No Panic Call for SA Toyota Owners

February 8 - As one of the largest recalls in the car industry unfolds before our eyes, local Toyota vehicle owners are being urged not to panic by South African dealers.

Toyota decided to recall certain models of the car in the United States following complaints made on pedal assemblies on 2.3 million select cars.

The sale of eight other models have been suspended as well.

In the meantime, Toyota South Africa released a statement explaining the situation and calming car owners.

According to Toyota, several cars may be recalled locally, including the Auris, the new generation Versa and the Corolla.

"Toyota South Africa Motors have been able to isolate the Auris, the new generation a Verso and Corolla as part of the technical study of all the vehicles that are sold in South Africa," said a spokesman for the group, Leo Koko.

Toyota's recall has led to drama around the world as thousands of car owners claim that they are too frightened to drive.

A UK citizen is suing Toyota for compensation after he sustained a head injury due to a faulty pedal.

The motor giant expects this to be one of many cases.

Insurance groups around the world have stated that rates will not be going up because of the recall.

"Recalls are basically issues that the manufacturers have with the vehicles, and what insurers look at over a period of time are the claims cost that a person or car model may have," said a spokesman for Canada's Insurance Bureau. "How much does it cost to repair a vehicle and how often are certain vehicles involved in accidents - are they more expensive to repair?"

"If something is determined to be caused by a failure of product design where the manufacturer's at fault," he said, "insurance companies will typically then subrogate against that responsible party."