Quick Ways to Find Toyota Recall Update Info, Including Older Models

When news of the Toyota recall came out, I thought I was safe -and I was - for the particular problem (faulty gas or accelerator pedals) that is leading to a massive recall of certain automobiles made by Toyota Motors. However, I was shocked to discover that my Toyota Corolla model, made in 2003, could have been on a potential recall list. I found the information at Recalls.gov, located here. By clicking on the box for Motor Vehicle Recalls, I was taken to a comprehensive list containing info from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It listed numerous potential defects and issues for my model year Toyota. It was surprising to see.

While it was reassuring to discover that Toyota had recently announced a fix for the accelerator pedal problem affecting some more recent Toyota models, it was not so reassuring to discover that some model year Toyota Corollas had significant issues, according to the information compiled on the Recalls.gov Web site. When I checked my particular 2003 Toyota Corolla, I saw that there were all sorts of issues with some Toyotas made that year. I wouldn't have known about that without using Recalls.gov as well as the info from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website (for more updates).

How to Find Out if Your Toyota Corolla or Other Model Car is - or was - on a Recall List

To stay on top of the latest information, you'll want to check for updates on the Toyota recall. I found the comprehensive info quickly by combining a search at Recalls.gov (which consolidates info from the National Highway Safety Administration) and using a very simple search form there. I simply did a vehicle search and narrowed it down by model year (2003), make (Toyota), model (Corolla) and component (headlights, axle assembly, etc). I chose to see all recalls for all components which could possibly be affected.

And there it was - information I had never seen before, including some potential problems which could affect driver safety. I learned that headlights might not conform to Federal Vehicle Motor Safety Standards. The good news? I should have been informed if this was an issue with my car. Since I have no letter on file, I assume my Toyota is in the clear and that is a relief. In spite of the problems Toyota is having now, my car has been a dream purchase. I have loved it so much that I even wrote about it five years after I purchased it, raving about the car here.

I still love my Toyota and have had no problems with it. When I bought it, I was one of many who were crazy about Toyota performance, price and more. It has required only routine maintenance. If I needed a car and a use model 2003 came on the market, I'd do my research and still consider buying one.

How to Keep up with Toyota Recall Updates, Including the Accelerator Pedal Fix

This is simple enough to do if you simply check for updates at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Web site here or by checking Toyota's newest information and releases at their online news site
here. By using the information found at Recalls.gov as well as updates at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, you can discover if you should have gotten possible notification of serious issues with your car.

Finally, by keeping up with updates at Toyota's newsroom, you can find the latest information, including Toyota's Latest plan to fix the accelerator pedals. Cars which are not affected by the recall are also listed. Just as an example, Toyota recall updates indicate that certain models which have VINs (vehicle identification numbers) starting with the letter "J" are not affected. Of course, affected models are also listed.

Sources:

Toyota Finds A Fix for Faulty Pedals, Forbes.com, 01/01/2010 here
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration here
Toyota Announces Fix for Accelerator Pedal Entrapment Problem, National Highway Safety Administration here
Defects and Recalls List here
How and Why My 2003 Toyota Only Has 6500 Miles On It and Drives Like It Just Came off the New Car Dealer's Lot, Feb 25,2008, Associated Content here
Toyota USA newsroom here