When something goes wrong with your Toyota, shift to neutral
LYNNWOOD, Wash. -- Toyota's troubles with faulty gas pedals leaves millions of drivers across the country worrying about the safety of their cars.
As the company scrambles to find a solution, local dealers are reeling from Toyota's decision to stop selling eight popular models.
At Magic Toyota in Lynnwood, you can see the impact of the don't-sell order. The dealer has marked any car you can buy with a smiley face. and any one you can't with an "X."
The problem is in an accelerator pedal mechanism. One made for Toyota by Denso in Japan is OK, with no known problems. One made in Canada is the mechanism that can cause problems.
No one expects you to crawl under the dashboard and look. There's an easier way.
Look for the VIN numbers. Dealers always post it on the windshield. You can also find them on the driver side door and atop the dashboard.
If it has a "J," the car was made in Japan. Toyota told dealers those cars are safe to sell.
The don't-sell order affects the following makes and models: 2009-2010 RAV4, the 2009-2010 Corolla, the 2007-2010 Camry, the 2009-2010 Matrix, the 2005-2010 Avalon, the 2010 Highlander, the 2007-2010 Tundra and the 2008-2010 Sequoia.
At Toyota of Seattle, the owner says his wife drives a Toyota. His daughters drive Toyotas. So I asked whether he's telling his wife and daughters to stop driving Toyotas.
"No, sir, absolutely not," said Brad Miller, who urges Toyota owners to keep on driving, but "if something goes wrong, shift to neutral."
It should be pointed out the stop-selling order was a decision by Toyota after the company found a problem with the accelerator. Locally, dealers say they are proud Toyota ordered the sales stop in the interest of safety.
Right now, Toyota has no approved fix for the accelerator problems, but does expect one within days.
As the company scrambles to find a solution, local dealers are reeling from Toyota's decision to stop selling eight popular models.
At Magic Toyota in Lynnwood, you can see the impact of the don't-sell order. The dealer has marked any car you can buy with a smiley face. and any one you can't with an "X."
The problem is in an accelerator pedal mechanism. One made for Toyota by Denso in Japan is OK, with no known problems. One made in Canada is the mechanism that can cause problems.
No one expects you to crawl under the dashboard and look. There's an easier way.
Look for the VIN numbers. Dealers always post it on the windshield. You can also find them on the driver side door and atop the dashboard.
If it has a "J," the car was made in Japan. Toyota told dealers those cars are safe to sell.
The don't-sell order affects the following makes and models: 2009-2010 RAV4, the 2009-2010 Corolla, the 2007-2010 Camry, the 2009-2010 Matrix, the 2005-2010 Avalon, the 2010 Highlander, the 2007-2010 Tundra and the 2008-2010 Sequoia.
At Toyota of Seattle, the owner says his wife drives a Toyota. His daughters drive Toyotas. So I asked whether he's telling his wife and daughters to stop driving Toyotas.
"No, sir, absolutely not," said Brad Miller, who urges Toyota owners to keep on driving, but "if something goes wrong, shift to neutral."
It should be pointed out the stop-selling order was a decision by Toyota after the company found a problem with the accelerator. Locally, dealers say they are proud Toyota ordered the sales stop in the interest of safety.
Right now, Toyota has no approved fix for the accelerator problems, but does expect one within days.