Toyota's recent decision to halt sales of eight of its models was the kind of gamble that could impact that carmaker and its competitors for a decade or longer.
It seems the gas pedal on some of these models could get stuck, causing the vehicle to accelerate out of control. There are few things more frightening to a driver or carmaker than a speeding, mind-of-its-own vehicle.
Even if there had been no accidents because of this, once Toyota was aware of the problem and how widespread it is, the company had to act.
Toyota acted by simply halting sales of the eight models. Dealerships are stuck with inventory and no clue what is going to happen. Drivers are left to wonder if they should just park that Toyota until things are fixed.