Warning for all Toyota owners

[ivan1]

at least it is an easy fix


Toyota to Recall 3.8 Million Vehicles

Tuesday , September 29, 2009

AP

Toyota says it will recall 3.8 million vehicles in the United States to address problems with a removable floor mat that could interfere with the vehicle's accelerator and cause a crash.

The company says it will be the largest recall in its history. Owners could learn about the safety campaign as early as next week.

Toyota and the government warned owners of Toyota and Lexus vehicles about safety problems tied to the removable floor mats. They say the mats could interfere with the vehicle's accelerator and cause a crash.

The recall will affect 2007-2010 model year 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.

Owners should take out the floor mats on the driver's side and not replace them.

Toyota's previously largest recall was about 900,000 vehicles in 2005 to fix a steering issue.

NHTSA said it issued the warning because of continued reports of vehicles accelerating rapidly after drivers released the accelerator.

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Prius accelerating rapidly? damn keep the mat there !

[Monsi]

I'll believe that when my **** turns purple and smells like rainbow sherbert

[ivan1]

Originally Posted by Monsi

I'll believe that when my **** turns purple and smells like rainbow sherbert

get out the spoon....


http://www.autonews.com/article/2009...909299985/1292

Toyota to recall 3.8 million autos as floor mats snag gas pedals

Stuck accelerators may cause unintended acceleration

Kathy Jackson
and Chrissie Thompson
Automotive News
September 29, 2009 - 5:12 pm ET
UPDATED: 9/29/09 6:35 p.m. ET

LOS ANGELES -- Toyota plans to recall as early as next week 3.8 million U.S. Toyota and Lexus models -- its largest ever -- to fix floor mats that may snag gas pedals and cause vehicles to accelerate at high speeds.

In the meantime, U.S. regulators are urging owners of the seven affected nameplates to remove their driver-side floor mats. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it issued the warning because of continued reports of vehicles accelerating rapidly after drivers released the accelerator.

“This is an urgent matter,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. “We strongly urge owners of these vehicles to remove mats or other obstacles that could lead to unintended acceleration.”

The recall was sparked by an Aug. 28 accident in San Diego during which four people were killed in a Lexus, said Irv Miller, a spokesman for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.

The investigation is continuing, but he said a floor mat catching on the accelerator may have caused that crash.

“That prompted us to look more closely at reports from the field of similar incidents,” Miller said. He declined to provide a specific number of complaints that have been filed with NHTSA or say if the company has been sued.

“The San Diego accident was very tragic for all of us,” Miller said. “We want to make sure none of us has to relive that.”

Affected vehicles

The Toyota vehicles involved are 2007 to 2010 Camrys; 2005 to 2010 Avalons; 2004 to 2009 Priuses; 2005 to 2010 Tacomas and 2007 to 2010 Tundras. Lexus models are 2007 to 2010 ES 350s and 2006 to 2010 IS 250s and IS 350s.

In addition to unsecured floor mats, the company will be looking at the configuration of the pedals and the unique steps to shut off the engines with keyless ignition as possible causes for the unintended acceleration. Toyota said it has no evidence that faulty brakes or throttles have contributed to the problem.

Should a mat catch on the pedal, Toyota recommends that owners pull back the mat and dislodge it. If the mat doesn't dislodge, owners should:

• Step firmly on the brake pedal with both feet;

• Or shift into neutral and use the brake to stop the vehicle;

• Or turn off the engine.

[Cali]

Originally Posted by Monsi

I'll believe that when my **** turns purple and smells like rainbow sherbert

You ARE in the Rainbow State!

[Seb]

I can't believe that the ****hole dealership that sold me my SpecV actually caused this recall.

Everyone remember the thread about the crash? Yeah that dealership in California is where I got my car..... how crazy.

[Darth G-F]

Originally Posted by ivan1

NHTSA said it issued the warning because of continued reports of vehicles accelerating rapidly

A Toyota accelerating rapidly?
Maybe they put floor mats in their F1, that's the only way I can imagine a modern Toyota accelerating rapidly.

[the1sen]

[Monsi]

Originally Posted by ivan1

get out the spoon....

I wasn't questioning the fact there is a recall... only that I don't believe that a floormat caused this

[erics75218]

lol when I saw this thread I thought the OP was gonna read "Warning to all Toyota owners, your cars are EXTREMELY BORING!"

[ivan1]

Originally Posted by Monsi

I wasn't questioning the fact there is a recall... only that I don't believe that a floormat caused this

you might be right on that one - why didnt audi think of that?

[dwkoski]

You can bet that some scumball product liability attorney dreamed this one up and is fantasizing about becoming the next John Edwards ( probably already knocking up a couple of mistresses.) I still remember the Audi lawsuits about "unintended acceleration" and the phoney-baloney "expert witnesses" fabricating evidence for profit. Sad to see Toyota's executive foghats and yes-men buying into it. Read "Atlas Shrugged"

[JWA]

Originally Posted by dwkoski

You can bet that some scumball product liability attorney dreamed this one up and is fantasizing about becoming the next John Edwards ( probably already knocking up a couple of mistresses.) I still remember the Audi lawsuits about "unintended acceleration" and the phoney-baloney "expert witnesses" fabricating evidence for profit. Sad to see Toyota's executive foghats and yes-men buying into it. Read "Atlas Shrugged"

A couple weeks ago there was a nasty crash where four people were killed because the mat trapped the accelerator. Toyota is being proactive about it, that's all. I fail to see where Atlas Shrugged comes into play here.

