Toyota Highlander Recall

Issued as part of the original recall notice, the Toyota Highlander recall has been issued to fix the two major issues discovered with this particular model.  like many others, the Highlander has an issue with the floor mat becoming stuck in a gap where the accelerator pedal enters the drivers side of the vehicle and an issue with an accelerator mechanism causing excess friction on the main part of the accelerator pedal. 

Both recall can be serviced in one visit to the dealership once you've receive both your notifications and you've scheduled your appointment.  The Toyota Highlander is a midsized sports utility vehicle that the automotive giant has had in production since 2000.  The recall does not involve the Highlander Hybrid, which will remain for sale while the issue is resolved.  The Toyota Highlander recall deals with the 2008 to 2010 models currently, but it is doubtful that it will expand to additional models.

Here is a brief explanation of the issues with both recalls, along with the methods Toyota will use to fix the problem.

• For the floor mat recall, the floor mats do not fit properly in thanks to a slightly enlarge opening for the accelerator pedal to enter the vehicle.  The floor mat has the capability to slide in and get stuck in this enlarged opening, creating a situation where the accelerator will become stuck in certain instances.  Drivers are advised to remove the floor mat from the car and take it in with their recall notice.
  
  
• The accelerator pedal has a stabilizing device on it that allows for a more stable pedal. This device is now linked with causing too much tension on the actual pedal itself, causing it to stick in certain situations.  If you should experience an accelerators that sticks or will not operate properly, you should pull your automobile into the nearest safe location and contact your nearest Toyota dealership for assistance.  Once you have received the notice in the mail, you will need to take you vehicle to the nearest authorized Toyota dealership, which should be listed on your recall notification.  Once there, a fix to the problem can be put into place.  A small metal bar is placed between the accelerator pedal and the shoe of the device, lowering the tension of the device.  This prevents the pedal from sticking.

Toyota issued the recall right after the issue was discovered.  During the period of time when the Toyota Highlander recall was issued and the solution to the problem was discovered, the company halted all sales to keep vehicle with issues from leaving before they could be fixed.  Many analysts say that this move could have cost the company billions in new car sales, but luckily, Toyota focused on safety instead.  All the problem fixes that the company has put into place have been rigorously tested to ensure their effectiveness. 

The repairs can be completed at your local authorized Toyota dealership.  You should call in advance to reserve a spot in the shop.  In all, the average repair time for the recall issue is only around 30 minutes.  You should also take your notice of recall letter with you to the service appointment.  It is currently estimated that around 90 percent of owners involved in the recall will have to problem fixed, leaving around 10 percent still in need of work.  Most of those customers will be contacted again to ensure they have the problem fixed.  According to the numbers from Toyota, around 2.3 million vehicles, including the Toyota Highlander, were involved in the recall. 

Once the major issue with the accelerator pedal was discovered, production at several different plants ground to halt to prevent the company from putting out more automobiles with the issue.  Reports currently state that around 2,000 traffic incidents have been caused by the accelerator problem, coming up with around 19 deaths linked to the problem.  Many in the automotive world, including customers, have praised Toyota's efforts to correct the problem.  The main issue arose from the supplier of the accelerator pedals to the Toyota company.  These pedals were only used in certain models, each of which has been tracked down.

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