Toyota may have to recall 2.3 million cars in Europe

IT’S not yet known how many Toyota cars in Ireland are affected by the manufacturer’s latest recall of millions of vehicles because of a sticking accelerator pedal.

The company is to carry out safety adjustments to cars in North America and Europe because of a fault initially identified in a number of cars built towards the end of 2008.

The company may have to recall at least 2.3 million vehicles in Europe and six million vehicles in the US.

Toyota shares tumbled almost 4% in Tokyo, after a drop of 4.26% the previous day in response to the group’s decision to suspend sales in US of eight models due to the safety concerns.

Toyota Ireland said the models and exact number of potentially affected vehicles in Ireland “are under investigation but we anticipate this will be known by the middle of next week. The details of corrective action and implementation will be communicated directly to customers with vehicles potentially affected”.

A spokesperson for Toyota Europe said: “We are working to precisely determine the production periods involved and isolate the cars involved but as yet we don’t have a definite answer.”

Industry experts are suggesting that the sudden acceleration that can apparently affect some cars is probably not a single issue but a combination of complicated interconnected conditions.

In North America, Toyota has said a friction problem in its accelerator pedal mechanisms may make the pedal “harder to depress, slower to return, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position”. Concerned customers should contact their local dealer and, if necessary, have the car checked over, Toyota has said.

This recall is separate from an earlier recall, last November, to fix a problem in which the accelerator pedal got stuck in the car’s removable floormat. In January 2009, Toyota in Ireland recalled 4,000 Yaris models over potential problems with seatbelt tensioners.

Toyota, advertised as “the best-built cars in the world”, has been Ireland’s best-selling make for the last three years. Internationally, it became the world’s largest auto firm in 2007.

In America the recall has affected Toyota’s 2009-2010 RAV4, Corolla and some 2007-2010 Camrys, among other models.