Toyota issues alert over car seat warmers

Jan 30, 2014 | News

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By Frank Boateng

Toyota Motor Corporation has stopped selling its most popular vehicles due to flammable material in its heated seats, and the company may be required to recall the vehicles.

The company has ordered that sales be stopped for six vehicles; the 2013 and 2014 Camry, Avalon, Sienna and Tacoma, as well as the 2014 Corolla and Tundra, but only for vehicles outfitted with seat warmers. The fabric in the seats does not meet safety standards.

Toyota changed its fabric supplier in August of 2012, Reuters reported Thursday.

Malik Imtiaz, parts manager at Downtown Toyota in Toronto spoke to Humber News about the recall.

“All they are saying is there may be a recall in Canada. In the states, for sure there is one, but they are not sure about Canada yet,” said Imtiaz.

Toyota Canada Inc. could not be reached for a comment on Thursday.

While there have not been any reported incidents of car seats spontaneously combusting, Toyota has alerted the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the possibility of a recall.

Christopher Plummer, 27, an owner of a 2012 Toyota Camry is not worried as there have been no signs of danger regarding his heated seats.

“This is the first I’m hearing about this,” said Toronto resident Plummer.

“I haven’t had any problems with my car or its seat. The only thing I would see wrong with it is, it takes quite a well to warm up, especially in this weather.”

The auto giant has been working to regain its status for manufacturing quality vehicles since 2009 due to a massive recall for defective brakes, the Associated Press said in a report Thursday.

“People buy Toyotas for their bullet-proof reliability. That was their main selling point, and that’s taken a huge hit,” Michelle Krebbs, a senior analyst for Edmunds.com, said in a CNN online report.