Toyota Exec: Toyota has fixed over 500,000 cars, allowing business to resume at many dealers

WSJ - Toyota Motor Co. has repaired about 500,000 of the 2.3 million vehicles recalled over a potentially sticky gas pedal, a senior executive said Monday, enabling many of the company's dealers to resume selling some of the cars sitting on their lots.

Toyota is also considering offering significantly longer warranties on its vehicles to win back consumer confidence, according to dealers who have discussed the matter with the company.

The firm "has so far been unable to induce, through electrical disturbances to the system, either unintended acceleration or behavior that might be a precursor to such an event, despite concerted efforts toward this goal," the study says. Toyota has shared the report with lawmakers who are planning hearings on Toyota's safety record.

Toyota Has Repaired 500,000 Vehicles - WSJ.com

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UPDATE: I don't know why, but the link is only displaying the first few paragraphs of the article. Here is the full article from the Wall Street Journal (from Google)...

By SHARON TERLEP And KATE LINEBAUGH

ORLANDO—Toyota Motor Co. has repaired about 500,000 of the 2.3 million vehicles recalled over a potentially sticky gas pedal, a senior executive said Monday, enabling many of the company's dealers to resume selling some of the cars sitting on their lots.
Toyota is also considering offering significantly longer warranties on its vehicles to win back consumer confidence, according to dealers who have discussed the matter with the company.
Bob Carter, general manager of Toyota's U.S. division, acknowledged the company is weighing moves to reassure consumers, but declined to say what steps Toyota might take.
Over the weekend, Toyota tried to put to rest concerns that the electronics in its vehicles could cause certain Toyota and Lexus models to accelerate without the driver hitting the gas.
A study commissioned by Toyota found no evidence of problems in the electronics in Toyota and Lexus products, according to a copy of the study dated Feb. 4 seen by The Wall Street Journal.
The study is being carried out by Menlo Park, Calif.-based engineering research firm Exponent. The firm "has so far been unable to induce, through electrical disturbances to the system, either unintended acceleration or behavior that might be a precursor to such an event, despite concerted efforts toward this goal," the study says. Toyota has shared the report with lawmakers who are planning hearings on Toyota's safety record.
The study is the latest attempt by Toyota to shift to a more offensive public strategy in addressing the recalls and safety concerns on its vehicles.
Speaking to reporters at the annual gathering of the National Automobile Dealers Association, Mr. Carter said Toyota doesn't appear to be losing market share this month, despite the recent damage to its image.
"We are going to push the quality benchmark even further" after the recall, Mr. Carter said.
He also said he is optimistic Toyota customers will remain loyal and that damage to the brand will be short lived.
"We have 13 sticky pedals out of 2.3 million vehicles," said Mr. Carter, when asked if he feels Toyota is being treated unfairly. "It's not my role to talk about other manufacturers and the other 200 recalls out there."
Mr. Carter and Don Esmond, Toyota's vice president of U.S. operations, spoke to dealers for nearly two hours Monday. Many dealers emerging from the meeting said they were pleased with Toyota's handing of the situation. Mr. Esmond said he apologized to the group for what he called a stumble on quality.
Dealers' anger, for the most part, appeared directed at the media for its intense coverage, which they say has overdramatized Toyota's problems.
"We are not happy with the way you guys [in the media] have portrayed this situation," said Toyota dealer Bill Stringer, business manager of Twin City Toyota in Herculaneum, Mo., who attended the meeting with reporters. "My family's income is on the line. My livelihood is on the line. You have blown this way out of proportion."
Toyota last fall recalled millions of vehicles for floor mats that can pin down a car's gas pedal. Sales sank last month after the company stopped selling eight of its most popular models to fix a separate defect that can make the gas pedal stick.
The company has estimated the sales problems will cost it 100,000 unit sales and around $2 billion.
Dealers have extended service hours well into the night and on weekends to repair vehicles as quickly as possible.
Write to Sharon Terlep at [email protected] and Kate Linebaugh at [email protected]
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