Toyota to replace 3.8M gas pedals

Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it will replace accelerator pedals on 3.8 million recalled vehicles in the United States to address problems with the pedals becoming jammed in the floor mat.

As a temporary step, Toyota will have dealers shorten the length of the gas pedals beginning in January while the company develops replacement pedals for their vehicles, the Transportation Department and Toyota said. New pedals will be available beginning in April, and some vehicles will have brake override systems installed as a precaution.

Popular vehicles such as the Toyota Camry, the top-selling passenger car in America, and the Toyota Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid, are part of the recall. It includes the 2007-10 model year Camry, 2005-10 Toyota Avalon, 2004-09 Prius, 2005-10 Toyota Tacoma, 2007-10 Toyota Tundra, 2007-10 Lexus ES350 and 2006-10 Lexus IS250/350. 

Toyota, the world's largest automaker, announced the massive recall in late September and told owners to remove the driver's side floor mats to prevent the gas pedal from potentially becoming jammed.

To fix the problem, Toyota and the government said dealers will shorten the length of the accelerator pedal on the recalled vehicles and in some cases remove foam from beneath the carpeting near the pedal to increase the space between the pedal and the floor. They said owners of the ES350, Camry and Avalon would be the first to receive notification because the vehicles are believed to have the highest risk for pedal entrapment.

Toyota plans to install a brake override system on the Camry, Avalon and Lexus ES350, IS350 and IS250 models as an "extra measure of confidence," Toyota and NHTSA said. The brake override system, commonly called a "smart brake," will ensure the vehicle will stop if both the brake and the accelerator pedals are applied simultaneously.

Toyota also plans to make the brake override system standard equipment throughout the Toyota and Lexus lineup starting with January 2010 production of the ES350 and Camry. Most new models will get the equipment by the end of 2010.

Dealers will be instructed on how to modify the pedals before the end of the year and will begin shortening the accelerators in 2010. New replacement pedals are expected to be available for some models beginning in April and will be provided even if the vehicles have already received a modified pedal under the recall.

The automaker and government regulators have been discussing a potential fix for several weeks. In late September, Toyota announced the recall and told owners to remove driver's side floor mats and not replace them until the company had determined a remedy for the problem. The automaker said unhooked floor mats or replacement mats stacked on top of the originals could lead to stuck accelerators.

In early November, Toyota issued a statement saying NHTSA had confirmed "that no defect exists in vehicles in which the driver's floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly secured." But in a rare rebuke, NHTSA accused Toyota of releasing misleading information about the recall, saying removing the mats did not "correct the underlying defect." Toyota said it was not the company's intention to mislead anyone.

If a vehicle accelerator pedal becomes stuck and a driver can't dislodge it, Toyota advises drivers to press on the brake with both feet and then shift the vehicle into neutral, which will disengage the transmission. The automaker says drivers should continue braking until the vehicle comes to a stop.

A driver can also try shutting off the engine or turning the key to the "ACC" position on the ignition. Drivers will not lose control of the steering or the brakes. But once the vehicle is turned off the driver won't have the benefit of power brakes or power steering. For vehicles that have a start/stop button for the engine, drivers are advised to hold the button for three seconds to turn it off.

For more information, owners can contact Toyota at 800-331-4331 or the NHTSA hot line at 888-327-4236

Elmo and a dinosaur make bad toy list

So far this holiday season, five products made the list for containing lead or "potentially toxic chemicals."

This list includes a Touch and Feel Cloth Book called "Big Rex and Friends" from Priddy Books. The PIRG (Public Interest Research Groups) said that a red dot on one of the pages contains lead. Likewise, a metal charm that comes with the Alligator Cell Phone from the Claire's retail chain also contains lead, the organization said.

The PIRG also identified a Collector's Series toy duck that has lead paint on its face and body. The organization said that the manufacturer of this toy was unknown, but that it was purchased at a Dollar Tree store.

Two toys were identified containing "potentially toxic" chemicals known as phthalates, including Pretty Princess Puppy Purse from Claire's and the Elmo Lunch Bag from Sassy.

"Choking is obviously the biggest issue," said Jonathan Samet, publisher of thetoyinsider.com, an industry observer. He said that he didn't want to minimize PIRG's warnings, but the noise warnings did not concern him as much as choking and lead.

The PIRG also listed several toys deemed "excessively loud" at close range, meaning that they match or exceed 85 decibels within 25 centimeters of the toy, presenting a risk of hearing loss.

The organization pegged the loud toys as the Kota and Pals Stompers Triceratops from Playskool, the Secret Saturdays Cryptid Claw from Mattel, the Laugh & Learn Learning Phone from Fisher Price and the Bright Lights Phone from VTech.

Infant Entrapment and Suffocation Prompts Stork Craft to Recall More Than 2.1 Million Drop-Side Cribs

More than 2.1 million drop-side cribs by Stork Craft Manufacturing are being recalled, the biggest crib recall in U.S history, following reports of four infant suffocations.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said late Monday the recall involves 1.2 million cribs in the United States and almost 1 million in Canada, where Stork Craft is based. Sales of the cribs being recalled go back to 1993.

 

The CPSC said it is aware of four infants who suffocated in the drop-side cribs, which have a side that moves up and down to allow parents to lift children from the cribs more easily. The agency also said there have been 110 incidents of drop-sides detaching from the cribs.

