The following is an interview with Lincoln's Performance Toyota General Manager Tom Ballard about the recall involving some Toyota vehicles:

Q: What is your first piece of advice for drivers of recalled Toyotas?

Tom: "Well, it is a large recall. It's 4.2 million in one recall and the other is 2.3, but the number of vehicles that are actually affected with the problem is very small. With that said, if you do have a problem where you feel you have a vehicle that is not acting properly, please give us a call. We'll get you in and get it taken care of, and put you in a loaner car if we need to until this problem can get fixed."

Q: What sort of questions or comments have you received from Toyota owners?

Tom: "You know, I think people just want some answers. Toyota has identified the most recent problem, there's two recalls involved here now, the first recall is actually a floor mat entrapment. That's the 4.3 million vehicles, and Toyota thinks that if people were using the proper mats, installed properly there should not be a problem. But even with that said, they are modifying an accelerator pedal, they are changing the matting underneath the carpet on some vehicles and reflashing the computer. What I mean by that is that they are actually going to change the driving habits of the car, where if you are applying the brake, a hard brake, the accelerator will no longer work. And that's going to take place on the 4.3 million vehicles. Now the other 2.3 million, that's an entirely different problem, same issue though, unintended acceleration, but that is an issue where we do have a problem with the accelerator assembly itself and we do do a modification on that."

Q: What should Toyota drivers do to get their vehicles fixed? Should Toyota owners wait for contact from Toyota about the recall or should they arrange their own repair right away?

Tom: "I guess it depends if your car is performing properly, which again, the vast majority of cars are. But you will be getting a recall notice starting next week. Call and schedule an appointment and we will bring it in and get you taken care of. If you feel you have a problem where it's acting up, call us immediately. We'll come pick up the car if it need be, we will provide you a loaner, that means a mode of transportation. But no, if you've got a problem, let's get it taken care of right away."

Q: How is your dealership responding to the recall?

Tom: "We've extended our service hours, we're going to be open, starting next Monday, 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and we'll be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday to try and get through this problem."

Q: Do your mechanics need special training before making the repairs?

Tom: "It's my understanding that the repairs are relatively easy, but with that said, yeah, we'll have some factory people in here within the next day or two to give our techs some training."

Q: Are you fixing customers' cars first or are you working on existing inventory first?

Tom: "Absolutely, customers come first."

Q: Would rental car companies get any repair priority to fix their fleet of Toyotas?

Tom: "Not at this dealership, and not that I've heard of, no."

Q: Toyota's reliability has been a strong marketplace advantage for a generation. How has that competitive advantage changed because of this recall?

Tom: "Well, you're right. Toyota has hung on to quality and dependability, re-sale value and all those things, and I think Toyota understands that. We'll get through this now that they've got their hands around it. We'll expedite this problem and I'm pretty sure Toyota will probably re-double their efforts to protect their reputation."

Q: What advice would you have for the Toyota company today?

Tom: "Oh, I don't know that I would give them advice. They discovered the problem, obviously it was a problem, they came up with a solution, they tested the solution, had it approved by our government, and now it's up to the dealerships to roll up our sleeves and get the problem taken care of. But I don't know that I can offer them any advice."

Q: What sort of situation were you put in by Toyota when the company issued a recall but left dealers without answers for customers' questions?

Tom: "I don't know what you mean by 'situation'. Obviously we have over half our inventory out there that we cannot sell right now. But I think the factory and the dealer are on the same page, let's get our current customer base taken care of and then we'll start cultivating the customer."

Q: When do you expect this recall to be resolved, locally, with repairs generally completed for Toyota drivers? Do you have a timetable?

Tom: "We're going to be open as many hours as we can, we only have a certain number of stalls back there, but I think that we will get through this pretty quickly. You know, again, we have two separate recalls here, each recall taking a half hour. I was putting the pencil to it earlier today and if my math is right, I'm dealing with somewhere about 500 hours, man hours, to get my customer base taken care of right now. It's going to take us a little time, and again, we'll prioritize the people that are actually experiencing some problems. We'll prioritize those, the rest we'll get in over the next several days or weeks."

Q: How can people figure out if their car is being recalled?

Tom: "There are several websites, or you can call us, our service department. We'll probably answer 100 calls a day between members of my staff and service people, but there are a number of sites, online sites, that will help you with that."