New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced today that his office had negotiated improved “accommodations” for owners of recalled Toyotas. In short, Toyota agreed to come to your house and get the car if you’re too freaked out to drive it.

The accommodations include:

• Pickup and return of the vehicle by a dealership representative or by flatbed truck
• Transportation for the customer to the dealership and/or to his or her place of work
• Alternate transportation – such as a rental car, a loaner vehicle, or taxi reimbursement – for the period that the customer is unable or unwilling to use his or her car
• Expedited scheduling of repairs

“It is unacceptable that New York consumers should face additional burdens when dealing with a safety problem that is Toyota’s responsibility,” said Cuomo in a press release. “New Yorkers who own recalled vehicles understandably may be reluctant to drive their cars and assume the risk of harm to themselves and others on the road. The agreement we have obtained from Toyota will help ease the fears of Toyota owners and protect their families at no cost to them.”

You can check out the AG’s new Toyota-specific website at www.nytoyotahelp.com.

Although this information seems specific to New Yorkers, in today’s hearing Yoshimi Inaba, President of Toyota Motor North American and CEO of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.,confirmed that the new accommodations will be available nationwide.

‘Are you doing this just in New York?” Rep. Ed Towns, D-N.Y asked.

”No, this is happening nationwide,” said Inaba.

Toyota to Cover Costs Related to Safety Problems [NYT]
ATTORNEY GENERAL CUOMO SECURES AGREEMENT WITH TOYOTA MOTOR SALES USA TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO NEW YORK OWNERS OF RECALLED VEHICLES [NY AG]

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