LaHood says don’t drive recalled Toyotas til fixed

UPDATE Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood now says he misspoke today when he told the owners of more than 2 million recalled vehicles to stop driving and bring them to a dealer — a comment that sparked fears among owners and drove down the company's stock.

"My advice is if anybody owns one of these vehicles, stop driving it, and take it to a Toyota dealer," LaHood said Wednesday at a House hearing.

This afternoon, LaHood said he directed that statement to drivers who have experienced problems with sticky pedals — a condition Toyota says is extremely rare.

"If you are in doubt, take it to a dealer," LaHood said. "What I said in (the House hearing) was obviously a misstatement."

02/03/10 Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is telling owners of recalled Toyotas to stop driving the vehicles and get them fixed. LaHood's warning came Wednesday in testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation. LaHood says his advice to owners is to "stop driving it. Take it to a Toyota dealer because they believe they have a fix for it." Toyota's most recent recall in the United States affects 2.3 million vehicles with the potential for sticking gas pedals. LaHood told reporters earlier in the day that Toyota owners should contact their dealer immediately and "exercise caution until repairs can be made."