Mario So Funny

ERLANGER, Kentucky — In an effort to stanch the flow of negative publicity from its widening recall of faulty accelerator pedals, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America late Thursday said revised pedals are “now in full production” at its supplier.

But the beleaguered automaker did not spell out a timetable for getting U.S. plants, which will be halted for at least a week, back on line. An Inside Line e-mailed query to Toyota’s U.S. manufacturing spokesman on Wednesday was not answered.

In the meantime, the crisis facing Toyota grew to global proportions on Thursday, as Europe and China joined the roll call of countries with the accelerator problem.

Toyota’s statement said it “has been working closely with supplier CTS on a revised design that effectively remedies the problem associated with accelerator pedals.

“Pedals featuring the revised design are now in full production at CTS to support Toyota’s needs. Meanwhile, we are also working with them to test effective modifications to existing pedals in the field that will be rolled out as quickly as possible.”

Toyota also took pains not to throw the pedal supplier under the bus.

“We commend CTS for working diligently and collaboratively to find a solution to the potential problem and in developing a new design,” said Chris Nielsen, TEMA’s vice president of purchasing. “CTS is a long-term and valued supplier to us.”

Inside Line says: Toyota gives us somewhat of a sense of how the plans to fix faulty accelerator pedals are going, but many questions remain. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent