpg city, 25 highway). And its updated design for the 2011 model gets added style points. Starting at $27,540, it's less expensive than much of the competition. Like the Sienna, it has a wide price range, and the top trim level starts at $36,495. A hybrid version has the best mileage in the category (28 mpg city, 28 highway). See Gas Mileage: Pickups and SUVs With Higher MPG).

Photos courtesy of the manufacturers

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