[dwkoski]

Perhaps you should read it. The purpose of our society seems redirected toward acquiring the wealth of others without work or effort. Especially the "justice" system which has nothing to do with justice, merely maximization of income for attorneys. I read the reports on this and attribution of the cause to a floor mat jamming the gas pedal. I haven't examined the models involved but did take a look at my Matrix. I can't conceive of a way the mat could hold the pedal down, although it could easily jam the pedal up. Perhaps those models are different, or perhaps the recall is the usual knee jerk reaction to the latest threat of a raft of lawsuits...Dave

[Cthulhu]

I thought it was gonna be something cool, like tanatula eggs in the airbags.

[JWA]

Originally Posted by dwkoski

Perhaps you should read it.

I own it and have read it, twice, as well as every book, play, article and speech that Ayn Rand ever wrote. I am well-versed in her theory of Objectivism.

Originally Posted by dwkoski

The purpose of our society seems redirected toward acquiring the wealth of others without work or effort. Especially the "justice" system which has nothing to do with justice, merely maximization of income for attorneys.

Ok, possibly. But I don't see what this has to do with Toyota jumping to do a cheap inspection to confirm that the correct floor mats are installed in their cars. The original problem was caused by the wrong mat having been put into the car. Ayn Rand certainly supports fixing one's mistakes - and taking personal responsibility when your performance may not have been up to par.

Originally Posted by dwkoski

I read the reports on this and attribution of the cause to a floor mat jamming the gas pedal. I haven't examined the models involved but did take a look at my Matrix. I can't conceive of a way the mat could hold the pedal down, although it could easily jam the pedal up. Perhaps those models are different, or perhaps the recall is the usual knee jerk reaction to the latest threat of a raft of lawsuits...Dave

If a mat is long enough to get under a pedal, it is certainly long enough to get on top of the pedal.

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by JWA

A couple weeks ago there was a nasty crash where four people were killed because the mat trapped the accelerator. Toyota is being proactive about it, that's all.

Yea, I remember hearing about the wreck (I hesitate to call it an "accident"). Four people in the car (including an off-duty cop) who couldn't figure out how to stop a runaway car with a stuck throttle (because of the floor mat). They had time to call 911 and call for help, but not enough time to tell the driver to "Turn off the key!", "Shift into neutral!, or even "Push harder on the brakes!!!" (note the brakes of almost every car on the road can over-power the engine and stop the car - try it some time if you don't believe it).

I've actually had a floor mat (old after-market rubber one) catch on my throttle pedal and hold it down. I simply (and calmly) hooked my toe under the pedal and pulled up on the pedal and fixed the problem (got rid of the floor mat) later.

The problem was the driver panicked and didn't think. There were multiple ways to have not wrecked (and kill the occupants of the car).

Toyota is just covering their butts -as any manufacturer would. Remember the old Audis and the "unintended acceleration" which turned out to be mostly driver error (mostly because the pedals were placed a little offset and they were more easily confused, but still the people were pushing on the wrong pedal).

[5qf3764b]

My DD is an IS350 and the mats are cleated with 2 anchor points near the seat. It seems unlikely that it would ride up anywhere near the unless it it somehow was not attached. I've never had a problem with it in the 3 1/2 years I've owned the car. CYA is the best policy I suppose.

[apk919]

Originally Posted by TimMullen

Yea, I remember hearing about the wreck (I hesitate to call it an "accident"). Four people in the car (including an off-duty cop) who couldn't figure out how to stop a runaway car with a stuck throttle (because of the floor mat). They had time to call 911 and call for help, but not enough time to tell the driver to "Turn off the key!", "Shift into neutral!, or even "Push harder on the brakes!!!" (note the brakes of almost every car on the road can over-power the engine and stop the car - try it some time if you don't believe it).

I've actually had a floor mat (old after-market rubber one) catch on my throttle pedal and hold it down. I simply (and calmly) hooked my toe under the pedal and pulled up on the pedal and fixed the problem (got rid of the floor mat) later.

The problem was the driver panicked and didn't think. There were multiple ways to have not wrecked (and kill the occupants of the car).

Toyota is just covering their butts -as any manufacturer would. Remember the old Audis and the "unintended acceleration" which turned out to be mostly driver error (mostly because the pedals were placed a little offset and they were more easily confused, but still the people were pushing on the wrong pedal).

+1

A tragedy, no doubt... but one that should have been avoided.

[5qf3764b]

Here is a note worthy detail:

"On Aug. 28, an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer was driving three family members in a Lexus ES 350 loaned by a San Diego dealership when the car went out of control and over an embankment, catching fire and killing all four passengers. In a 911 call, one of the passengers said the Lexus was speeding at 120 m.p.h., and witnesses said the car’s tires were on fire when it crashed – possibly from the driver slamming on the brakes."

[JWA]

Originally Posted by TimMullen

They had time to call 911 and call for help, but not enough time to tell the driver to "Turn off the key!", "Shift into neutral!, or even "Push harder on the brakes!!!" (note the brakes of almost every car on the road can over-power the engine and stop the car - try it some time if you don't believe it).

As discussed in the other thread, this was clearly a case of the people panicking and there sure seems to be a lot of things they could have done. However, the car was a loaner while theirs was in for service, it had a "smart key" system where the only way to turn it off was to hold the start button in for three seconds (not common knowledge), and when they called 911 (which is an odd choice) they said that the brakes were out - because they had overheated them from trying to use them. It does seem to have been avoidable, but they did try a few of the obvious things first. Oh - and it turned out that the car had the optional rubber all weather mats from another model in it, which weren't secured with the pegs.