Personal Injury Law

Toyota recalls 3.8 million vehicles over safety issue with floor mat

By Brian F. LaBovick, Esq.

Attention all readers, this is a very important blog post. If you are a Toyota driver or know someone that is, please read and share this important information. It could help save your life or the life of a loved one.

The Toyota Motor Corp. has announced that it will recall 3.8 million vehicles in the United States, to address problems with a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to get stuck and lead to a crash. The recall affects Toyota models from 2004 – 2010. Specific models affected include 2007-2010 Toyota Camry, 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon, 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350 and 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350.

Toyota is working with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find a solution to the problem. In the meantime, drivers of the named vehicles should immediately remove the mat from the driver' side and not replace it, until further notified.

According to a Toyota spokesperson in published reports "A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop a vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.

There have been reportedly 102 incidents where the accelerator may have become stuck on the Toyota vehicles involved, according to the NHTSA. However, it is unclear how many have led to crashes.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood issued the following statement 'For everyone's sake, we strongly urge owners of these vehicles to remove mats or other obstacles that could lead to unintended acceleration."

Toyota has warned owners that if they think their vehicle is accelerating out of control, they should check to see whether their floor mat is under the pedal. If a driver can't remove the floor mat, Toyota advises drivers to step on the brake pedal with both feet until the vehicle slows and then try to put it into neutral and switch the ignition to accessory power.

Unfortunately, this recall comes too late for California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor. In August, Officer Saylor and three others were killed in a  fatal car accident involving the crash of a 2009 Lexus ES 350 and a Sport Utility Vehicle. Reportedly, one of the family members called the police minutes before the crash to report the accelerator was stuck and that the car had no brakes. The Officer's car hit the SUV, rolled several times and burst into flames. Reports from the NHTSA investigators determined that a rubber all-weather floor mat found in the wreckage was slightly longer than the mat that belonged in the vehicle, something that could have snared or covered the accelerator pedal.

This morning, I removed the driver's side mat from my Toyota Camry and recommend that all Toyota owners of the above mentioned vehicles do the same. If you have questions or want more information, please contact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's hotline at (888) 327-4236, Toyota at (800) 331-4331 or Lexus at (800) 255-3987.

To read more information on the Toyota recall of 3.8 million vehicles due to a driver's floor mat interference with the accelerator pedal, view the following: Toyota Pressroom, Forbes - Runaway Toyota Recall, Fox News and Associated Press.

Full post as published by LaBovick Injury Law Blog on September 30, 2009 (boomark / email).