That 2.3 million recall would surely hit Toyota hard. That’s on top of 4.3 million that they previously announced.

Sales of the RAV4, Matrix, Camry, Corolla, Avalon, Highlander, Tundra, and Sequioa are all suspended until they can figure out the accelerator pedal problem that has caused the massive recalls.

Toyota initially announced that removing the driver side matting surrounding the pedals is a temporary fix but it appears that the issue is with the accelerator mechanism. Reports of collissions and injuries have already been filed prompting the initial recall.

Just when Toyota is trying to position itself to make a profit this year. Looks like Volkswagen will surely be happy to trim away at Toyota’s lead as the world’s biggest automaker.

For a Toyota fan, this surely is a disheartening. We could all just hope that Toyota gets its act together.

No doubt about it, I’m a Toyota fan. Their mass-production cars might not be the slickest ones to drive for fun, but they will get you around. And they’re virtually indestructible. Selling my old Corolla and swapping it with my now junk of a Sentra has got to be one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made.

But thanks to the accelerator problem that affects 4.3 million vehicles, Toyota’s reputation of dependability has now been tarnished quite badly.

Now, Toyota announced that it will be recalling around 2.3 million vehicles in the US to fix the problem. Mind you that this is separate from the initial 4.3 million that they’ve already recalled last year. Toyota claimed that it was initially a floor mat problem but reports have been sent in that the accelerator pedals keep sticking even without the mats.

The vehicles included in this round of recall: 2005-’10 Avalon, 2007-’10 Camry , 2009-’10 Corolla, 2010 Highlander, 2009-’10 Matrix, 2009-’10 RAV4, 2008-’10 Sequoia and 2007-’10 Tundra.

US owners can call Toyota at 800-331-4331.

Let’s face it. Once in a while you’d get a non-fan. Probably a harsh critique every so often too. But how do you respond to such? Well it really depends on the gravity and perhaps the truth behind such remarks. Not too many people can handle criticism, even constructive ones.

Seems like Toyota’s panties are up in a bunch with The Boston Globe’s publishes their take on the Toyota Sequoia in an op-ed piece entitled A Super-sized Toyota where they called the vehicle, “an artifact”.

The Boston Globe writer, Derrick Z. Jackson, claims that “[t]he reality is that Toyota works right along with Detroit in limiting the alternatives to large SUVs.” He goes on to claim that the new Sequoia “is a reminder that despite 9/11 and despite the disastrous invasion of oil-rich Iraq, the company remains happy to profit off Americans who cannot look past their hood ornament.”

Nasty. So nasty that Toyota replied through their Open Road Blog which you can read here.

Fair criticism or harsh pot shots. Oh well. That’s just part of life.

Source: Inside Line