Ginger, refering to the toaster that releases prematurely, I had the same issue and was able to darken the setting by setting the darkness control all the way to the darkest setting, pulling that bakelite plug off of its post, and re-installing it at the lightest setting. Mine has worked like a charm since then. I have a Sunbeam T-20B. Do this on a soft surface so that you don't damage the plug/switch as it is a tight fit.
Steve, December 2010