 

The Stork Craft cribs have had problems with their hardware, which can break, deform or become missing after years. CPSC said there can also be problems with assembly mistakes by the crib owner. These problems can cause the drop-side to detach, creating a dangerous space between the drop-side and the crib mattress, where a child can become trapped.

 

This is the second big recall this year for the company. It recalled about 500,000 cribs in January because of problems with the metal brackets that support the mattress.

Major retailers in the United States and Canada sold the recalled cribs including BJ's Wholesale Club, J.C. Penney, Kmart, Meijer, Sears, USA Baby, and Wal-Mart stores and online at Amazon.com, Babiesrus.com, Costco.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com from January 1993 through October 2009 for between $100 and $400.

In the Stork Craft recall, the manufacture date, model number, crib name, country of origin, and the firm's name, address and contact information are located on the assembly instruction sheet attached to the mattress support board. The firm's insignia "storkcraft baby" or "storkling" is inscribed on the drop-side teething rail of some cribs.

For more information contact 1-877 MESSALAW.

Vicks nasal spray recalled after bacteria found

The Procter & Gamble Co. has recalled some 120,000 bottles of Vicks Sinex nasal spray after the company found bacteria in samples during routine testing.

The product has been recalled voluntarily after small amounts of the B. cepacia bacteria was found at the German plant where it's made. No illnesses have been reported yet, but the bacteria could harm people with chronic lung problems or weakened immune systems.

Three lots of the spray sent to stores in the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom are being recalled.

The bacteria were found in a small amount of the U.S. lot after it shipped, and the company is testing samples from the U.K. and German lots produced from the same raw material mixture in Gross Gerau, Germany.

P&G says consumers should not use the medication.

The U.S. Centers for Disease control says on its Web site that the bacteria pose "little medical risk to healthy people."

Lot numbers are on both outer cartons and the bottles inside. The numbers of the affected lots are:

In the U.S.: 9239028831

In the U.K.: 9224028832

In Germany: 9224028833

Fire and burn hazards prompt recall of gas grills sold at Lowe’s stores

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of the “Perfect Flame SLG Series Gas Grills” sold at exclusively at Lowe’s nationwide from September 2005 through May 2009.

The recalled grills are lg series “Perfect Flame” brand outdoor propane or natural gas grills. The burners can deteriorate causing irregular flames and the lids of some models can catch fire posing fire and burn hazards to the consumer.

The model numbers can be found in the compartment under the cooking chamber. The model numbers affected by this recall are listed below:

Consumers should immediately stop using the grill and contact SLG Sourcing to receive free replacement burners and, depending on the model of the grill owned, a free replacement lid. For additional information, contact the firm toll free at (888)840-9590.

Merry (early) Christmas Noah Biorkman!

Recently there was a heartbreaking story about a 5 year old, Noah Biorkman, who was battling his last stages of cancer and was not going to make it to Christmas.

Noah was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma in February 2007. He went into remission in August 2007. In September 2008, Noah relapsed with lesions in his right arm and right leg. After going through six different trials, the cancer continues to spread.

His parents, Diana and Scott, wanted to make sure he would see the holiday one last time before cancer claims his life. They are celebrating Christmas this weekend. Noah loves to open mail and his parents asked friends and family to send early Christmas cards to celebrate.

The media caught wind of the story and now thousands of people from across the country and around the world have sent Noah gifts and cards. Messa & Associates wanted to reach out to Noah and sent a big box of Christmas cards wishing him and his family the merriest Christmas of them all.

When Noah opens an angel Christmas tree ornament, the reporter asks him what it means to him. "I'm going to heaven," Noah responds. "I'm going to be an angel."

To see the story, check out Noah's Video

If you would like to send a card, please forward to:

Noah Biorkman
c/o Scott Biorkman
3480 Petoskey Way
Milford, Michigan 48380 USA

Stroller company announces major safety recall

Maclaren is recalling at least 1 million umbrella strollers because of a potential hazard to children's fingers. A side hinge mechanism poses the risk of cutting or amputating a child's fingers when the stroller is being opened or closed.

The voluntary recall applies to all Maclaren strollers sold in the U.S. since they were introduced in 1999.

The affected models include Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, Techno XLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller. The strollers, which are manufactured in China, are sold nationwide.

Maclaren is providing consumers and retailers free repair kits which will cover a joint on the faulty hinge mechanism.

Consumers should stop using the strollers immediately and contact Maclaren by calling (877) 688-2326.

Two deaths possible in ground beef recall

An outbreak of food-borne illness, linked to dangerous bacteria in ground beef, sickened 28 people and caused at least one death, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC said a New York adult with underlying medical conditions had died and another possibly related in New Hampshire was under investigation. State officials attribute the New Hampshire death to the E. coli bacteria.

Over the weekend, Fairbank Farms of Ashville, New York recalled over 545,000 lbs of ground beef products.


A potentially deadly bacteria, E. coli, can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration and in severe cases, kidney failure. The very young, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are the most susceptible to foodborne illness.

The Fairbank Farms beef was produced in mid-September and probably labeled for sale before the end of the month and went to retailers in eight states including Trader Joes, Price Chopper, Lancaster and Wild Harvest. The ground beef packaged under the Fairbank Farms name was distributed to stores in Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, and was likely repackaged for sale.

The federal agency says each package of ground beef carried the number "EST. 492" on the label.