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By VOA News
28 January 2010
Japanese automaker Toyota has suspended sales of some of its most popular models in the U.S. to fix a flaw in the gas pedals that could make the cars accelerate without warning. The suspension comes after a recall last week involving 2.3 million vehicles. Toyota officials say the problem affects only U.S.-made vehicles, but could spread to Europe, where similar accelerator parts are used.

In an extraordinary move that sent Toyota stock prices plummeting, the world's largest automaker has suspended sales of eight of its most popular models and shut down five North American plants. Michelle Krebs at online auto advisor Edmunds.com called the sales freeze "unprecedented."

"It represents two-thirds of the Toyota brand sales and more than half of the whole company's sales. We've never seen anything like this before," said Krebs.

Toyota announced the recall last Thursday following reports that the accelerator mechanism in some models can wear down and cause the gas pedal to stick. The company says it is unaware of any accidents or injuries as a result of the flaw, but news reports link the defect to several accidents in the U.S, some with fatal results.

Affected models include Toyota's top selling Camry and Corolla sedans, the Rav4, Avalon, Matrix, Tundra and sport utility vehicles such as the Highlander and Sequoia.

(註解)

1.gas pedal (n.)【美】(汽車)油門;加速器;加速踏板

=accelerator

=accelerator pedal

2.accelerate (v.)加速; 加快

*[ac(to)+celer(swift)+ate(v.)]

*The car accelerated as it overtook me. 那輛汽車一加速就超越了我.

3.recall (v.)回收:a request by the manufacturer of a defective product to return the product (as for replacement or repair)

=callback v.(有缺陷之商品的)收回

4.plummet (v.)驟下:to drop sharply and abruptly

*[plum(lead)]

*House prices have plummeted in this area. 此地房價大跌.

5.unprecedented (a.)無前例的；空前的:having no precedent; novel

*unprecedented levels of unemployment 失業率達到的前所未有的嚴重程度

6.mechanism (n.)機械裝置:working parts of a machine, etc

*a delicate watch mechanism 精細的手錶機件

7.utility vehicles (n.)多功能車


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