Toyota expects parts by weekend
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Toyota Motor Corp Monday said its dealers should get parts to fix a sticky gas pedal problem by the end of this week as the auto maker apologized to customers and tried to bring an end to a recall that has affected 4.2 million vehicles worldwide.
The company said in a statement that it has begun shipping parts and is training dealers on the repairs. Some dealers will stay open 24 hours to fix the 2.3 million cars and trucks affected by the recall in the United States.
Technical bulletins on how to install the new parts should arrive at dealers by midweek, the company told dealers in an e-mail. It was not clear exactly when repairs would start, although dealers have said they'll begin as soon as possible.
The auto maker also said yesterday that it would suspend production of eight US models affected by the recall for this week, with factories restarting next Monday. The company suspended sales of the models last week until repairs can be made.
Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales, said in the statement that nothing is more important than customer safety.
In a video clip released by the auto maker, Lentz said he wanted to "sincerely apologize to Toyota owners. I know that our recalls have caused many of you concern, and for that I am truly sorry."
"Toyota has always prided itself on building high-quality, durable cars that customers can depend on, and I know that we've let you down," Lentz said.
Lentz, in an interview on NBC's "Today," said the auto maker was "confident that we have the fix" for the gas pedal system. He said the company first developed a report on the problems in late October, and he denied that Toyota had delayed addressing the problem.
"I drive Toyotas. My family members drive Toyotas ... I would not have them in products that I knew were not safe," Lentz said.
Tammy Darvish, a dealer in the Washington, DC, area, said she expects to get parts on Thursday night or Friday morning. She said her dealership will begin repairs immediately and stay open around the clock.
Darvish said she has set up a 24-hour hotline for her 30,000 Toyota customers and had already begun to schedule appointments for later this week. She estimated it could take about two weeks for all the vehicles to be fixed.
"No matter what Toyota does, they always do it right," Darvish said. "They might be a little slow in coming out, but that's because they're diligent."
Toyota recalled the vehicles on January 21, determining that excess friction in the gas pedal assembly could in rare cases cause the pedals to stick.
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