According to a CNN/Money news story today:

Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told lawmakers Wednesday that Toyota owners should stop driving cars affected by the recall and bring them back to the company.

“My advice is if anyone owns one of these vehicles stop driving it and take it to Toyota dealer because they believe they have a fix for it,” LaHood told a House committee.

Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa, had asked if the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration should broadcast information about how to handle a sticky gas pedal — whether the driver should shift into neutral, brake or turn off the car.

LaHood said that safety information has been publicized, but his own advice would be to not drive the recalled cars at all.

LaHood also acknowledged that NHTSA is investigating Toyotas not just for problems with gas pedals, but for problems with the electrical systems, as well.

“We will also be investigating the electronic components that are in these cars and if they’re not safe, we’ll have Toyota take a look at that,” LaHood said.

LaHood Changes His Message

Bowing to pressure from Toyota, and the panic at dealerships across the country,  LaHood backtracks on his statement earlier today and says that owners can drive their Toyota recall cars but should get them fixed soon. 

Toyota even issued a press release acknolwedging LaHood change in stance below:

TOKYO – Toyota admitted design problems with the brakes in its prized Prius, adding to the catalog of woes for the world’s No. 1 automaker still reeling from a massive U.S. recall involving faulty gas pedals.

We appreciate Secretary LaHood’s clarification of his remarks today about Toyota’s recall for sticking accelerator pedals. We want to make sure our customers understand that this situation is rare and generally does not occur suddenly. In the rare instances where it does occur, the vehicle can be controlled with firm and steady application of the brakes.
 
Our message to Toyota owners is this – if you experience any issues with your accelerator pedal, please contact your dealer without delay. If you are not experiencing any issues with your pedal, we are confident that your vehicle is safe to drive.
 
Nothing is more important to Toyota than the safety and reliability of the vehicles our customers drive. Our entire organization of 172,000 North American employees and dealership personnel is working around the clock to fix the accelerator pedals for our customers.

Wht Can Consumers Do?

We understand Ray LaHood’s recommendations but many American’s have no choice but to drive these recalled cars.  Toyota dealers have not confirmed that the parts needed for the recall are in house.  Also, few dealers have publically confirmed that they have the training they need to complete the recall repairs.

If you are a Toyota owner, are you planning to keep driving your car?  Add your comments below:

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