HARRISBURG — The owners of recalled Toyota vehicles in Pennsylvania will receive additional assistance and accommodations as part of a national effort involving the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection and other Attorneys General across the country.
“It is important that Toyota and Lexus owners in Pennsylvania get clear and detailed information about the safety of their vehicles, along with the quick scheduling of necessary repairs,” Attorney General Tom Corbett said. “Additionally, motorists who have serious concerns about the safety of operating their vehicles should not be penalized or stranded while waiting for problems to be corrected.”
Corbett said that Toyota has agreed to provide the owners of recalled vehicles with alternative transportation for a reasonable amount of time (including rental cars, loaner vehicles, courtesy shuttle services or taxi reimbursement), in situations where owners are concerned about the safety of driving their vehicle before repairs can be made. Toyota and Lexus dealers will also make arrangements to transport recalled vehicles to dealerships for necessary repairs without owners having to drive those vehicles. These services will be provided at no additional cost to either the vehicle owners or the Pennsylvania dealers.
Additionally, Corbett said the agreement requires Toyota to expedite the scheduling of all safety repairs without unnecessary delays and directs the company to ensure that all dealers and call centers provide timely and accurate information to owners who may have concerns about the safety of continuing to operate their vehicles while awaiting repairs.
Corbett said the agreement with Toyota applies to the Pennsylvania owners of vehicles involved in several safety recalls, including a January 2010 recall involving sticking accelerator pedals; a February 2010 recall concerning Anti-Lock Braking software for hybrid vehicles; a February 2010 recall for drive shaft repairs on Tacoma 4WD trucks and a September 2009 recall involving floor mat pedal entrapment.
As part of the agreement, Toyota will also promptly meet with state Attorneys General if any additional or similar safety recalls are issued in the near future, in order to discuss ways that affected vehicle owners can be assisted.
Corbett noted that vehicle owners with questions or concerns related to the recalls should call the Toyota Customer Experience Center, at 1-800-331-4331, or the Lexus Customer Assistance Center, at 1-800-255-3987 for information and assistance.
Consumers experiencing problems with the recall or repair process are encouraged to contact the Attorney General’s toll-free Consumer Protection Hotline, at 1-800-441-2555, or file online consumer complaints online.
Vehicle safety problems should also be reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), by calling the NHTSA toll-free Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 of filing an online report.
