Local Toyota owners don't seem shaken by the company's recent recall of about 2.3 million vehicles.
Even after Toyota recalled some of its popular models, including certain years of the Corolla, Camry and Tundra, Mike Hampton of East Peoria said he would remain a Toyota driver.
"I drove Fords for years, then drove a (Toyota) Tundra once and now I won't go back," he said. "It's luxury."
Hampton waited at Fort's Toyota of Pekin in North Pekin while two of his vehicles, a 2008 Tundra and a 2009 Camry, were being serviced as part of the company's recall. But having two cars in the shop at once didn't sway his opinion.
"They're still well built," he said.
Fort's Fixed Operations Manager Tom Sawicki said the dealership has installed shims, the steel reinforcement bars about the size of a quarter inserted behind accelerator pedals, on about 150 recalled cars since receiving the parts Wednesday to repair gas pedals that could become stuck. Fort's also is trimming down the bottom portion of accelerator pedals in some models and replacing a thick foam pad under the floor with a thinner one to fix another issue - a previous Toyota recall for floor mats interfering with gas pedals in Camrys.
"I've talked to a lot of customers, and about 99 percent of them are understanding," Sawicki said of customers' reactions to the recall. "It's an issue, but a lot think it has been blown out of proportion."
As Dawn Roberts of Peoria waited for her 2007 Matrix, which was not recalled, to be tuned up, she said Toyota's principles are what keeps her buying Toyota vehicles. Roberts' Matrix is her second Toyota vehicle.
"If (Toyota) can get back to its core principles, they will be OK," she said.
Those core principles are what some local Toyota owners said kept them steadfast in their allegiance to the company.
"I've worked for various car manufacturers, and Toyota is by far the most responsive to customers," Sawicki said. "The company is responsive and generous. It's a good will issue."
The company stopped production and sales for a week in late January of the models that were recalled. To address the influx of recalled cars at local service centers, Jim Bernasek, the fixed operations director at Pearl Automotive, said the service department at Peoria Toyota was staffing more mechanics and keeping the department open until midnight. Customers that can't wait for repairs to be finished are offered loaner cars to use while they wait. "It's been as smooth as it could be," he said.
Besides the two recalls, Toyota also is dealing with a National Highway Transportation Safety Authority investigation into the 2010 Prius, which customers have said has an "inconsistent brake feel . . . on rough or slick road surfaces," a statement from Toyota on Feb. 4 said. But the issue is not related to either of the current recalls, and no Prius recall has been formally announced.
Instead, Sawicki said the company is updating the control unit in the new Prius to address the issue.
Lauren Rees can be reached at (309) 686-3251 or lrees@pjstar.com.
