THIS tiny square of metal has been making international headlines.

It may not look like much but across the globe Toyota dealerships call it “the fix”.

The fitting of the tiny part known as a shim, that costs 11p, forms the basis of the mass recall of cars which was instigated when a possible problem with the accelerator pedal was reported.

In short the little piece of metal with a big job reduces the surface tension in the pedal and prevents the excess friction at the heart of the “pedal sticking” problem.

The recall of more than two million vehicles over several product lines may rank as a public relations nightmare second to none, but at Huddersfield’s Toyota garage on Leeds Road it has been a matter of getting all hands to the pumps and getting the job done.

One mechanic has been drafted back in to work two weeks after his retirement, and new engineers have been hired to keep up with the estimated 1,262 cars that will be heading back in.

Centre principal at West Riding Toyota, Jared Griffin, said: “Everything is going to plan, naturally it’s a mix but I would say the bulk of the cars we will see are the Yaris.

“In terms of this car two suppliers were making the part in question and one of those suppliers was not affected, so some do not need repair, but if customers are concerned they can go on the website and see what the process is.

“They put their registration in and it tells them whether the car is affected. If it is they carry on and request a booking with us.

“We get that request and we aim to make a booking in 24 hours. If the customer thinks the pedal is slow to return or sticking they can contact us at any time.”

The recall has seen not just old and new staff drafted in but the operation moving to a seven-day week and Sunday opening.

For Prius users the recall related to a software issue and the brakes, but the method of bringing the car in is the same.

Mr Griffin said the difficult situation has been handled in the right way.

He said: “It’s not a taboo subject that should be shied away from, we are open and transparent, people can see what we are doing and exactly what the fix is.

“We advise them they will be here for about an hour, the process itself takes 15 minutes but the car will get a wash and vacuum.

“We will be turning over about 40 cars a day at full capacity.”

See a video of the fix at www.examiner.co.uk