National Highway Transportation Safety Agency Investigating Latest Toyota Recall
Federal regulators are investigating
the recent Toyota recall for Corolla and Matrix models. The cars randomly stalled on the road. This is just the latest of several product defects for Toyota and Lexus cars which have required recalls because of major safety issues.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Agency is probing 26 customer complaints alleging their vehicles stalled while driving, sometimes on the highway or in intersections, the agency said in a document published last week. Many drivers also had trouble restarting their vehicles, and at times the stalling would reoccur, the agency said.
The new investigation comes after Toyota's biggest ever recall this fall covering 4.26 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the U.S. amid complaints of sudden acceleration, which the company said was caused by improperly installed floor mats. Last month, the Japanese automaker announced a series of measures to fix the issue including trimming the length of the gas pedal, changing the braking system, and in some cases altering the floor under the accelerator. The Corolla and Matrix weren't involved in that recall.
Toyota also recalled 110,000 Tundra pickup trucks in November for corrosion problems that can cause the spare tire to come loose.
Toyota relies heavily on its reputation for having safe, quality cars to sell to the American market. But the string of recalls is putting dent in that reputation as the problems keep cropping up.
A federal investigation is still ongoing relating to the Toyota Sequoia SUV's problems with the electronic stability control system, which caused uncontrolled braking.
