Quick and collaborative action last week by Toyota’s SMART teams defused a potentially damaging media report of unintended acceleration in a Toyota vehicle near San Francisco.  The initial, highly-speculative report of this event aired on KGO-TV, the ABC affiliate in San Francisco, on Monday night and Tuesday morning.

It can be viewed here: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=7526764

In response, Field Technician Specialist Kuyen Yip went to Magnussen Toyota in Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday to inspect the car.  He quickly discovered that an oil filter wrench had been left in the engine compartment by an aftermarket vendor who had recently serviced the vehicle – not a Toyota technician. The wrench became stuck in the throttle body of the 2002 Highlander with an older accelerator cable system, causing the throttle to open up.

Once the owners were informed, they offered to go back on camera publicly. The TMS Corporate Communications department arranged for a follow-up segment on KGO-TV, which aired on Wednesday night and featured Yip commending the customer for taking the proper action during the UA event. It also showed Yip removing the oil filter wrench from the throttle cable assembly.

To read the follow up story, please visit:  http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=7531303

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