Following its recall of 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles because the
floor mat on the driver side could trap the accelerator pedal and cause
it to jam, Toyota has announced that it will remedy the auto defect by
replacing the gas pedal with a modified pedal while it develops a permanent
replacement pedal for the vehicles.
Toyota says it will shorten the gas pedal by approximately 20 millimeter
and in some models the flooring will be changed to prevent the floor mat
from interfering with the gas pedal. The auto manufacturer will also provide
newly designed driver- and front-passenger all weather floor mats.
As an additional confidence measure, Toyota says a brake override system
will be installed in some of the recalled vehicles. This is to ensure
that the auto can be stopped in the event that the accelerator and brake
pedals are activated at the same time. In the meantime, owners of the
recalled vehicles are advised to take out the floor mat on the driver’s
side and not replace them with another mat until the fixes have been made.
Toyota’s reputation for making safe cars has taken a beating in
the last couple of months. This recall, its largest to date, was announced
after four family members died in a California car accident because their
Lexus ES 350 accelerated to about 100 mph and the car wouldn’t stop
because the floor mat had jammed the gas pedal. The Saylors apparently
aren’t the only ones who have experienced acceleration problems
with their Toyota vehicle.
Also last week, Toyota announced the recall of 110,000 Tundra trucks (2000-2003
models). The recall in the US only affects pickup trucks in Washington
DC and 20 US states where de-icing substances, such as road salts, might
cause the truck’s frame to experience “excessive corrosion”
that could dislodge the vehicle’s spare tire, creating a hazard
for other vehicles, or damage the rear brake lines, which could cause
brake failure.
The recall affects Tundras in Wisconsin, West Virginia, Vermont, Rhode
Island, Virginia, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Hampshire,
Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Kentucky, Indiana,
Illinois, Delaware, and Connecticut.
Our auto products liability law firm represents clients throughout the
US who were injured in car accidents that were caused by defective auto
parts. We’ve gone up against the largest car manufacturers in the
world and won products liability and wrongful death recovery for injured
parties and their families.
Toyota Announces Fix for Accelerator Pedal Entrapment Problem, NHTSA, November 25, 2009
Toyota recalls 100,000 Tundra trucks, CNN Money, November 24, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Toyota News Releases, Toyota
Toyota Recalls 3.8 Million Vehicles, September 29, 2009
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