Toyota defective pedal recall to take 1 week
Toyota Yaris
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Thursday, 04, Feb 2010 12:54
By Sarah Garrod.
Toyota has said the recall of some of its UK cars which have defective accelerator pedals could take up to a week to start.
The recall, which is costing the Japanese carmaker an estimated £1.26 billion, will affect 180,865 cars in the UK, across a number of models.
The manufacturer said the affected models were the AYGO (Feb 2005 - Aug 2009), iQ (Nov 2008 - Nov 2009), Yaris (Nov 2005 - Sep 2009), Auris (Oct 2006 - 5 Jan 2010), Corolla (Oct 2006 - Dec 2009), Verso (Feb 2009 - 5 Jan 2010), and Avensis (Nov 2008 - Dec 2009).
The recall has affected millions of cars worldwide, but in the UK the parts needed to repair the affected models will not arrive until next week. An estimated 1.8 million cars will be recalled over Europe as a whole.
In a statement today, Miguel Fonseca, managing director of Toyota GB Plc said: "Toyota is very sorry about the concern caused to its customers about the safety of their vehicles by the recall we have announced to fix an issue with the accelerator pedal in certain models.
"Among the several million Toyota vehicles sold across Europe in the past five years there has been a small number of reported cases of drivers experiencing a problem with a sticking accelerator pedal. There have been no reports of any accidents or injuries occurring as a result of this problem in Europe, or the UK.
"Toyota can reassure its customers that its cars remain safe to drive. Safety is our prime concern and that is why we have set up the recall programme to ensure our customers continue to benefit from the highest standards of safety, quality and service."
Any customers who have concerns should contact Toyota GB customer relations on 0800 1388 744.
In the US it is believed some road accidents may have been caused by the fault, leading to death in a number of cases. There is a possibility the US transportation authority could fine Toyota over the accelerator fault.
Yesterday transportation secretary Ray LaHood Statement said: "I want to encourage owners of any recalled Toyota models to contact their local dealer and get their vehicles fixed as soon as possible. NHTSA will continue to hold Toyota's feet to the fire to make sure that they are doing everything they have promised to make their vehicles safe. We will continue to investigate all possible causes of these safety issues."