Guelph Now!

 

A massive recall and sales suspension of eight popular Toyota vehicles is proving to be a major challenge for the world’s biggest automaker.

 

Toyota prides itself on quality and in an effort to protect their global reputation has quickly moved to recall of 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S. and 270,000 in Canada.

 

The  automaker said it would halt sales of vehicles containing a potentially faulty gas pedal, manufactured in Ontario, that could stick and cause unintended acceleration.

 

As a result of the sales suspension, production at Toyota's two Canadian manufacturing facilities, in the southern Ontario communities of Woodstock and Cambridge, will be halted for the week of Feb. 1.

 

Toyota's products including those of its luxury brand, Lexus, have consistently ranked near the top of the industry.

 

There’s a chrome lining to the latest storm clouds over Ontario’s auto sector, Economic Development Minister Sandra Pupatello said on Wednesday.

 

She down played concerns that a recall of this magnitude by one of the world’s most  reliable vehicle makers could kill what little momentum the industry has.

 

“Recent events ... frankly, speak to the quality levels expected of Toyota,” Pupatello said, putting a sunny spin on word the company was recalling 2.3 million cars and trucks and suspending sales and production of eight models because of sticking accelerators.

 

“That they would make such a dramatic response to an issue in terms of this recall, speaks to the quality of what Toyota builds.”

 

“I thought it was a very good move on their part to be so certain about the kinds of product they produce.”

 

The faulty part was manufactured by Indiana-based supplier CTS Corp. (NYSE:CTS) at a plant in Mississauga, just west of Toronto. CTS said Toyota accounts for only three per cent of its annual sales.

 

The sales suspension includes the following models: the 2009-10 RAV4, 2009-10 Corolla, 2009-10 Matrix, The VIBE made on the same floor as the Matrix, 2005-10 Avalon, certain 2007-10 Camrys, 2010 Highlander, 2007-10 Tundra, and the 2008-10 Sequoia.

 

Toyota has said it was unaware of any accidents or injuries due to the pedal problems associated with the recall, but could not rule them out for sure.

 

Toyota  produces the Corolla and Matrix at its plant in Cambridge and the RAV4 at its plant in Woodstock. The company  employs about 6,500 Canadians.