WASHINGTON — Toyota owners who are dissatisfied with the repairs to their vehicles covered by a massive recall to address sticky gas pedals can have replacement accelerator pedals installed, according to a memo the company sent to dealers.
The Japanese automaker said in a memo obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press that if a customer is unhappy with the feel of the accelerator after the car is repaired, dealers can provide a replacement pedal at no charge.
Dealers have been inserting a piece of metal into the gas-pedal mechanism to eliminate friction causing the pedal problem on 2.3 million recalled vehicles.
“A replacement pedal should only be offered to a customer after the reinforcement bar has been installed and the customer has expressed dissatisfaction with the operation and/or feel of the pedal,” Toyota said in a memo last month to dealers, service manager and parts managers.
Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said owners received letters in February saying they could receive a replacement gas pedal “if the customer is not satisfied with the appearance or performance” of the repaired vehicle. He said the memo was intended to tell dealers of “an improved parts-ordering process for the accelerator pedals” and didn’t represent “a customer-satisfaction policy change.” The Associated Press
