Toyota Agrees to Extra Steps in NY Recall Effort

TORRANCE, CA - Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. said it would provide additional services, including providing transportation to and from dealerships, for New York Toyota and Lexus customers affected by Toyota's recent recalls. 

The services are available to Toyota and Lexus owners in New York affected by current recalls involving sticking accelerator pedals, floor mat pedal entrapment, anti-lock brake system software updates, and Tacoma front drive shaft inspection. Toyota agreed to these steps after discussions with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to address the concerns of government regulators and consumers. 

These services will be tailored to the vehicle owner's individual circumstances and may include: 

• Expediting scheduling of the repair
• Pick-up and return of the vehicle by a dealership representative
• Driving the customer to the dealership or to his or her place of work
• Where necessary, providing other alternate transportation for the customer, such as a rental car, loaner vehicle or taxi reimbursement for the reasonable period that the customer is unable or unwilling to use his or her car.

Toyota said it will provide these services through the dealers at no cost to either the 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.  

"Everyone at Toyota is focused on making the recent recalls as simple and trouble-free as possible for our customers, with dealers across the country making extraordinary efforts  to take care of Toyota owners," said Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motors Sales U.S.A. Inc. 

As of Feb. 20, more than 32,000 vehicles affected by the sticking accelerator pedal recall alone already have been modified in the state of New York. Nationally, some 750,000 of the 2.3 million vehicles subject to the sticking accelerator pedal recall have been fixed since the modification became available.