banktime.com

The Toyota Motor Corp. announced yesterday that it already has a fix for the malfunctioning accelerator pedals that led the company to announce a massive recall of eight of its most popular auto models on Wednesday. Earlier this week, Toyota announced a massive recall of over a million Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sequoia, and Tundra autos prompted by confirmed reports of sticking gas pedals that had already caused countless accidents and as many as nineteen deaths. The voluntary recall also prohibited Toyota dealerships across the country from selling these affected models, causing major concerns about Toyota’s sales numbers and potential loss of reputation in an economic period where no auto manufacturer can truly afford either. It’s expected that domestic manufacturers will see a sales boost as confused and nervous Toyota fans bail from supporting the company en masse.

The auto manufacturer is reportedly seeking approval for the use of a shim, also called a “selective spacer,” which would be inserted into the assembly of the gas pedals of those affected vehicles. Government regulators must still approve Toyota’s planned repair for the affected vehicles and their gas pedals. According to the recall reports, there have been cases of these cars’ accelerators not returning to an idle position after being pushed down. Currently there are nineteen allegations of injuries, accidents, or death caused by this defect. Some Toyota owners have reported their cars suddenly accelerating, and the drivers losing control of the car. If Toyota receives the approval, they could begin producing the part next week. Dealers would begin receiving the shims in about two weeks. According to insider reports, the shim is supposed to increase the tension on an internal spring that controls the action of the gas pedal, and should prevent the pedal fro, staying depressed when pushed. Actual Toyota officials will not confirm that they have an idea in place for a fix.

There had been some speculation that electronic sensors within the gas pedal assembly were at fault for the problems, which Toyota has now confirmed to be false. The company’s parts supplier says that the problem is definitely related to Toyota’s design, and that the actual products being produced have always met the company’s specifications. The supplier is said to be racing to ramp up production of the needful new part. The sticking issue is reportedly related to condensation inside the pedal leading to friction. Each auto manufacturer designs its own gas pedals, meaning that the flaw is not shared outside Toyota and Lexus. Even so, Ford has reportedly halted production of some of its cars because its gas pedal is similar to Toyota’s, and it wants to be sure that it does not also have problems.

At the start of the 2000s, Toyota moved from an older model gas pedal that was hooked up to a cable that opened the throttle on the engine to increase speed. The new pedals were connected to an all-electronic accelerator assembly. This new style has sensors that are able to tell how hard and how fast a driver is pushing the pedal, with electric signals telling the engine’s computer brain whether the car ought to speed up or slow down.