Earlier today Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in a House committee hearing, advised owners of  recalled Toyotas to stop driving their cars. But the agency chief later told the media that he had misspoken. LaHood admitted, “What I said in there was obviously a misstatement.”

According to Bloomberg News, LaHood advised consumers, "If you own one of these cars take it to the dealer. If you are in doubt, take it to the dealer and have them fix it." Toyota has said that parts for the field fix are expected to arrive in dealerships later this week. The company's response to LaHood's statements sought to calm owners' fears, emphasizing that "...this situation is rare and generally does not occur suddenly." 

Consumer Reports’ advice to consumers stands: We recommend that owners of the estimated 2.3 million vehicles involved in the sticking accelerator recall become familiar with the warning signs of trouble, which may include the accelerator pedal being harder to depress, slower to return to its upper position, or simply not operating smoothly. If you notice any of these signs, get your car to a dealership as soon as possible. And all drivers should know what to do if their car suffers sudden unintended acceleration--review  specific steps for safely regaining control of a runaway vehicle.