Toyota is maintaining that most vehicles recalled in the US are safe to drive and that a stuck throttle is preceded by clear symptoms that drivers are likely to notice, Edmunds.com said after talking to an unnamed “high-ranking Toyota official”.
Toyota states that the relevant parts deteriorate over time and, as the deterioration occurs, the pedal no longer springs back smoothly or quickly after being depressed; in very rare cases, the deterioration eventually causes the pedal to stay depressed, Edmunds said, adding that the automaker said an affected vehicle can be kept under control using the brake.
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“No fix exists today, so, taking into account the need to re-engineer, produce, distribute and install millions of parts, it will take months before every affected vehicle is repaired, Edmunds said.
Toyota Europe has said much the same. Its statement read: “There is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.
This is caused because the accelerator pedal mechanisms concerned may become worn. This progressive wear, combined with certain operating and environmental conditions, can cause friction in the mechanism to increase and intermittently result in the accelerator pedal being harder to depress, slow to return or, in the worst case, stick in a partially open position.
“In case of occurrence, the driver may notice that the accelerator pedal is progressively harder to depress or is slower to return. A rough or chattered feeling may also be experienced when depressing/releasing the accelerator pedal.”
But it added: “A running change in production using different parts has already been implemented model-by-model in the European production. Therefore there is no need or intention to stop production in Europe.”
The European unit said on Thursday 26 reports had so far been recorded since its accelerator pedal mechanism sticking problem surfaced but conceded the number of affected vehicles might be higher as a report could include details of more than one car from local distributors.
