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Own a Toyota? Here’s what you should know

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By Thomas Gnau, Staff Writers Updated 10:01 AM Thursday, February 4, 2010

If you have a recalled Toyota, here’s what you need to know.

• You can continue driving the vehicle, but you should get it fixed as soon as possible.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood inadvertently created confusion Wednesday, Feb. 3, by saying, first, that owners of recalled Toyotas shouldn’t drive them. Then LaHood corrected himself, saying owners should get the cars repaired as soon as they can.

An official at one local Toyota dealer, Joseph Airport Toyota in Vandalia, said Wednesday the dealership has the parts needed to remedy the accelerator problem that forced the recall. That dealer is waiting for further instructions from Toyota, said Christian Hahn, Joseph Airport’s general manager.

Hahn said customers are free to call his dealership at (937) 898-8060 to leave their names and numbers. Once the dealership begins to schedule repairs, customers will be contacted in the order in which they called, he said.

• If you encounter a problem with an accelerator pedal, apply the brakes firmly and steadily and shift the transmission to neutral.

According to Toyota, in rare instances in which pedals do stick, vehicles can be controlled with a “firm and steady application of the brakes.”

• Once you’re safely parked, what then?

You can call Toyota roadside assistance at (800) 297-0486. Curt McAllister, a Detroit-based Toyota spokesman, said no dealer should turn aside customers, even if they haven’t received a recall notice yet.