The current concern over the apparent unreliability of a small number of gas pedals on ten Toyota model vehicles and the Pontiac Vibe is being widely covered by all the media. Affected Toyota vehicles: • 2005-2010 Avalon • 2009-2010 RAV4 • 2007-2010 Camry • 2008-2010 Sequoia • 2009-2010 Corolla • 2005-2010 Tacoma • 2008-2010 Highlander • 2007-2010 Tundra • 2009-2010 Matrix • 2009-2010 VENZA Unaffected vehicles: • Sienna • Solara • Yaris • 4Runner • FJ Cruiser • Land Cruiser • 2004-2009 Prius -- but still subject to the Floor Mat recall • 2010 Prius FYI, Here is some hard data, photographs and discussion, on the CTS gas pedals that have been identified as the probable source of the concern. From this article at tuneyfish.com which has more detail on telling the difference between the affected CTS pedals and the unaffected Denso pedal also used by Toyota. Here is a statement from the CTS corporation on the matter. And some details on how the gas pedals are designed. Many thanks to the good folks at tuneyfish.com for this info.
My sister has an '09 Vibe and I took a look under the dash this weekend and it appears to have the CTS pedal. We talked about what to expect should the pedal cause problems and how to handle it (#1 is brake, #2 is remain calm, #3 is shift to N). Will be interesting to see how/when the dealer handles this...
And there's more: First some additional analysis or the pedals themselves from The Truth About Cars: "On initial observation, it appears that the CTS may be perceived as being the more solidly engineered/built unit, in that the pedal pivots on a traditional and solid steel axle whose bearings are brass or bronze sleeves. The Denso’s whole pivot and bearing surfaces are relatively flimsy-feeling plastic. But that can be deceptive, and we’re not qualified to judge properly if it is indeed inferior or superior. But according to our sources, the Denso unit will likely be recalled too. So the question that goes beyond the analysis of these e-pedals is this: are these units really the full source of the problem, or are they scape goats for an electronics and/or software glitch? Pictures and tear down examination and analysis follows..." in the full article. And there are other vehicle manufacturer and Canadian connections: "Maker of Toyota gas pedal ramping up production to meet replacement demand By Kristine Owram (CP) – 3 days ago "TORONTO — The fact that a faulty accelerator implicated in a massive recall of Toyota vehicles was manufactured in Canada will have a negligible impact on the Canadian auto parts industry, says the head of an association representing suppliers..." "CTS also makes pedals for Honda Motor Co., Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan Motor Co. and Ford Motor Co., but the company said pedals made for those manufacturers don't have the same design. Still, Ford on Thursday halted production of some full-sized commercial vehicles in China because they contain CTS gas pedals..." Full Canadian Press article here.
The possible negative effects on consumers and investors not only stretches from North America to Asia, but to Europe as well. There are possible further recalls in France, and subsidiary effects extending to the Czech Republic. At this point it is safe to say that this is as much or more an issue for the CTS Corporation as it is for Toyota. In France, Reuters reports that Renault has this to say: "PARIS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Renault does not share common parts with Toyota, the world no. 1 automaker fighting to salvage its reputation after a massive safety recall, a spokeswoman for the French carmaker said on Monday. "'Renault vehicles use neither the same pedals, nor the same parts as those of Toyota,' the spokeswoman said in a statement." However, Peugeot and Citroen may not be so lucky: "Peugeot and Citroen have models that are potentially the same car as the Toyota Aygo which is among eight of the brand’s models being recalled over potentially faulty accelerator pedals. "The Aygo, 107 and C1 models have been developed by the French and Japanese car firms and are built on the same production line at a plant in the Czech Republic as part of a joint venture. "A total of 1.8 million Toyotas in Europe are expected to be involved in one of the largest recalls in recent years. "However, while the Aygo uses an electronically-controlled accelerator pedal that is at the centre of the recall issue, the French brands only used this pedal in models fitted with stability control systems (ESP) or automatic gearboxes." Full story in the Irish Times
