Local Toyota General Manager explains recall

In an open letter to Historic City News readers, General Manager Jared Gaiennie of St. Augustine Toyota wrote the local news desk to reassure customers that if they are driving a vehicle that has been recalled, the dealership is there to help.

In the letter, Gaiennie recognizes that for decades many car owners have trusted St. Augustine Toyota to take care of them.

“Now, more than ever before, we are determined to showcase our immense gratitude, and we plan to exceed your expectations in every way,” Gaiennie said. “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.”

Many of you have recently been made aware of the Toyota Safety Recall of certain accelerator pedal assemblies. 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 have received 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 our employees 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 St. Augustine Toyota has sold nearly 7,000 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.

St. Augustine 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:

* $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 to best accommodate our customers
* Available shuttle service
* An expansive, accommodating customer lounge
* A children’s play area
* Wi-Fi throughout
* A service team with Certified Master Technicians.

Toyota vehicles affected by the sticky pedal recall include:

* Certain 2009-2010 RAV4
* Certain 2009-2010 Corolla
* 2009-2010 Matrix
* 2005-2010 Avalon
* Certain 2007-2010 Camry
* Certain 2010 Highlander
* 2007-2010 Tundra
* 2008-2010 Sequoia

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For additional info and frequent updates: http://www.toyota.com/recall/

Safety 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.