Further to the earlier Toyota recall post, I fee it’s necessary to list instructions on what to do if you have the unfortunate occasion to be driving a vehicle with a sticky accelerator pedal. Most consumers know where and how to contact their nearest Toyota dealer, but do you know how to respond if your gas pedal doesn’t?
- Put both feet on the brake pedal in an attempt to stop or slow the car down. Do not pump the brakes as pumping the brakes depletes the vacuum assist. Depleting the vacuum assist makes it more difficult and requires more pressure on the brakes to stop the car.
- Slip the car into Neutral.
- Steer your way out of trouble if you can.
- Do not shut the car off while you are attempting to slow/stop or steer the car out of trouble. Turning the car of will prevent the brakes from working and lock the steering wheel. You need to have them both engaged in order to minimize potential damage.
Fixing the Problem
Toyota is working diligently to fix the sticky accelerator problem. Some dealerships are staying open 24 hours a day working on the recall. That’s well and good, but unfortunately, while they’re working on the problem, thousands of consumers are still driving around in vehicles that are potentially affected.
Although the condition is rare, there were still (as of this writing) 19 deaths in the past 10 years related to the sticky accelerator.
If you have the option of driving an alternative vehicle until Toyota completes its recall, you are strongly advised to do so.
