Today Toyota made official its recall of over 400,000 hybrid cars. Meanwhile a Queens man says he felt the affects of automaker's widespread pedal problems first-hand when his out-of-control Camry hit two other cars yesterday, ending up on the steps of a synagogue. "It's quite obvious—I blame Toyota," said Gerald Silver.
Silver, a WWII veteran and Purple Heart recipient, says he was turning onto Yellowstone Boulevard from Queens Boulevard Monday afternoon when his Camry's gas pedal began malfunctioning. "The car just speeded up unbelievably," the 86-year-old told the Daily News. "I attempted to brake it and it just kept getting faster and faster."
By today Toyota had announced global recalls on 437,000 defective hybrid models whose brakes may stop working on bumpy roads, reports the AP. That's on top of the 2.3 million it recalled earlier this year (Camrys were included in that group). In the U.S. 133,000 Priuses and 14,500 Lexus HS250h vehicles are being ordered back to the dealerships. The company's president responded today: "I don't see Toyota as an infallible company that never makes mistakes,'' said Akio Toyoda. "We will face up to the facts and correct the problem."
