Toyota Corolla News Recall

By: Rob Adams
02/17/2010 07:40 PM ET

Toyota Motor Corp. is considering a recall of its Corolla subcompact car. More than 100 customers have complained about power steering problems on the vehicle. The potential recall comes on the same day when Toyota president said he will not be attending the U.S. Congressional hearing on the automaker’s safety lapses.

“I trust that our officials in the U.S. will amply answer the questions,” Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda said in a statement. “We are sending the best people to the hearing, and I hope to back up the efforts from headquarters.” He said Yoshi Inaba, who heads Toyota Motor Corp.’s North American unit, was more familiar with the situation and was the best executive to deal with the hearing.

Corolla is the world’s best-selling car and is just another major concern relating to safety issues. The possible recall decision could actually come from the Toyota executive responsible for quality control. Shinichi Sasaki announced that the automaker is taking a serious look at power-steering complaints.

Sasaki said drivers may feel as though they were losing control over the steering. He mentioned problems with the braking system or tires as possible underlying causes of the steering problem. A similar problem already found in the 2010 Toyota Prius.

Toyota has recalled 8.5 million vehicles globally during the past four months. Some of the problems include sticky gas pedals, floor mats trapping accelerators and faulty brake programming. The latest recall will only widen the crises and perhaps lower confidence with customers.

The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on February 24. Most of the hearing will be about Toyota’s gas pedal problems. In addition, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will schedule one for the following day.

Toyota Motor Corp. Recalls Include Gas Pedals, Brakes, Floor Mats, and Power Steering

Three separate Toyota recalls have already occurred. The first two were with the assistance of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency found several vehicles experiencing unintended acceleration.

These recalls were issued after car crashes. For example, the first recall was to correct a possible incursion of an incorrect or out-of-place front driver’s side floor mat. It is believed that the floor mat can get caught under the gas pedal.

The second recall was initiated after some crashes were shown not to have been caused by the floor mat theory. Inspectors identified a possible defect in the gas pedal itself. The mechanical portion of the pedal was sticking and causing unintended acceleration.

The third recall was for the hybrid anti-lock brake software. This is a system found in the 2010 Toyota Prius. The automaker has recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles and that number could rise if one is issued for the Toyota Corolla.