Because 8 million recalled vehicles worldwide was apparently not enough for Toyota, the car giant has gone and recalled 600,000 of their Sienna minivans because of possible rust damage to the cable holding the spare tire. [More]
recalls
Gas Fire Columns Recalled For Being Too Aptly Named
By 4.5.10
Some outdoor gas fire columns sold through Costco in the past 6-7 months have been recalled, because “gas can leak from connections in the column, posing a fire hazard.” I guess that’s why the photo shows it next to a serene koi pond–it’s so you can grab a rake and push it into the water if it gets too fire column-y. [More]
Recall Roundup: Step Away From The Pepper Edition
By 3.31.10
Salmonella in the pepper! Salmonella in the hydrolyzed vegetable protein! Salmonella everywhere! Oh yeah, and some other stuff was recalled too. [More]
Lawyers Begin Scrambling For Position In Toyota Lawsuits
By 3.26.10
More than 100 lawyers from all around the country packed into a San Diego courtroom yesterday in an attempt to stake their claim to the lion’s share of any settlements that come from the multitude of federal lawsuits filed against Toyota in recent weeks. [More]
Recalled Baby Gates Failed To Prevent Plummeting Babies
By 3.25.10
Evenflo Top-of-Stairâ„¢ Plus Wood Gates are supposed to stop your baby from plummeting down the stairs. Unfortunately, they do not do this, so they have been recalled. [More]
1 Million Infantino Slings Recalled After 3 Babies Suffocate
By 3.24.10
The CPSC announced today that the The Infantino “SlingRider,”– a soft fabric baby carrier with a padded shoulder strap — has been recalled after three reports of deaths that occurred in these slings in 2009; a 7-week-old infant in Philadelphia, Pa.; a 6-day-old infant in Salem, Ore.; and a 3-month-old infant in Cincinnati, Ohio. [More]
Document Shows Toyota Knew Of Camry Acceleration Issues In 2002
By 3.23.10
A newly uncovered document shows that Toyota alerted dealers to complaints from some drivers of 2002 Camrys about “surging during light throttle input at speeds between 38-42 mph” and that the resolution to the issue is an electronic, not mechanical issue. [More]
NHTSA: No Evidence Of Braking In NY Prius Crash
By 3.18.10
Looks like those who called “driver error” on the Prius that slammed into a stone wall in upstate New York a couple weeks back might have reason to boast. An e-mail from NHTSA seems to negate the driver’s claims that she attempted to brake during the incident. [More]
Simulate Driving A Runaway Toyota
By 3.17.10
This website professionally simulates what it’s like to drive a Toyota. Includes authentic screams of terror.
(Thanks to thespatulaoflove!)
Runaway Prius Was On Its Way To Dealership Before Crash
By 3.12.10
Remember the story the other day about the woman in New York who slammed her runaway Prius into a stone wall? In an interesting little twist, the police say she was actually on her way to the Toyota dealership to have her car serviced when the incident occurred. [More]
Woman Crashes Toyota Into Church, Blames Stuck Accelerator
By 3.11.10
Another day, another report of a Toyota crash being blamed on a stuck gas pedal. This time, it’s a 76-year-old woman in Connecticut claiming her recalled Toyota Camry went nuts on her and — in spite of her best efforts to stop it — crashed into a church. [More]
Toyota Probably Should Have Written This Spam's Subject Line More Carefully
By 3.11.10
“Amazing Incentives For Select Toyotas That Will Not Last Long.”
Reader Maida did a spit-take when this email from a Toyota dealer offering 0% APR for 60 months landed in her inbox. Yeeks, talk about a syntactical pileup.
Gerber Machete Recalled Because It Could Cut You
By 3.11.10
Gerber Legendary Blades is recalling 149,000 machetes in its Gator line, because you could slice your hand open if it slides across the blade. Yeah, we kind of imagine that’s one of the things you’d want to watch out for if you’re carrying an 18-inch blade that’s razor-sharp on one side and saw-toothed on the other. Of course, it’s one thing to slash yourself because you’re off playing Indiana Jones without knowing what you’re doing, and quite another to have it happen because the knife’s handle wasn’t designed as well as it could have been. [More]
Scarves With Microwaveable Heat Packs Recalled Due To Fire And Burn Hazard
By 3.10.10
The Therma Scarf, a polyester/cotton blend scarf with pockets and microwaveable heat packs marketed by infomercial powerhouse Telebrands, has been recalled. The scarf’s heat packs, made of flaxseeds, pose a fire and burn hazard to wearers. In a related story, someone actually thought it would be a good idea to make a microwaveable scarf with pockets. [More]
Yet Another Toyota Prius Goes Rogue, Smashes Into Wall
By 3.10.10
Things went from bad to worse to downright awful for Toyota on Tuesday as yet another of their Prius hybrid vehicles was involved in an accident involving a stuck accelerator pedal. [More]
Toyota Still At Loss For How To FIx Problem WIth Prius
By 3.9.10
A day after a 2008 Toyota Prius went rogue at speeds over 90mph on a California interstate, Toyota has admitted that, even though the Prius is on the current recall list, they don’t quite know how to fix the problem. [More]
Toyota Prius Runs Wild At 90mph With Stuck Accelerator
By 3.9.10
This is probably not how Toyota wanted their week to start. Yesterday afternoon in Southern California, a man called 911 because he was unable to unstick the accelerator pedal of his 2008 Toyota Prius and continued to drive at speeds of over 90 mph until finally coming to a stop. [More]
Toyota Workers Say Bosses Have Ignored Safety Concerns For Years
By 3.8.10
Adding a bit of fuel to the anti-Toyota fire, six Toyota manufacturing employees now say they wrote a memo to company executives in 2006 voicing concerns about vehicle safety and long-term impact on the company, only to be completely ignored. [More]
