Toyota Motor North America president and chief executive Yoshimi Inaba reportedly has agreed to extend nationwide a commitment he made to the New York attorney general to have recalled vehicles collected from the homes of owners who are afraid to drive them.
The Los Angeles Times said Inaba made the commitment to US lawmakers during testimony before a congressional committee examining the automaker’s recalls in Washington on Wednesday.
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Toyota media spokesmen in the US could not be reached immediately for comment.
In an earlier statement announcing the New York-specific move, Toyota Motor Sales USA said Toyota and Lexus owners in the state affected by current recalls would receive “services will be tailored to the owner’s individual circumstances” which could include speeding scheduling of the repair; collection and return of the vehicle by the dealership; driving the customer to the dealership or to his or her place of work; and, if necessary, providing alternative transport such as a rental car, loan vehicle, or taxi reimbursement “for the reasonable period that the customer is unable or unwilling to use his or her car”.
These services would be provided by TMS through dealers at no cost to owners of affected vehicles or the dealer. Reimbursement of these expenses is separate from the stipends of $7,500 to $75,000 that the company already has provided to dealers in connection with the recalls, TMS said.
“Toyota has taken this series of steps based upon discussions with the attorney general of New York, to address the concerns of government regulators and consumers in New York,” the statement said.
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By GlobalDataToyota said US dealers already were taking extra steps to complete the recall campaigns as quickly as possible by such means as extended service hours, with some staying open 24 hours a day. Others are adding service and scheduling personnel, dedicating body shop capacity to expedite repairs, providing free car washes and oil changes, increasing owner communication, and providing complimentary maintenance service.
“We are doing everything we can, as fast as we can, to make things right for our customers,” said said TMS chief Jim Lentz.
As of 20 February, over 32,000 vehicles affected by the sticking accelerator pedal recall had been modified in New York state, TMS said. Nationally, about 750,000 of the 2.3m vehicles subject to the sticking accelerator pedal recall have now been modified.
