Toyota Launches Safety Campaign; 3.8 Million Models May Be Affected
Prompted by recent events in the news and a warning from NHTSA, Toyota has launched a safety advisory, urging vehicle owners to immediately remove their driver's side floor mats.
According to the advisory from Toyota and NHTSA, unsecured floor mats can get caught on the accelerator pedal, and potentially cause an accident. Toyota estimates that 3.8 million models may be affected. This advisory is not yet a recall. Once they have a solution in place, this safety advisory will become the largest recall that Toyota has ever issued in the U.S.
According to the advisory from Toyota and NHTSA, unsecured floor mats can get caught on the accelerator pedal, and potentially cause an accident. Toyota estimates that 3.8 million models may be affected. This advisory is not yet a recall. Once they have a solution in place, this safety advisory will become the largest recall that Toyota has ever issued in the U.S.
The Toyota and Lexus models affected are:
- 2007-2010 Camry
- 2005-2010 Avalon
- 2004-2009 Prius
- 2005-2010 Tacoma
- 2007-2010 Tundra
- 2007-2010 ES 350
- 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS350
According to Toyota, there are three factors that led to the isolation of these vehicles: unsecured floor mats, pedal configuration, and the unique method of shutting off the engine (i.e. start/stop button).
During Toyota's press conference, they gave a few safety suggestions for someone that may be involved in sudden acceleration due to a unsecured floor mat:
- Grab the floor mat, and dislodge the pedal to regain control.
- Put the car in neutral.
- Turn off the ignition
- Press the off button on the Start/Stop switch
For more information, contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Hotline at 888-327-4236, the Toyota Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331, or the Lexus Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-255-3987. Information from Toyota is also posted at http://www.toyota.com and http://www.lexus.com.
- Posted by
- Ron Montoya September 29, 2009, 2:28 PM
- Permalink
- Categories:
- Lexus, Toyota, Vehicle Recalls
I make up part of that 3.8 million. But it's a Toyota and almost all of their cars have huge safety campaigns.
More proof that import models have lousy quality records. That's why I'm a proud owner of 1986 Oldsmobile Firenza Cruiser, still pulling strong.
rmv cheek -tongue