AAA Expert Answers YOUR Questions!

I just leased a 2010 Highlander earlier this month. Do you think I should try to get out of the lease or ride this out??

I know Toyota is having all these problems right now but their sales will suffer short term because of their past. I have owned toyotas all my life I am now 40. And I would take a toyota over an american car any day. And that too is because of american car's history

Are other Toyota cars/trucks that aren't on the recall list have to be worried? The 4 runner wasn't on the list.

I have a 2007 Camry with 84k + miles and I have been experiencing the slow returning excellorator for quite some time. I have contacted the dealership who say that it isn't there problem and that i should call Toyota. When I call Toyota there is simply a message using vague terms like voluntary recall and safety campaign. I feel as though they are taking partial responsibility for this problem and I think that they should offer a loaner car until this problem can been solved. The bottom line is that our lives are on the line and This company seems concerned more with PR.

Your guest said turning the key off would lock the steering. My experience says the steering only locks in park. Is this not so in Toyotas?If the steering does not lock in drive or nutral this is bad advice.

To Nicole R.
Your Highlander is brand new and you shouldn’t have any problems. Cars that have high mileage are the ones that are experiencing the accelerator problems.

To Danny Vega
You’re the customer that Toyota has in mind with this experience. Toyota buyers tend to be very loyal and Japanese car companies generally plan strategies for 50 or 60 years, keeping in mind that customers like you will buy cars every 8 – 10 years. I agree with you about American cars, but they are getting better. Unfortunately the pace of progress with the U.S. companies tends to be very, very slow.

To Carol
The news today that the recall is being expanded to additional models, and in foreign markets, indicates that the recalls may expand even further. If you have a Toyota, be aware of the onset of the throttle problems I mentioned, and, if you notice the problem beginning on your vehicle, get to the nearest Toyota service department quickly. While there is no current new part available, perhaps there is a short-term fix that can be made.

To Sabrenna
You sound like a prime candidate for a stuck accelerator, especially with your having a high mileage vehicle and beginning to have the problem of the slow return to the idle position of your throttle. You should be very, very careful. Try to avoid pressing the pedal all the way to the floor. Really, if you can avoid driving the vehicle, do so. If the service department at the dealer you’ve contacted isn’t responding, try another But remember, there is no fix for the problem right now. A new part is going to have to be manufactured, and that may take some time. I doubt that Toyota will provide a loaner vehicle due the expense of possibly doing so for 2.4 million vehicles. But please, be very, very careful.

To Grant Martim
Generally the steering wheel lock is independent of the transmission shifter position and as such would lock no matter what gear the vehicle is in if the key were turned all the off. When I talked with Toyota, the said that drivers should not turn off the engine, which would severely stiffen the steering and eliminate the power brakes making the vehicle very difficult to control. Turning the ignition all the way to lock is possibly even more dangerous.