Toyota has recently announced it has created a new "SMART" business process to investigate customer reports of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles in the United States.  This process will utilize existing product engineers, field technical specialists and specially trained technicians to investigate customer claims. 

SMART stands for "Swift Market Analysis Response Team" and will be used to contact customers within 24 hours of receiving a complaint about unintended acceleration.  They will arrange for a comprehensive on-site vehicle analysis.  As part of the SMART program, dealerships will utilize structured business processes and materials to address owners' concerns or reported experiences with unintended acceleration.

"As Toyota's President Akio Toyoda told Congress in February, we are committed to listening to our customers even more intently and addressing their concerns even more promptly.  Our multi-tiered SMART approach is just one of the many steps we are taking to make sure that Toyota sets an even higher standard" said Steve St. Angelo, Toyota chief quality officer for North America.

"There has been a great deal of confusion, speculation and misinformation about unintended acceleration in the past several weeks. We believe judgments should be based on reliable evidence, and our SMART business process is there to help provide information upon which such judgments can be made. As we did in two recent, much-publicized cases in San Diego, California and Harrison, New York, we will continue to work in close partnership with law enforcement agencies and federal regulators with jurisdiction over accidents whenever requested," St. Angelo said.

The size and configuration of each SMART team will vary based on the specific circumstances of each report and vehicle involved, and will incorporate engineering and product experts from across Toyota's North American operations, including:

-    Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS) in Torrance, California
-    Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America (TEMA) in Erlanger, Kentucky and Toyota Technical Center (TTC) in Ann Arbor, Michigan
-    Toyota Regional Sales Offices
-    Lexus Area Sales Offices
-    Private Distributors

Toyota has provided dealers in the United States with the information they need to assist vehicle owners with concerns about unintended acceleration and to arrange a SMART evaluation. The information includes guidance on how to help owners, ranging from those with concerns about their vehicle to those who report experiencing unintended acceleration and were involved in an accident.

Detailed information and answers to questions are available to customers at the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.