Which models have been recalled in the UAE?
Toyota recalls have been made on the 2005-2010 Avalon and 2009-10 Sequoia models. The 2008 Jeep Wrangler with automatic transmission have also been recalled. Most recently, Nissan have recalled the 2008 and 2010 Titan, Armada and Infiniti QX56, in addition to the 2008-2009 Quest for faulty brake pedal pins. For a fuel gauge inaccuracy the 2005-2008 Titan, Armada and Infiniti QX56 and certain Frontier, Pathfinder and Xterra vehicles produced between January and March 2006 and between October 2007 and January 2008 have been recalled.
My car is one of the cars that is potentially affected by a flaw. Who should I contact?
Contact your authorised car dealer. Al Futtaim Motors is the sole authorised Toyota distributor in the UAE. Trading Enterprises, part of the Al Futtaim Group, is the sole Jeep distributor for Dubai and Northern Emirates. Arabian Automobiles, which is part of the AW Rostomani Group, is the exclusive Nissan distributor in the UAE. Currently all the car dealers involved in affected vehicles in the UAE are holding a service campaign to carry out repairs. Customers can schedule an appointment to take in cars at their convenience.
Are the affected vehicles safe to drive until they get repaired?
Yes, these vehicles are still safe to drive. However, once you find out that your car is one of the models affected by a particular flaw, book it for the service campaign. Toyota officials have said that it is highly unlikely for the pedal flaw to cause any problems in the UAE due to the climatic conditions in the country. According to the Toyota website, pressing hard on the brake pedal will stop the vehicles.
How long will it take for a dealer to repair my vehicle?
The repair of the Toyota flaw takes up to 30 minutes. According to Jeep, the work, which involves a minor re-programming of the relevant module, would take up to an hour to be repaired. No details from Nissan have been released about the time needed to fix the repairs, but the service campaign is expected to take two months to be complete.
Will I have to pay for it?
All of the service campaigns taking place right now are free of charge. Second-hand customers will also be able to bring in their vehicles for repair.
In the case of Toyota what was the problem that could cause accelerators to stick and that led to the recall.
The issue involves a friction device in the pedal designed to provide the proper ‘feel' by adding resistance and making the pedal steady. This friction device includes a ‘shoe' that rubs against an adjoining surface during pedal operation. Due to the materials used, wear and environmental conditions, these surfaces may, over time, begin to stick and release. In some cases, friction could increase to a point that the pedal is slow to return to the idle position or, in rare cases, the pedal sticks, leaving the throttle partially open.
