Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyers Blog

A Montgomery County woman unexplainably crashed into the store front of a laundromat in Glenside. The woman was attempting to place her Toyota Camry in park when the vehicle suddenly accelerated up the curb and through the window of the local laundromat. Luckily no one was injured in the accident and the laundromat owner estimates the woman was travelling 50 mph.

This accident comes as Toyota announces another 1.09 million vehicles recalled because of sudden acceleration concerns. This recall is in addition to the 2.3 million vehicles Toyota has recalled.

Vehicles affected by the mats recall:
• 2008-2010 Highlander
• 2009-2010 Corolla
• 2009-2010 Venza
• 2009-2010 Matrix
• 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe
•
Vehicles affected by the accelerator recall:
• 2009-2010 RAV4
• 2009-2010 Corolla
• 2009-2010 Matrix
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• 2007-2010 Camry
• 2010 Highlander
• 2007-2010 Tundra
• 2008-2010 Sequoia

Toyota has decided to halt production at six North American car-assembly plants starting February 1 and will halt sales in North America on the vehicles named in the recalls to fix the problem before it reaches consumers. Toyota has yet to set a date when production and sales of the vehicles will resume.

Related Web Sources:

Woman's Toyota crashes into Laundromat
Toyota recalls an additional 1.09M vehicles

Toyota has announced another massive recall on older model vehicles after continuing reports of vehicles suddenly accelerating on drivers. This latest recall covers 2.3 million vehicles and comes at a surprise to Philadelphia drivers and others nationwide.

In December 2009, Toyota launched its largest recall in history. The recall was a response to a problem that had plagued the company for years, floor mats that interfered with accelerator pedals. The recall finally offered a permanent solution to problem.

However The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration is still receiving numerous complaints of Toyota vehicles suddenly accelerating and causing severe accidents. Drivers are reporting that the accelerator pedal is sticking in a partially depressed condition and causing the vehicle to suddenly accelerate. The reports come from drivers who have removed the floor mats from their vehicles. In Toyota's last massive recall the company stated that there is no mechanical defect with the pedal but this latest recall alters the company's stance. Investigations by Toyota have discovered that when the pedal mechanism is worn it can take longer to return to an idle position or more dangerously remain partially depressed.

If a vehicle suddenly accelerates drivers are being told to firmly press down on the brake and shift the car into to neutral. Once in neutral they are told to steer the vehicle off the road and turn off the engine. Drivers should not turn off the car in traffic as they are likely to lose power steering, making the car difficult to maneuver. There is no remedy yet for this recall.

The following Toyota Division vehicles were named in the recall:

• 2009-2010 RAV4,
• 2009-2010 Corolla,
• 2009-2010 Matrix,
• 2005-2010 Avalon,
• 2007-2010 Camry,
• 2010 Highlander,
• 2007-2010 Tundra,
• 2008-2010 Sequoia

Related Sources:

Toyota issues recall for 2.3 million vehicles

Toyota Files Voluntary Safety Recall on Select Toyota Division Vehicles for Sticking Accelerator Pedal

Philadelphia drivers may be unknowingly driving around on defective valve stems. Over twenty three million valve stems from China have been recalled in fear the stems can crack.

A cracked valve stem can lead to decreased tire pressure, one of the leading causes of a tire blowout. It is extremely difficult to control a vehicle during a tire blowout and ultimately most blowouts end in a serious collision. As a way to increase profits, the Chinese manufacturer removed the chemical applied to the valve stem to prevent cracking. Unfortunately there is no way to know if your tire has a defective Chinese valve stem because there is no part number or model number stamped on the stems. Drivers can check for cracks on their valve stems by rotating the stem clockwise and checking the surface for cracks.

Related Sources:
Valve Stem Problem in Chinese Tires

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released its annual list of its safest vehicles and the list is significantly smaller than in years past. In 2009, the institute awarded 94 vehicles compared to only 27 vehicles in 2010. In order for vehicles to qualify they needed to achieve the highest possible score in the roof strength evaluation, something that was never required before. With the increased attention to roof strength the institute now covers the four most common types of crashes: front, side, rear and rollover.

While rollover accidents are the least common of the four they do result in the highest number of fatalities. A roof crush limits the amount of head room in vehicles and detrimentally impacts the way safety devices such as seat belts and airbags protect the occupants. The windows are also routinely broken during a roof crush which substantially increases occupant ejection from the vehicle resulting in higher degrees of injury.

Ford and its Volvo unit received the most top awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety with six and Subaru and Volkswagen received five awards. Chrysler had four vehicles awarded with Honda and General Motors receiving two awards. Toyota, Mazda and Mitsubishi vehicles did not achieve any awards. The Honda Accord and Ford Fusion, winners in 2009, were left off the list because they did not score high enough on the roof test.

Related Web Sources:
Insurance Industry Picks Safest Cars