Toyota has 2 possible fixes for pedal recall

Toyota has two possible fixes for 2.3 million vehicles it has targeted for accelerator pedals that could stick open, but the automaker doesn't expect to have the repairs available before Monday.
Even as the Japanese automaker expanded the pedal recall to vehicles in China and Europe, a U.S. House committee ordered it and federal safety officials to testify Feb. 25 about the recall and a separate issue with floor mats that now includes 5.4 million vehicles.

With eight models, including some of its top-selling Camry sedans, sitting in dealer lots unable to be sold, the costs to Toyota rise every day a fix isn't ready. One analyst said Toyota could lose 20,000 sales if the order lasts a week.

Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said besides new parts from a supplier, the automaker was working on two possible repairs dealers could perform, and had discussed options with federal regulators. He said by having both new parts and a repair, Toyota could fix vehicles faster.

"Our desire is to repair as many vehicles as possible as quickly as possible," he said. "The ball is in our court."

U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, chairman of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee for investigations, has called Toyota to testify Feb. 25 about the company's two recalls.

In a statement, Stupak, a Menominee Democrat, said federal data showed that 19 deaths had been linked to sudden acceleration complaints in Toyotas over the past several years, more than all other automakers combined for the period. Stupak and committee members met with Toyota on Wednesday to review its handling of the cases, but left with questions.

"Failure to take every step possible to prevent future deaths or injury is simply unacceptable," Stupak said. "Our hearing will press for answers about the source of this accelerator defect and investigate whether adequate measures have been taken."

Toyota said it would cooperate. Detroit Free Press