LaHood says drive your Toyota -- straight to the dealer for a checkup

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood advised Americans on Wednesday to drive their Toyotas — straight to the repair shop.

LaHood walked back comments in a hearing in which he appeared to advise people not to drive the cars, many of which have been recalled due to a defective accelerator.

"If anybody owns one of these vehicles, stop driving it and take it to a Toyota dealer because they believe they have the fix for it," LaHood said during the hearing.

But he quickly tempered those remarks in a press availability after his testimony to Congress this morning.

"My advice to a person who owns a Toyota: Take it to the dealership, have them look at it, have them examine it," he said when asked what drivers of Toyotas should do. "If you have one of these vehicles, if you're in doubt, take it to the dealer and have them examine it today."

LaHood's initial remarks immediately raised eyebrows among drivers worried about consumer safety, as well as the Japanese auto manufacturer, which stands to lose out on auto sales in the wake of the recall.

LaHood said he would talk to Toyota's CEO "in the next few days," and praised the company for an "all-out" effort to make repairs to cars.

The transportation secretary did reiterate, though, a threat that the U.S. government may pursue civil penalties against the company.