The newest development in the Toyota Recall media frenzy is a little unbelievable, make that totally unbelievable.  Today everyone was a little shocked and very confused when our Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood stated that  Toyota owners should "stop driving" their recalled vehicles until they are fixed.  As you can imagine, people were not sure whether or not to heed this warning.  The Secretary's statement was irresponsible and incorrect, as I posted earlier on Checkered Flag Auto Group's Facebook page, there are politics at work here.  

The short version of the story is that there is a new GM recall going into effect regarding issues with steering wheels.  In an attempt to distract from the negative GM news, LaHood fanned the flames of the Toyota Recall situation.  It's a classic diversion tactic.  But why would our Transportation Secretary do that, you ask.  The answer is simple if you think about it.  GM is a government-backed company, remember the bail-out?  There is nothing wrong with defending your own interests, but to attack and blatantly lie about the safety of your competitors brand is downright despicable. 

As clear evidence that the Secretary's remarks were erroneous, LaHood has already retracted his statement  adding, "What I said in there was obviously a misstatement."  Uh, you think??

Toyota has responded with the following press release:

Toyota Statement on Comments by Transportation Secretary LaHood on Feb. 3, 2010

We appreciate Secretary LaHood's clarification of his remarks today about Toyota's recall for sticking accelerator pedals. We want to make sure our customers understand that this situation is rare and generally does not occur suddenly. In the rare instances where it does it occur, the vehicle can be controlled with firm and steady application of the brakes.
Our message to Toyota owners is this - if you experience any issues with your accelerator pedal, please contact your dealer without delay. If you are not experiencing any issues with your pedal, we are confident that your vehicle is safe to drive.
Nothing is more important to Toyota than the safety and reliability of the vehicles our customers drive. Our entire organization of 172,000 North American employees and dealership personnel is working around the clock to fix the accelerator pedals for our customers.

Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc.

Stay tuned to Checkered Flag Toyota for any and all updates on the Toyota Recall, and if you have any questions please call our Recall Hotline (757) 481-8888.