Auto shops can check Toyota cars

Toyota owners are sighing with relief as some automobile shops have accepted the task of examining their cars for problems.

Some Hanoi car shops such as V AutoClub, Viet Auto and HTC Auto are now offering to check and fix Toyotas with possible problems.

According to auto shop owners, models like Camry and Rav 4 that use accelerator pedal made by CTS may have flaws.

If the problem is discovered, they only need to replace the accelerator pedal. It is not a complicated task, but car owners will have to pay about $500 per car.

Representatives from Toyota Vietnam ordered new accelerator pedals from Denso to replace them for clients on request. Due to complicated import procedures, they will not arrive in Vietnam for one or two months.

The cars with faulty pedals will not enjoy the global warranty policy. The problem is that the car buyers did not purchase car from official distributors and if car owners want to fix errors, they will have to pay.

Owners have been advised to check the cars themselves by comparing the VIN. If the VIN begins with ‘J’, it means it was made in Japan and has an accelerator made by Denso, which is not one with problems. If the VIN starts with ‘4T’, it was manufactured in the US and has a CTS pedal, which is the faulty version.

Now many automobile shops in Vietnam can repair these cars, which is good news for Toyota owners, even though they have to pay for it themselves. Prior, they complained that they did not know to whom they should turn about the dangerous mistakes or even what procedures they should follow to replace the pedals.

Toyota Vietnam turned a deaf ear to the complaints, claiming that the manufacturer did not import the cars and did not have to take responsibility. The car manufacturer suggested that car owners complain to the importers, who also denied responsibility.

Nguyen Thi Ha, a Director of a pharmaceutical company, has a Camry 2.4G imported from the US. She bemoaned how insecure she feels now when driving her car. “An accident could happen at any time,” she remarked. “Meanwhile, in Vietnam, no one is coming forward to recall the problematic cars.”