Toyota suspends sales of 8 models.

January 27, 2010

According to Edmunds.com, Toyota will suspend sales of 8 of its best selling models immediately in order to address safety concerns regarding sticking throttles. The models affected are as follows:

2009-2010 RAV4
2009-2010 Corolla
2009-2010 Matrix
2005-2010 Avalon
2007-2010 Camry (certain models)
2010 Highlander
2007-2010 Tundra
2008-2010 Sequoia.

No Lexus or Scion vehicles are affected by the annoncement, even though last week's recall of 2.3 milliion vehicles was prompted in part by a highly publicized fatal accident last year involving a Lexus. Toyota will continue to offer the Prius and Camry Hybrid for sale, along with the Tacoma, Venza, Sienna, Solara, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Yaris and Land Cruiser.

In a statement, Bob Carter, Group Vice President and Toyota Division General Manager said:

"Helping ensure the safety of our customers and restoring confidence in Toyota are very important to our company,This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized. We're making every effort to address this situation for our customers as quickly as possible."

The company will stop production at several of its manufacturing facililties on February 1 for an indefinite period. This is the list of plants that will be idled next week:

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Canada (Corolla, Matrix, and RAV4)
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana (Sequoia and Highlander)
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky - Line 1 (Camry and Avalon)
Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. (Camry)
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas (Tundra)

This decision by the company will cost Toyota dearly.  But no doubt company officials well remember what happend to Audi years ago when its products got the reputation for being "death cars" because of several incidents involving "sudden unintended acceleration". Audi sales in the US plummeted and at one point the company even considered withdrawing from the American market. It took Audi more than a decade to recover from its woes.

Toyota became the largest vehicle manufacturer in the world in 2009, surpassing General Motors for the first time. As expensive as this plan may be, it is nothing compared to what might happen to Toyota if it fails to calm public fears about the safety of its vehicles. Which proves once again that getting to the top of the heap, as Frank Sinatra would say, is hard. But staying there is even harder.

Source: Edmunds.com