plus 3, Ford's China venture ends gas pedal review - MLive.com

Ford's China venture ends gas pedal review - MLive.com
Toyota's pedal repair plans due next week - Detroit Free Press
L.A. says Petersen Automotive Museum owes $121,000 in parking taxes - Los Angeles Times
What a driver should do if the accelerator sticks in their Toyota - NorthJersey.com

Ford's China venture ends gas pedal review - MLive.com

Posted: 01 Feb 2010 09:50 AM PST

(AP) — NEW YORK - A joint venture partner of Ford Motor Co. said Sunday it has resumed making buses in China after determining that the gas pedal assembly doesn't have the same problem that forced a recall of millions of Toyota vehicles.

Jiangling Motors Co. uses the same supplier, CTS Automotive of Elkhart, Ind., that made pedal assembly parts for some Toyotas.

Jiangling makes a diesel-powered commercial bus, the Transit Classic, for the Chinese market. The vehicles went into production in December and only about 1,600 were made before assembly was stopped.

Ford has said there have been no reported problems with the Transit Classic, and that none of its other vehicles use gas pedal parts made by CTS.

Accelerators made by CTS are at the center of a large recall and halt in production by Toyota over fears that the gas pedals can become stuck and lead to uncontrolled acceleration.

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Toyota's pedal repair plans due next week - Detroit Free Press

Posted: 30 Jan 2010 11:35 PM PST

Toyota will announce plans next week for repairing 2.3 million vehicles under recall for accelerator pedals that could stick, but the timeframe for completing the repairs has yet to be finalized, the company said Friday.

The Japanese automaker took another public relations hit when Consumer Reports, one of the most-watched arbiters of automotive quality, pulled its "recommended" ratings from the eight Toyota models whose sales have been halted until Toyota provides a repair. The magazine also advised shoppers to avoid used models under the recall.

Toyota was also summoned to a U.S. House Oversight committee hearing next Thursday on the recall. It had already been asked to provide data and testify at a Feb. 25 hearing by a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee headed by Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak after committee staffers explored the issue with Toyota earlier this week and were left with several questions.

Combined with a recall of 5.4 million vehicles because of floor mats that could also lead to sudden acceleration, Toyota now has 5.6 million vehicles under recall.

The automaker had been working on two possible repairs dealers could perform for the accelerator pedal flaw and had discussed options with federal regulators.

CTS, the supplier that made the pedal at the center of the recall, said it is building replacement pedals in its factories.

"We will not start recalling and repairing vehicles, but we will be able to tell people what our plans are and a tentative start date for those plans," said Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons.

Toyota's European operations said Friday its recall for the same problem would cover up to 1.8 million vehicles, but the automaker did not plan to stop production of the affected models as it had in North America.

The six plants where the models are built in the United States and Canada halt production for at least one week starting Monday.

Consumer Reports said its yanking of the recommended label was necessary because "our position is that you shouldn't compromise on safety," said Jim Guest, president of Consumers Union, which issues Consumer Reports.

The move also applied to the Pontiac Vibe, which Toyota had built for GM until this year.

GM said Friday the Vibe was safe to drive and it was waiting for more information from Toyota.

Also on Friday, Hyundai and Chrysler joined Ford and General Motors in offering incentives for Toyota owners to buy their vehicles.

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L.A. says Petersen Automotive Museum owes $121,000 in parking taxes - Los Angeles Times

Posted: 29 Jan 2010 11:58 PM PST

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What a driver should do if the accelerator sticks in their Toyota - NorthJersey.com

Posted: 27 Jan 2010 03:46 PM PST

Toyota Motor Corp. has stopped selling and building eight models, saying there's a possibility that their accelerator pedals may get stuck in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position. The automaker and experts have advice for drivers if a vehicle's accelerator pedal sticks:

BASIC ADVICE:

Consumer Reports magazine's instructions is simple: First, brake hard. Then put the car in neutral. When you come to a stop, turn off the engine.

The engine may keep revving loudly while you try to stop, but don't turn it off if you can avoid it. Turning off the engine means you lose power-assisted steering and brakes, and if you turn the key too far, you could lock the steering wheel.

The revving isn't good for the transmission, but that's not important, said John Heywood, director of MIT's Sloan Automotive Lab.

Consumer Reports has a video demonstration on its Web site at http://tinyurl.com/yegvesp

DON'T PUMP THE BRAKES. PRESS FIRMLY AND STEADILY.

Toyota warns that pumping the brake pedal will deplete the vacuum assist, which boosts the braking force using power from the engine. If that's depleted, you'll need to put much stronger pressure on the brake pedal, and it still might not be enough force to stop safely.

"If the engine really goes to wide open throttle it's really scary," Heywood said. "You have to jam your foot on the brake really hard."

IF ALL ELSE FAILS, TURN OFF THE ENGINE.

If you can't put the vehicle in neutral, then turn the engine off. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.

Toyota advises:

—If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the accessory (ACC) position, but don't remove the key from the ignition, because that will lock the steering wheel.

—If your start your car by pressing a button instead of turning a key, push and hold the start-stop button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do not tap the button.

Sources: Toyota documents, Consumer Reports, AP interviews

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