Toyota halts production of 8 models recalled

Toyota Motor Co. said Tuesday that it would temporarily stop selling and building eight models for the American market, including the popular Camry and Corolla sedans, while it determines how to resolve a problem with accelerator pedals that can stick, Dallasnews reported.

It took the unusual step five days after announcing a recall of 2.3 million vehicles for what it described as a "rare" condition in which the pedal can stick and cause a vehicle to speed up unintentionally.

"Toyota had a bulletproof reputation for quality, and now it’s been tarnished," said Jim Hossack, an industry analyst at AutoPacific Inc. "It’s a dramatic move, and an expensive move."

Halting sales and production of some of Toyota’s best-selling U.S. models may mean hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue, said Hossack, who is based in Fountain Valley, Calif., and is a former engineer for Ford Motor Co., Chrysler Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp.

It has the potential to further damage a reputation that has been taking a beating from the latest recall and from a November recall of 4.2 million vehicles, the largest in Toyota’s history.

Toyota said it would immediately stop selling the Camry, Corolla and Avalon sedans, Matrix wagon, RAV4 crossover, Tundra pickup, and Highlander and Sequoia sport utility vehicles. It will stop building those models the week of Feb. 1.

Pat Lobb, owner of Pat Lobb Toyota and Scion of McKinney, said the action will affect about 30 percent of the vehicles on his lot. It is aimed at Toyotas built in the United States, Lobb said, so dealers can still sell models built in Japan – including some versions of the popular Camry and Corolla sedans.

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