LaHood said he misspoke on warning to recalled Toyota owners
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood now says he misspoke when telling owners of recalled Toyotas to stop driving them.
Instead, LaHood says take them to dealerships to get them repaired.
LaHood told reporters it was "obviously a misstatement" when he told a House panel earlier Wednesday that he would advise owners not to drive recalled vehicles. The remark came during testimony to the Appropriations subcommittee on transportation.
Toyota's most recent recall in the United States affects 2.3 million vehicles with the potential for sticking gas pedals.
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Toyota Motor Corp. is giving U.S. dealers payments of up to $75,000 to help win back customers' trust in the wake of a massive safety recall.
In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, Toyota group vice president Bob Carter thanks dealers for extending service hours and providing car washes and other services. Carter says the payments will help with those measures.
Toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S. last month because their accelerator pedals may stick and cause crashes. The automaker is sending dealers parts to repair the pedals this week.
Toyota is sending checks this week based on the number of cars each dealer sold last year. Dealers who sold fewer than 500 cars will get $7,500. Dealers who sold more than 4,000 will get $75,000.
