Business And Leadership: Toyota embarks on US media blitz over sticking pedal

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Toyota embarks on US media blitz over sticking pedal

01.02.2010
Toyota is embarking on a media blitz to counter the negative sentiment against its brand created by its recent recall of millions of vehicles in the US over a sticking accelerator pedal.

The Japanese car manufacturer has so far had to recall 5.4 million vehicles in the US over the pedal problem, and on Friday announced it was recalling eight of its models in Europe.

In addition to the massive recall issued in the US of certain car models, Toyota also announced last week that it was halting US sales and production of eight recalled models.

A temporary pause
As part of its media campaign, Toyota took out full-page ads in 20 major US newspapers on Sunday. The black-and-white ads showed an image of a pause button such as those used in DVD players and read: “A temporary pause. To put you first.”

The car maker is following up the ads with television appearances by a top executive, Toyota's head of US sales Jim Lentz, who will discuss the recalls, starting with NBC’s Today show.

The world’s largest automaker is also due to announce its plan to fix the accelerator problem this morning as it attempts to offset negative investor and consumer sentiment caused by the pedal problem.

Sticking pedal
Toyota has said there is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, “mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position”.

It said the problem is caused because the accelerator pedal mechanisms concerned may become worn.

“This progressive wear, combined with certain operating and environmental conditions, can cause friction in the mechanism to increase and intermittently result in the accelerator pedal being harder to depress, slow to return or, in the worst case, stick in a partially open position,” the car maker said last week.

US investigation
The US House of Representatives has also announced it is to launch an investigation into the Toyota accelerator pedal problem.

According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), sudden acceleration events in Toyota vehicles have led to 19 deaths in the past decade, nearly twice the number of deaths associated with similar events in cars manufactured by all other automakers combined.