Identifying the CTS Gas Pedal of the Toyota Recall

The current concern over the apparent unreliability of a small number
of gas pedals on ten Toyota model vehicles and the Pontiac Vibe is being
widely covered by all the media.

Affected Toyota vehicles:
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• 2009-2010 RAV4
• 2007-2010 Camry
• 2008-2010 Sequoia
• 2009-2010 Corolla
• 2005-2010 Tacoma
• 2008-2010 Highlander
• 2007-2010 Tundra
• 2009-2010 Matrix
• 2009-2010 VENZA

Unaffected vehicles:
• Sienna
• Solara
• Yaris
• 4Runner
• FJ Cruiser
• Land Cruiser
• 2004-2009 Prius -- but still subject to the Floor Mat recall
• 2010 Prius

FYI, Here is some hard data, photographs and discussion, on the CTS gas
pedals that have been identified as the probable source of the concern.



From this article at tuneyfish.com which has more detail on telling the
difference between the affected CTS pedals and the unaffected Denso
pedal also used by Toyota.

Here is a statement from the CTS corporation on the matter.

And some details on how the gas pedals are designed.

Many thanks to the good folks at tuneyfish.com for this info.

 

And there's more:

First some additional analysis or the pedals themselves from
The Truth About Cars:

"On initial observation, it appears that the CTS may be perceived as
being the more solidly engineered/built unit, in that the pedal pivots
on a traditional and solid steel axle whose bearings are brass or
bronze sleeves. The Denso’s whole pivot and bearing surfaces are
relatively flimsy-feeling plastic. But that can be deceptive, and we’re
not qualified to judge properly if it is indeed inferior or superior. But
according to our sources, the Denso unit will likely be recalled too. So
the question that goes beyond the analysis of these e-pedals is this:
are these units really the full source of the problem, or are they scape
goats for an electronics and/or software glitch? Pictures and tear down
examination and analysis follows..." in the full article.

And there are other vehicle manufacturer and Canadian connections:

"Maker of Toyota gas pedal ramping up production to meet replacement
demand
By Kristine Owram (CP) – 3 days ago

"TORONTO — The fact that a faulty accelerator implicated in a massive
recall of Toyota vehicles was manufactured in Canada will have a
negligible impact on the Canadian auto parts industry, says the head
of an association representing suppliers..."

"CTS also makes pedals for Honda Motor Co., Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan
Motor Co. and Ford Motor Co., but the company said pedals made for
those manufacturers don't have the same design. Still, Ford on Thursday
halted production of some full-sized commercial vehicles in China because
they contain CTS gas pedals..."

Full Canadian Press article here.

 

The possible negative effects on consumers and investors not only
stretches from North America to Asia, but to Europe as well. There are
possible further recalls in France, and subsidiary effects extending to
the Czech Republic. At this point it is safe to say that this is as much
or more an issue for the CTS Corporation as it is for Toyota.

In France, Reuters reports that Renault has this to say:

"PARIS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Renault does not share common parts
with Toyota, the world no. 1 automaker fighting to salvage its
reputation after a massive safety recall, a spokeswoman for the
French carmaker said on Monday.

"'Renault vehicles use neither the same pedals, nor the same parts as
those of Toyota,' the spokeswoman said in a statement."

However, Peugeot and Citroen may not be so lucky:

"Peugeot and Citroen have models that are potentially the same car
as the Toyota Aygo which is among eight of the brand’s models being
recalled over potentially faulty accelerator pedals.

"The Aygo, 107 and C1 models have been developed by the French and
Japanese car firms and are built on the same production line at a plant
in the Czech Republic as part of a joint venture.

"A total of 1.8 million Toyotas in Europe are expected to be involved in
one of the largest recalls in recent years.

"However, while the Aygo uses an electronically-controlled accelerator
pedal that is at the centre of the recall issue, the French brands only
used this pedal in models fitted with stability control systems (ESP) or
automatic gearboxes."

Full story in the Irish Times