The Toyota repair fix for the pedal safety defect causes yet another sticking pedal defect.
Well, in the latest Toyota recall and quality fiasco it turns out that the plastic pad in the floor carper can interfere with the sawed off accelerator pedal, if it isn’t “properly replaced after the repair.”
In a separate action Toyota is also expanding its original floor mat recall that was announced in November 2009 to include another 1.4 million vehicles.
In all cases the accelerator pedal can become stuck and not return to idle.
So Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., will recall 200,000 2006 and early 2007 Model Year Lexus GS 300 and Lexus GS 350 All-Wheel Drive vehicles to modify the shape of the plastic pad embedded in the driver’s side floor carpet.
Why owners should trust technicians to correctly perform a second modification is a question that will surely be debated.
Toyota will also recall another 372,000 2004 through 2006 and early 2007 Lexus RX 330, Lexus RX 350, and Lexus RX 400h vehicles, and 397,000 2004 through 2006 Toyota Highlander and Toyota Highlander HV vehicles to replace the driver’s side floor carpet cover and its two retention clips.
In a statement Toyota said that if the forward retention clip used to secure the floor carpet cover, which is located in front of the center console, is not installed properly, the cover may lean toward the accelerator pedal and interfere with the accelerator pedal arm.
Once again the accelerator pedal may become temporarily stuck rather than returning to the idle position.
In an irony of history at a company whose once stellar quality reputation is now severely damaged, Lexus and Toyota owners will be asked to perform a quality control inspection to see if Toyota’s technicians have caused further safety problems while performing a recall for the same problem that Toyota initially covered up.
Owners of the Lexus RX and Toyota Highlander vehicles will receive an interim notification by first class mail that will explain how to inspect for this condition or that they may contact their local dealer to perform the inspection. (The same one that might have caused the latest defect?) Owners will receive a second notification once the replacement covers are available.
Separately, Toyota has expanded its pedal recall from November 2009 by adding three models vulnerable to unsecured or incompatible floor mat entrapment of the accelerator pedal. These include:
• Approximately 603,000 2003 through 2009 Toyota 4Runner models
• Approximately 17,000 2008 through 2011 Lexus LX 570
• Approximately 761,000 2006 through 2010 Toyota RAV4 models
Owners of the potentially unsafe 4Runner, LX 570, and RAV4 vehicles will receive notification by first class mail informing them of the safety defect. Owners will ultimately receive a second notification once the recall preparations are complete.
Detailed information is available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall or www.lexus.com/recall and the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-25 LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987.
The opinions expressed are Toyota’s, not those of AutoInformed.com – editor.
Customer FAQs for Floor Mat Recall Expansion
1. Which models are affected by the recall?
Toyota is recalling approximately 603,000 4Runner vehicles (2003 through certain 2009 model year) and 761,000 RAV4 vehicles (2006 through certain 2010 model year) in the U.S. market.
In addition, Lexus is recalling approximately 17,000 Lexus LX 570 (2008 through certain 2011 model year) vehicles sold in the U.S.
2. What is the condition that prompted Toyota to take this action?
It is possible for an unsecured or incompatible driver’s side floor mat to interfere with the accelerator pedal and cause it to get stuck in the wide open position, increasing the risk of a crash. Toyota has determined that this condition does not exist in vehicles in which the driver’s side floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly secured. (It was common practice for Toyota dealers to add floor mats to a new vehicle purchase – editor)
3. What is Toyota doing to address this issue?
To make it less likely that an unsecured or incompatible driver’s floor mat can interfere with the accelerator pedal, Toyota dealerships will:
* Modify the rigid plastic accelerator pedal.
* Inspect any optional genuine Toyota or Lexus All Weather Floor Mats (AWFM) in the vehicle to determine if the AWFM set is of an older design, and, if it is, replace the older design AWFMs for the driver and the front seat passenger positions with newly designed mats.
* Inspect the front carpet and floor mat and clean them as appropriate before returning the vehicle to the customer.
4. What should owners do until they have the recall remedy performed?
Toyota has determined that the pedal entrapment can only occur in vehicles where the driver’s side floor mat is not compatible with the vehicle and/or not properly secured. To help reduce the risk of incorrect floor mat installation and/or application, owners should take out any removable driver’s floor mat and NOT replace it with any other floor mat until the recall remedy has been completed on the vehicle.
After the remedy has been completed, only floor mats both designed specifically for the vehicle and properly secured should be installed on the driver’s floor.
5. What if I don’t want to remove my floor mat?
Toyota strongly recommends that owners remove the driver’s side floor mat.
Should owners choose to disregard this recommendation, they should ensure that their vehicle has a compatible floor mat and that it is properly installed and secured. Owners should not stack floor mats and or turn them over. While instructions are available on http://www.toyota.com/floormats for proper floor mat installation in unaffected vehicles, again, Toyota strongly recommends that owners remove the floor mat from recalled vehicles until the recall remedy is performed.
6. What should drivers do if they experience accelerator pedal interference?
If the vehicle should continue to accelerate rapidly after releasing the accelerator pedal, it could be an indication of floor mat interference.
If this occurs, Toyota recommends the driver take the following actions:
* First, if it is possible and safe to do so, pull-back the floor mat and dislodge it from the accelerator pedal; then pull over and stop the vehicle.
* If the floor mat cannot be dislodged, then firmly and steadily step on the brake pedal with both feet. Do not pump the brake pedal repeatedly as this will increase the effort required to slow the vehicle.
* Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine.
If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.
If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.
If the vehicle is equipped with a Start/Stop button, turn the engine OFF by firmly and steadily pushing the Engine Start/Stop button for at least three seconds. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button.
Turning off the engine will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.
7. When can I get my vehicle fixed?
Owners of involved vehicles will receive an interim notification by first class mail beginning in the near future, informing them of the condition. (This is a life threatening safety defect, not a condition –editor) Owners will receive a second notification once the recall preparations are complete.
8. Is this update covered by warranty? Will drivers have to pay any money out of pocket for this repair?
This modification will be conducted at no charge to owners of affected vehicles. (This is required by U.S. regulations, and federal safety regulators once again force Toyota to recall the unsafe vehicles. – editors)
9. What should I do if I still have questions or concerns?
Detailed information and answers to questions are available to customers at http://www.toyota.com/recall or http://www.lexus.com/recall and at the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331, or at Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-25 LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987.