The Bulldog Tribune
Toyota Recall Reaches New HeightsMonday, March 22, 2010 By Christie Boyden
After causing 52 deaths according to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), Toyota has been put under a magnifying glass to investigate the numerous recalls it has administered in the past few months. However, it is not just Toyota who is administering recalls. Well-known manufacturers such as Honda, GM, Pontiac, and Lexus are also being affected. “Recently I bought a 2009 Pontiac Vibe,” English teacher, Lisa Fiorilli said. “When I took my car to have its regular state inspection, I received a letter notifying me of the recall.” Despite the fact that Pontiac is not a Toyota brand name, it has a Toyota engine, which left it at risk for the recall. “The recall was all at their cost; I didn’t pay at all,” Ms. Fiorilli said. “The problem was that my accelerator could get stuck down and it needed to have a ‘precision cut steel’ added to the pedal in order to repair it.” Now, there have been several versions of recalls making headlines recently. The two recalls that had the greatest impact were a result of improper floor mats, which affected 4.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles according to ABC news, and a gas pedal issue, which affected 2.3 million Toyota vehicles of a variety of years and models according to ABC news. The floor mats that were recalled were apparently interfering with the brake pedal and accelerator. After this recall, Toyota announced just months later a gas pedal issue. These recalls are leaving buyers uneasy about purchasing another Toyota vehicle. “It seems like more and more of their cars have problems,” senior JT Mullen said. “I own a Toyota and it’s a temperamental car. It’s falling apart.” However, there are others who argue that Toyota will be able to recover from this ebb and once again become reliable and trusted vehicles for buyers. “I would still buy a Toyota,” history teacher Ben Freeman said. “It’s really only one thing that’s wrong with it. The mats are not really an issue because that’s in the driver’s range. If you can’t see that the mats are in the way, then it’s the driver’s fault. Just get some scissors and cut off whatever is in the way.” According to a USA Today report based on a Safety Research and Strategies study, there have been 2,274 incidents of unintended acceleration resulting in 275 crashes. “If the car speeds up unintentionally, you have to put the car in neutral when the gas pedal sticks,” sophomore Michael Rosenblatt said. “You will roll out of it and eventually stop, but if you put the car in park or brake, it will damage the car.” The problem apparently surfaced in 2007 when Toyota began investigating reports of unintended acceleration. The recall wasn’t officially released, though, until January 2010. This gap has brought the legal system into the string of confusion to conduct a criminal investigation over the recalls according to MSNBC. In addition to the gas pedal and floor mat problems, the Japanese-based company is now ordering an investigation into the 2010 Prius braking system. This unease will only make it even more difficult for Toyota to repair its image. “I think people should buy American cars instead and stimulate the economy,” junior Ty Saunders said. However, American cars are under the lime light as well with GM recalling 1.3 million vehicles due to power steering motor failures according to CNN. This recall affects selected Chevrolet and Pontiac compact cars. Another big name is the Japanese-based Honda company, which administered a recall of 950,000 vehicles globally because of an airbag malfunction according to CNN. Some cars on the list include the Accord, Civic, Odyssey, CR-V, and some Acura TLs. All of these recalls have made buyers nervous about assuming a new debt on a car they believe may not be as reliable as previously conceived. Statistics even show that Toyota US sales have fallen 9% since the recall according to MSNBC. “It makes me feel a little weary,” Ms. Fiorilli said. “If they cut corners there, where else do they cut corners?” |