Customers wait while Toyota finds fix for gas pedals

January 29, 2010 The company said Friday that it would announce next week whether cars already on the road would have the systems repaired or replaced.

In the mean time, the gas pedal issue has left some Chicago area Toyota customers with questions.

Customer Jessica Hoffman got the floor mat recall for her Prius. She says she is concerned about the latest recall.

"I use my car every day for work, and if it is recalled, that's going to be a problem. I wish before they scared all these people, they had more answers to give," she said.

Managers at Grossinger Toyota says they are working to answer customers' questions, but they too are waiting to hear from Toyota.

In an interview, Toyota's President, Akio Toyoda, was asked what the cause of the problems was and how they will handle the situation.

"That is what we are investigating at this moment, and we hope to be able to promptly give an explanation," he responded.

Some local customers accept Toyotas response and are willing to wait.

"The first step is admitting there is a problem and working towards a solution, and they have obviously moved in that direction," said Toyota owner Candy Orta.

"Toyota is a reputable organization, and I am sure they will do the right thing," said Esperanza Gonzalez, also a Toyota owner.

The recall also impacts some car rental companies. Avis issued a statement indicating it was removing all of the vehicles identified for recall by Toyota from its corporate fleet.

Rental customer Rob Fox got an email from Avis about the Toyota recall.

"The fact they are going to send those back to Toyota to get it taken care of is great," Fox said.

Fox also said he appreciated having the information before picking up his rental. He rented a Chrysler Friday.

Toyota expects the repairs to be done in approximately one month. However, the number of cars that need attention could be 4 million.

Some Toyota owners say they are concerned about whether the recall could include other models that haven't been mention so far.

For now, the owners say will just pay attention.

For more information, click here to visit Toyota's official Web site.

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