Toyotas to get free repairs in S. Korea

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Yonhap) -- The local unit of Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it
will fix a gas pedal problem free of charge in some of Toyota models that were
sold in South Korea via gray importers amid safety fears that resulted in the
recall of millions of cars globally.
Toyota is recalling more than 5 million cars worldwide, including 2.3 million
vehicles in the United States, because of faulty accelerators. The
still-broadening recall seriously tarnished Toyota's reputation for quality.
Last week, Toyota's Korean unit, which started selling Toyota-branded models in
late October last year in South Korea, said its cars sold here have no defective
accelerators because they have different parts.
However, there are about 2,000 Toyota-branded models on the road in South Korea
sold via gray importers, according to an industry source. Those models were
apparently affected by the recall because they were produced in the United
States.
"We plan to fix those cars for free after checking their serial numbers," said an
official at Toyota Korea.
So far, about 20 customers who own such models have asked Toyota's Korean unit
for free repairs, the official said.
While Toyota's Korean unit insisted that its Toyota-branded cars sold in South
Korea have no problem, the recall comes at a difficult time for the local unit.
Hit by the Japanese currency's ascent and stiff competition among foreign brands
in South Korea, sales of Toyota's Lexus model slipped 16.7 percent to 5,053 units
in 2009, according to industry data.
In December alone, sales of Toyota models, excluding Lexus, in South Korea
dropped 20.5 percent from the month before to 660 units.
(END)

Del