Faulty Accelerator Pedals May Result in Toyota Spending $5 Billion
Dec 7, 2009 Auto & Car Crashes
Automakers often deny that defects exist in their vehicles, or won’t admit that defects could put motorists at risk of accidents, and Los Angeles California car accident lawyers are clearly aware of this. Therefore, when Toyota Motor Corporation delayed announcing that it would recall about 3.5 million vehicles due to faulty floor matt issues, it was really no great surprise.
The NHTSA and consumers are pressuring Toyota to look further than the floor mats to determine what the real problem is. According to reports in the media, the auto company may consider a $5 billion program to replace the accelerator pedals on the Camry, Prius, certain Lexus models and others. Toyota has apparently come to an agreement with the NHTSA to repair the accelerator pedals in these vehicles, according to Reuters, who quotes Kyodo news from Tokyo.
Even through all of this, representatives of Toyota deny that any agreement such as this has been reached with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, it is confirmed that Toyota is continuing talks with the NHTSA. These talks are concerning what can be done to prevent the unintended acceleration incidents from taking place, and many are familiar with some of the incidents that have taken place over the past few months. Some Toyota customers have blamed the accelerator for the unintentional acceleration that has occurred, and this is one topic being discussed between Toyota and the agency. Toyota is staunch, and still insists that the accelerators have gotten stuck because of loose floor mats that may slide over the gas pedal causing acceleration.
Numerous Toyota customers have experienced the acceleration first-hand, and are relieved that Toyota may be taking steps to determine the real problem and why unintended acceleration takes place. Toyota is adamant about the fact that replacing these models floor mats with the correct floor mats will remedy the accelerations problem; however, that fails to answer the question of how the same dangerous incidents have occurred in models with the correct floor mats. Investigators are looking closely at the floor mats, to determine if they are likely to slide forward against the accelerator pedal. If you have been injured from this defective product, immediately contact a California car accident attorney to review your case.
To add insult to injury, customers who drive certain Toyota models may not only be subject to the unintended acceleration problem, but also an issue in which some owners are not aware that an electronic push button ignition must be pressed for three consecutive seconds before the car will stop in an emergency. Some are not aware that this switch must be held continuously, and will not stop unless it is held for the full 3 seconds.
The Reeves Law Group has offices across California, and is dedicated to representing personal injury victims, including victims of motor vehicle defects. Please call us for a free consultation at (800) 644-8000.
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