Just as the dust begins to settle from Toyota’s recall issues, the automaker has issued a Technical Service Bulletin for Camry and Avalon models affected by the unintended acceleration recall.

The TSB has been issued because two weld nuts may be damaged when a technician removes bolts used to attach the accelerator pedal to the bulkhead as part of the unintended acceleration recall.

However, Toyota says this is unlikely to happen, and that no vehicles on the road are affected. Not all vehicles have yet been fixed though, so the situation could occur in the future, prompting the TSB.

Contrary to Toyota’s press release, Consumer Reports claims that over 500 complaints have reported accelerators that feel loose or have play side-to-side. We can only speculate which one is true, but Toyota has been known to hide things about these recalls in an attempt to make themselves look better.

Press Release

Facts Regarding Recent Technical Service Bulletin for Toyota Camry and Avalon
Some recent media reports have inaccurately characterized a Toyota Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) involving certain Camry, Camry Hybrid and Avalon as a recall, or have implied that customer vehicles may not have been repaired correctly. Toyota is providing the following facts to clarify and prevent potential misinformation.

On November 30, 2010, Toyota issued a Technical Service Bulletin that instructs technicians how to repair two weld nuts that may be damaged when removing the bolts used to attach the accelerator pedal to the bulkhead.

The TSB was issued following inquiries to the Toyota Technical Assistance System by a few technicians who were instructed how to repair the weld nuts prior to returning the vehicle to its owner. Since repair of the weld nuts is an extremely rare repair, the information is not included in the repair manual and the purpose of a TSB is to provide such information as needed.

As with any threaded fastener, the weld nuts may accidentally be stripped when removed. In the unlikely case when a threaded weld nut is stripped, technicians repair the weld nuts before returning the vehicle to operation. No customer vehicles on the road are affected.

Suggestions that this TSB was issued to resolve customer complaints about accelerator pedal feel after the recall or that this TSB is a recall are wrong. No TSB is planned for other models since this component is unique to the Camry and Avalon platform.

Toyota has completed over 5 million accelerator pedal entrapment and sticking pedal remedies which require removal of the accelerator pedal, including over 1.3 million Camrys and 265K Avalons. In the course of servicing so many vehicles, occasional questions about the procedure and guidance to technicians is not uncommon.

Source: Toyota and Consumer Reports