Amended Recall Potential Floor Mat
Interference with Accelerator Pedal
On Wednesday, January 27, 2010, Toyota sent a
letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration amending Toyota's
Defect Information Report of October 5, 2009 regarding the potential risk for
floor mat entrapment of accelerator pedals in certain Toyota and Lexus
models. Toyota has decided to include certain other models in the
campaign. This action is separate from the recall of select Toyota vehicles for
sticking accelerator pedals.
The specific model names and years associated
with the newly-expanded population of subject vehicles for the pedal entrapment
recall include:
2008-2010 Highlander
2009-2010 Corolla
2009-2010 Venza
2009-2010 Matrix
2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe
As of January 26, 2010 the total vehicle
population increased by approximately 1,093,000 vehicles.
Toyota's remedy plan is to modify or replace
the accelerator pedals on the subject vehicles to address the risk of floor mat
entrapment, even when an older-design all weather floor mat or other
inappropriate mat is improperly attached, or is placed on top of another floor
mat.
Floor surface modifications are also being considered and will be
included in the remedy plan for any model for which it is deemed appropriate.
Initially, dealers will be instructed on how
to reshape the accelerator pedal for the repair. As replacement parts
with the same shape as the modified pedal become available, they will be made
available to the dealers for the repair. Customers who have had the pedal
reshape remedy completed will have the opportunity to receive a new pedal if
they desire, after replacement pedals become available.
In addition, Toyota will replace any Toyota
all-weather floor mat in a subject vehicle with a newly designed mat, free of
charge. For those customers who have the previous design all-weather floor mat
but do not need or want the newly designed all-weather floor mat, Toyota will
recover the previous design all-weather floor mat and reimburse its price.
Toyota Announces Details of
Remedy to Address Potential Accelerator Pedal
EntrapmentTorrance, Calif., November 25, 2009 - - Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.,
Inc. (TMS) announced today details of the vehicle-based remedy to
address the root cause of the potential risk for floor mat entrapment
of accelerator pedals in certain Toyota and Lexus models. Toyota issued
a consumer safety advisory on September 29 on this issue and has, as an
interim measure, commenced the mailing of safety notices to certain
Toyota and Lexus owners on October 30.
The models involved are:
2007 to 2010 MY (model year) Camry, 2005 to 2010 MY Avalon, 2004 to
2009 MY Prius, 2005 to 2010 MY Tacoma, 2007 to 2010 MY Tundra, 2007 to
2010 MY ES 350, 2006 to 2010 MY IS 250, and 2006 to 2010 MY IS 350.
The specific measures of the vehicle-based remedy are as follows:
1.
The shape of the accelerator pedal will be reconfigured to address the
risk of floor mat entrapment, even when an older-design all-weather
floor mat or other inappropriate floor mat is improperly attached, or
is placed on top of another floor mat. For the ES350, Camry, and
Avalon models involved, the shape of the floor surface underneath will
also be reconfigured to increase the space between the accelerator
pedal and the floor.
2. Vehicles with any genuine Toyota or
Lexus accessory all-weather floor mat will be provided with
newly-designed replacement driver- and front passenger-side all-weather
floor mats.
In addition, as a separate measure independent of
the vehicle-based remedy, Toyota will install a brake override system
onto the involved Camry, Avalon, and Lexus ES 350, IS 350 and IS 250
models as an extra measure of confidence. This system cuts engine power
in case of simultaneous application of both the accelerator and brake
pedals.
Toyota is in the process of completing development of
these actions and for the ES 350, Camry, and Avalon will start
notifying owners of the involved vehicles via first-class mail by the
end of this year. The remedy process regarding the other five models
will occur on a rolling schedule during 2010.
Dealers will be
trained and equipped to make the necessary modifications to these
models starting at the beginning of 2010. Initially, dealers will be
instructed on how to reshape the accelerator pedal for the repair. As
replacement parts with the same shape as the modified pedal become
available, they will be made available to dealers for the repair,
beginning around April 2010. Customers who have had the remedy
completed will have the opportunity to receive a new pedal if they
desire.
In the meantime, owners of the involved vehicles are
asked to take out any removable driver's floor mat and not replace it
with any other floor mat until they are notified of the vehicle-based
remedy, as notified in the consumer safety advisory and the interim
notice.
The brake override system will be made standard
equipment throughout the Toyota and Lexus product lines starting with
January 2010 production of ES 350 and Camry and is scheduled to be
incorporated into new production of most models by the end of 2010.
The
safety of our owners and the public is our utmost concern and Toyota
has and will continue to thoroughly investigate and take appropriate
measures to address any defect trends that are identified.
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