Nickel-sized pieces of metal have begun to arrive at local Toyota dealerships.
Marty Mayfohrt of Madera Auto Center says his staff has begun to contact customers whose vehicles are involved in the recall. Mayfohrt said, "We're starting to make appointments right now. We will work as long as we have to on any given day and we will work seven days a week to get this issue taken care of."
The fix calls for a little metal plate to be inserted into the gas pedal assembly.
Local economist Henry Nishimoto also owns an auto repair shop, specializing in Toyota vehicles. He explained, "The basic idea behind that little metal pad is to put more tension on the spring inside of here to alleviate the friction problem that's causing that malfunction."
An exclusive Action News poll conducted by Survey-USA shows 44-percent of people approve of the way Toyota has responded to the problem while 48-percent did not approve.
Marty Mayfohrt said, "We think they've done an excellent job responding to it. They've kept us dealers informed and we in turn are keeping our customers informed."
The problem has not kept customers out of Toyota lots. Mayfohrt says many of his customers prefer the gas pedal and floor mat issues to be fixed at the same time. Mayfohrt said, "The official notices probably won't be sent out until next week. Our thing is we want to be pro-active. We want to get people in and we're going to our technicians available to get the fix done."
You'll need to make an appointment to have your car fixed so you'll need to contact your local dealership.
Toyota has set up an information hotline for customers. The number is 1-800 -331- 4331.
