Error processing SSI file
Error processing SSI file

Area Toyota dealers advise prompt repairs

Published
Updated

BY JOHN KREROWICZ

jkrerowicz@kenoshanews.com

The comments from Bill King came quick and clipped Friday — not unexpected, given that, as a Toyota operations manager, he’s probably among the busiest people in America these days.

email this
print this
Share
King works at the Waukegan, Ill. dealership, one of 1,234 nationwide scrambling to repair 2.3 million vehicles being recalled with problem accelerator pedals. He said his shop by mid-morning had fixed about 100 vehicles since receiving necessary parts on Wednesday.

King and Ralph Gentile, owner of the Gentile Automotive Group, which operates Gentile Toyota of Racine, encouraged owners to schedule repairs to avoid long waits.

“If you come in unannounced, and you’re the seventh person in line, I don’t want to be that seventh person,” Gentile said. “We just want to get you in and out as quickly as possible.”

Pedal problems exist in the 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Tundra and 2008-2010 Sequoia, and some 2009-2010 RAV4, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2007-2010 Camry and 2010 Highlander models.

Advertisement

Toyota said on Jan. 21 it intended to recall cars because their accelerator pedals might stick in a high-speed position or return to normal too slowly. The company began sending letters this week to affected vehicle owners about the recall and repairs.

The fix includes a steel reinforcement bar in the pedal assembly to eliminate excess friction that could cause pedals to stick.

For more details, try www.toyota.com/recall.

Officials at CarMax, 8200 120th Ave., which houses the only Toyota dealership in Kenosha County, referred calls to the Virginia corporate office. A spokesman there said the dealership was not selling the affected cars, as required by law, but did not comment on repairs.

King said his Waukegan site had set up 42 appointments for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Gentile said since receiving parts late Wednesday, the dealership had repaired 40 to 50 vehicles by Friday morning.

Gentile urged vehicle owners to have the pedal problem fixed sooner rather than later.

“Don’t procrastinate,” he said. “It’s a safety recall, after all.”

Comments:

You are viewing 2 of 2 comments on this topic.

1 | Kenosha News
Area Toyota dealers advise prompt repairs
...
Comment on this articleQuote this messageReport Abuse
2 | TH
This part of
of a plot to increase sales of "Government Motors" (GM). That's change we can all believe in, eh?
Comment on this articleQuote this messageReport Abuse






Error processing SSI file