When a product is recalled nationally, it’s usually because problems have already been discovered. Manufacturers want to take the product off the market to mitigate any damage or injuries to consumers.
In the past few years, Toyota has announced three recalls that affected millions of its vehicles reported to have acceleration problems. A fatal car accident last year involving a Toyota vehicle became national headlines because the vehicle was believed to have a faulty accelerator. Since then Toyota has had three recalls regarding faulty accelerators, affecting millions of Toyota car owners.
Despite the multiple recalls, Toyota is still facing legal problems as reports of accelerator-related accidents continue to come up. Earlier this month, the driver of a Toyota Camry lost control of his car and crashed into a wall. He was killed along with his son’s fiancée.
Police, along with Toyota, are continuing to investigate whether a faulty accelerator is what caused this crash. The car involved was a vehicle that Toyota had previously recalled on three separate occasions. There had been reports that the gas pedals were getting stuck on the floor mats, making it difficult or near impossible for the driver to control the car’s acceleration.
As the investigation continues, there are a few questions that will need addressing. First is whether the accelerator did get stuck. The second question is whether this particular vehicle had been brought in under the recall to get the faulty automotive component fixed.
The car accident left two survivors: the wife of the driver and their son. There is little information at this time as to how badly the two were injured in the crash.
Source: The Gettysburg Times online, “Police: Faulty Camry likely caused fatal UT crash,” 15 November 2010