Auto safety regulators with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently stepped up the scrutiny of more than 1.2 million Toyota Corolla and Matrix cars that may have a defective component that results in engine stalling or harsh shifting. The faulty unit is the electronic engine control module (ECM), a part that controls the amount of fuel that is delivered to the engine. If the module malfunctions, the engine's fuel supply is cut off, causing it to stall.
Safety of the vehicle is compromised when an engine control module (also known as a power-train control module or engine control unit) fails while the vehicle is moving. After 26 initial complaints, the NHTSA opened an evaluation into the ECM's performance, and to date nearly 200 complaints have been received. Their analysis revealed that the engine can stall at any speed without warning and not restart, potentially causing injury-causing or fatal accidents.
A recall of the vehicles affected by these defective ECMs - Corollas and Matrixes for years 2005-2008 and around 200,000 Pontiac Vibes manufactured by Toyota in a joint venture with GM - was implemented on August 26, 2010. Owners of these vehicles can call Toyota's customer service line (1-800-331-4331) or visit the Toyota website. The engine stall comes in the wake of another massive Toyota recall - 11 million vehicles were recalled earlier this year amid complaints of sudden acceleration.
If you were affected by a sudden stall that resulted in an injury-causing accident, consult an attorney familiar with cases involving defective products and the injuries they cause.
