Local motorists driving a Toyota Corolla, Verso or Auris can expect a call from Werda Toyota in Louis Trichardt.

This follows an announcement by Toyota SA last Wednesday that they will recall more than 52 000 of their vehicles with regard to the above models. This is due to problems with a sticky accelerator. Friction inside the mechanism can, in some cases, cause the pedal surface to become rough during operation and slow in returning to the idling position, or in rare cases, it can remain stuck.

Toyota SA president and chief executive Dr Johan van Zyl explained in a press statement that Toyota SA chose to participate in this worldwide recall service action, only as a precautionary measure.

“Our action is pre-emptive and based on an obsession with building quality products,” he said.

Of the 52 546 vehicles recalled in South Africa, 45 040 are Corollas, one of South Africa’s most popular vehicles.

The recall will affect Corollas made between February 2007 and last month, 6 665 Aurises built between June 2006 and last month, and 841 Versos, coming of the factory line from October 2008 to last month.

The service manager of Werda Toyota in Louis Trichardt, Mr Charl Venter, said last week that they are currently waiting for Toyota SA to supply them with the list of affected vehicles in the Soutpansberg, as well as the service part that needs to be replaced. He called upon customers to be patient for a little while.

“As soon as the list of affected vehicles is released and we have received the service part, Werda Toyota will appoint one person in the service department to handle the situation and phone all the clients,” Venter said.

A date and time will be scheduled with the customer that is convenient for them to bring the vehicle in to ensure the repair is done. The preventive repair involves the Toyota factory fitting a small precision-cut steel plate to the existing accelerator pedal mechanism, which should prevent it from working incorrectly for the duration of the vehicle’s life.

Werda Toyota will fit the new accelerator pedal mechanism, which should take less than an hour, depending on the level of service calls that they receive.

Motorists who have bought their vehicles from other dealers and who have not been contacted for an appointment can phone Werda Toyota with their vehicle’s VIN number to check whether their vehicle is listed as an affected vehicle.

Venter advised motorists wanting to find out if their vehicles are affected either to approach him or to phone Toyota’s customer contact centre at Tel 080 013 9111 or to visit their website, www.toyota.co.za, with their VIN number handy.

The VIN number is usually found on the vehicle’s licence disc or printed on a metal plate inside the left passenger door of the vehicle or on the bottom left side of the windscreen.

Venter also reassured customers that the full cost of the corrective process will be borne by Toyota and that no owner will be required to pay, regardless of the state of his or her service plan, warranty or the ownership status of the vehicle.