Local Toyota owners are driving on pins and needles after learning their cars are being recalled because the gas pedals might get stuck.
“Now I have to drive around and worry if I’m going to get killed,” said Marilyn Bauer, a retired nurse from Massapequa Park, LI, who had just picked up her 2010 black Toyota RAV4.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do. I thought they would give me a loaner because this one is unsafe, but they’re affected, too.”
Jane Lupo drove her 2009 Camry to her dealer’s service center in Westbury, LI, mindful all the way not to go too fast.
“They said I’ll get a letter in the mail in a few weeks, but nothing now,” Lupo said. “I’ll drive the car because I don’t go far, and just hope for the best. This is making me very nervous.”
Lupo owns one of the 2.3 million Toyotas being recalled to fix gas pedals that have been sticking, making it nearly impossible to stop.
The company announced Tuesday that it would halt production on the eight affected models at its six US plants beginning Monday.
No date was given on when production would restart.
In addition, Toyota announced last night that it’s adding 1.09 million vehicles to a separate recall due to the risk of floor mats interfering with accelerator pedals. That recall had already affected 4.26 million vehicles.
The company said it would affect five models — 2008-2010 Highlander, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Venza, 2009-2010 Matrix and 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe.
While government officials, industry analysts and rival companies praised Toyota for stopping production in some cases, customers, consumer groups and lawyers said the automaker is creating safety potholes.
For one thing, executives have not explained why they continued to sell the affected cars, including the enormously popular Camry and Corolla sedans and the RAV4 crossover for five days after the recall.
“It’s just Toyota trying to limit the damage to their brand,” said Manhattan lawyer Terrence McCartney, who specializes in auto-defect cases.
McCartney filed suit on behalf of a Queens couple whose brand-new RAV4 suddenly accelerated on an upstate highway last summer.
All three people in the car were seriously injured after the driver, Kong Leong, 62, lost control at nearly 90 mph and hit a tree in the center median.
The recall and shutdown have rippled across the auto industry. Pontiac halted sales of its Vibe because it shares the same platform as Toyota’s Matrix.
Hertz, Avis, Budget and Enterprise announced they were removing vehicles involved in the recall from their rental fleets.
General Motors, meanwhile, is offering $1,000 cash incentives to Toyota owners to switch brands.
Adam Brown, who just bought a new Corolla, might be tempted.
“I’m trying to find out what’s going on,” he said. “It’s very frustrating.”