Dear Valued Customer:
Many of you have
recently been made aware of the Toyota Safety Recall of certain
accelerator pedal assemblies (see below for a comprehensive list of
included vehicles). Because this recall speaks directly to
the safety of some Toyota vehicles, it has caused concern among many of
our customers. We deeply and sincerely regret the concern
this has caused. We now are receiving the parts necessary to
perform this fix, and soon you will be contacted directly from Toyota
by mail indicating when to schedule an appointment. In the
meantime, with this letter, I hope to bring important information to
light. I urge you to patiently read through this entire
document. I am convinced that you will be greatly informed
and hopefully greatly relieved along the way.
Before
going further, I would like to point out the obvious, many of the 178
employees of Scott Clark Toyota drive to work daily in Toyotas affected
by the recent recall, and still many more have various family members
and dear friends that are also driving Toyotas affected by this recall,
what's more, I myself have my wife driving our little ones in a vehicle
affected by this recall. It is not an exaggeration to say
that as a whole we have been deeply and profoundly affected by this
recall, for our concern is not just limited to issues relating to
customer safety, but to the safety of our friends, families, and, in
many cases, even our own personal safety.
What follows is a short list of the important facts relating
to this recall:
- Reported
incidents have been exceptionally rare.
In fact,
in the last 4 years Scott Clark Toyota has sold nearly 40,000 total
vehicles between retail and fleet sales have yet to confirm a single
reported incident. Toyota makes it clear that this situation
is rare, and generally does not occur suddenly; and in the rare
instances when it does occur, the vehicle can be controlled with firm
and steady application of the brakes (see below for a list of safety
procedures).
- Toyota is acting in an
unprecedented fashion in order to put safety first.The size, scope, and
speed of this recall effort by Toyota is unprecedented.
Unfortunately many customers have mistaken the colossal scale and
urgency of this effort to imply an immediate and certain
risk. That is simply not the case. Toyota's
response is out of an abundance of concern and caution.
Nothing is more important to Toyota than the safety and reliability of
the vehicles we drive every day.
- Toyota identified
the necessary remedy, and starting today, parts are arriving in order
to rapidly repair customer cars.
Toyota engineers
have developed and rigorously tested a solution that is both effective
and simple.
Scott Clark Toyota deeply
regrets this matter and we apologize for all the concern and
inconvenience associated with it. Soon Toyota will begin
mailing owners with instructions on when to bring your vehicle in for
the modifications. In order to partially offset your
inconvenience and put your safety first, we plan to present every
customer involved in the recall with the
following:
- $25 gift certificate good
towards the purchase of any service or parts
purchase
- $500 gift certificate
good towards the purchase of any new or pre-owned
vehicle
- Free comprehensive
vehicle safety inspection
Additionally, we are
convinced that we are uniquely positioned to best assist you.
We offer:
- Extended service
hours, including open to Midnight and Sunday hours, in order to
best accommodate our
customers
- The 2nd largest
Toyota Service business in the South
East
- 74 individual service
bays staffed by Factory trained
Technicians
- Available shuttle
service
- An expansive,
accommodating customer lounge featuring multiple large
televisions
- A quiet room complete
with a cozy
fireplace
- A complimentary
café with refreshments, soft drinks, and
coffee
- A service team
unmatched in overall experience and customer service, led by Roger
Belk, Service Director, 33 years with Scott Clark Toyota, and Larry
Baker, Parts Director, 38 years with Scott Clark
Toyota.
For decades many of you have
trusted Scott Clark Toyota to take care of you. You made us
the number 18 Toyota dealer in the nation for overall sales in 2009,
and only because of you, we won Toyota's most prestigious awards for
Sales and Customer Satisfaction, the Board of Governors Award and the
President's Award. Now, more than ever before, we are
determined to showcase our immense gratitude, and we plan to exceed
your expectations in every way. In the event we fall short
for any reason, please ask for me at the dealership and I will
personally provide you with your desired outcome. Sincerest
apologies and thank you for giving us the chance to restore your
confidence.
Best regards,
Chris
Cady
General Manager
Scott Clark
Toyota
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
Visit these websites for additional info and
frequent updates:
http://www.toyota.com/recall/http://www.scottclarkstoyota.com/safety-recall.htmSafety
precautions:
Each circumstance may vary, and drivers
must use their best judgment, but Toyota recommends taking one of the
following actions:
- If you need
to stop immediately, the vehicle can be controlled by stepping on the
brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump
the brake pedal as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for the power
brake assist.
- Shift the
transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the
brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off
the engine.
- If unable to put
the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss
of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems
will be lost.
- If the vehicle
is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push
the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT
tap the Engine Start/Stop button.
- If the vehicle is equipped
with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC
position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the
ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.
Affected
Vehicles:
Toyota vehicles affected by the sticky
pedal recall include:
- Certain
2009-2010 RAV4Certain 2009-2010 Corolla
- 2009-2010
Matrix
- 2005-2010 Avalon
- Certain
2007-2010 Camry
- Certain 2010
Highlander
- 2007-2010
Tundra
- 2008-2010
Sequoia
