On Jan. 21, Toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S. and 1.8 million in Europe due to sticking acceleration pedals, which reportedly can cause drivers to accelerate out of control.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is now considering a civil penalty against Toyota. Though they do recognize a major flaw in the design, Toyota expressed they do not believe their products should be linked with uncontrollable. On Feb. 1, the company announced it had found a solution for the problem which will reduce friction beneath the pedals. They believe this is a permanent fix for the recalled cars.

Then, on  Feb. 5, Akio Toyoda, the company’s president and chief executive, called an official press conference at the Toyota’s headquarters in Nagoya, Japan to say he would personally lead a quality-improvement control committee. Toyoda said, “Please believe me. We always put customers first.”

lhsimage.com asked students what they think about the recall and how they think it will affect the company overall.

“I don’t think it will affect sales, but it will definitely put people on edge for a while.” -Nathan Ashley, 11

“My mom owns a blue Toyota Camry. It’s good they are admitting there is a problem. Overall, I think everyone makes mistakes and it’s just another recall. Although, it is a pain that we have to take back our car.” – Laura Wade, 10

“I like their cars but I think it’s a safety issue for the recall and I feel safer now that they told us [about the recall]. I think they might raise prices when they make them safer though.” – Austin Vavra, 10

“I think that the recall will really affect the company’s reliability. Toyotas have generally been trustworthy vehicles; I know people who own several Camrys. Toyota is the kind of company that has a lot of return customers, but the recalls will definitely change that. I know I would think twice before buying a Toyota , and I probably wouldn’t buy one at all.” – Alexa Benson, 10