Press release from Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller:
Attorney General Greg Zoeller announces Toyota’s pledge to Hoosiers
Special accommodations made for owners of recalled vehicles including rental cars and expedited service(March 1, 2010 – INDIANAPOLIS) Attorney General Greg Zoeller today announced Toyota has pledged to make special accommodations available for owners of recalled vehicles in Indiana. These accommodations will be provided at no charge to Toyota customers and include:
- Expedited scheduling
- Pickup and return of the vehicle by a dealership representative or by flatbed truck
- Driving the customer to the dealership and/or to his or her place of work
- Providing other alternate transportation, such as a rental car, a loaner vehicle, or taxi reimbursement, for the reasonable period that the customer is unable or unwilling to use his or her car
According to a letter released to 49 Attorneys General, consumers with questions may contact a Toyota dealership, call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331, or call the Lexus Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-255-3987. The hours of operation for the toll-free numbers are Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. CST to 8:00 p.m. CST and from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. CST on Saturdays and Sundays.
“My office worked with a number of other attorneys general across the country to ensure that owners of recalled vehicles in all states are treated fairly and equally by Toyota,” Zoeller said. “My other concern is for consumers to be aware of potential scams that may emerge as a result of the uncertainty surrounding this recall. Scammers often take advantage of these types of unique situations to dream up creative new ways to steal money or identities.”
Shortly after Toyota announced the recall in January, a phone number was circulated by scammers that was one digit different than Toyota’s customer service hotline. Callers into the fake line were prompted to disclose personal information, potentially leading to their identities being stolen.
“Toyota is committed to making the recall campaigns proceed in a way that helps ensure the customers’ safety and satisfaction,” said Christopher Reynolds, Toyota’s Group Vice President and General Counsel, in the letter. “Toyota will accommodate customers subject to these recalls, who have a concern about driving their car to the dealerships or using the vehicle until the repair has been completed. Toyota will advise its dealers to address each customer’s concerns on a case-by-case basis.”
Toyota is sending letters to dealerships across the country this week explaining how the accommodations should be handled.
Click here to view Toyota’s letter to Attorneys General pledging accomodations for customers