Consumer Reports has temporarily dropped its “recommended” tag for Toyota models that have been recalled due to potential accelerator-pedal problems. According to CR Auto Test head David Champion, these are “fundamentally good cars,” but CR felt that it had to drop its recommendation “until the accelerator problem is fixed.” Added Champion: “The instances of sticking accelerator pedals appear to be few compared to the millions of affected vehicles that have been sold.”

Toyota recently announced that all affected cars would be fixed within a month, and CR said it expects to reinstate its recommendation once the problem has been resolved.

CR’s advice for anyone who faces the risk of unintended acceleration — which isn’t limited to the recalled Toyotas — is to brake firmly, shift into neutral, steer to a safe location, shut off the car’s engine, and park. The organization has provided a video and a downloadable PDF with more details about these guidelines.

If you’re considering selling a Toyota model covered by the recall, you may want to wait until after the manufacturer’s fix in place. CR currently recommends against buying used versions of the affected models, and other industry watchers agree that you’ll do better if you wait a while: “Given the news, this is not the best week for a consumer to try to trade in their Toyota for a new car,” Jack R. Nerad of Kelley Blue Book told the Detroit News.

Consumer Reports suspends recommendations for recalled Toyotas [Consumer Reports Cars]
How to stop a runaway car: Five steps that can save your life [Consumer Reports Cars]
How to cope with sudden unintended acceleration (PDF)
Recall may dull Toyota’s image, resale values [Detroit News]

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