Posted on 02/24/2011 7:32:04 AM PST by Perdogg
Responding to a request from regulators, Toyota Motor Corp. said it would recall a total of 2.17 million U.S. vehicles dating back to the 2003 model year to address various flaws that could lead to a floor mat interfering with the accelerator pedal.
Thursday's recall expands on already-known floor mat issues by adding new models and new causes to pedal interference.
A California state trooper and three of his passengers were killed in August 2009 in an accident in which a slipping floormat is believed to have entrapped the accelerator pedal and sent Lexus speeding out of control.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I call BS. Any driver would notice this. Toyota is just making an easy to fix recall. The real problem is something else. My guess is gas being fed during braking.
do all new floor mats come with an 800 # for a trial lawyer?
I have a Toyota Matrix (Corolla wagon, basically) and the floor mat on the driver side keeps inching forward until I can’t depress the clutch without nearly standing on it. This is most noticeable when trying to start it, because the clutch has to be mashed to the floor when doing that.
My solution - periodically pull the floor mat back. Duh.. LOL.
I think its actually the “dead pedal” causing the problem - when the mat gets too far forward it makes a sort of “hammock” under the clutch that catches the pedal. I should just get out the exacto knife and slice the mat next to the dead pedal so it can lie completely flat.
I’ve never had a problem with the mat interfering with either of the other pedals, just the clutch.
LQ
Oh boy what if this had been an American car company 90% of fellow Freepers would be howling “union thugs” etc etc damning the American company. Take your Honda’s and Toyotas and stick them you know where.
That's why the auto makers started putting cup holders in vehicles, heck in some cars you can secure a 6 pack individually - all nice and cozy and no harm to the brake pedal :>)
The real problem is that Toyota foolishly has their accelerator and brake pedal in the same zip code.
Matter of fact, floor mats are optional, even on a $33K Sienna XLE minivan and, they come with a consumer warning card attached.
I remember when I bought my VW GTi in 1987, and floor mats were extra...guess the car company’s may start making them optional again and you would have to sign a waiver that you will use them at your own risk.
No way, really? That's funny.
They probably should have some sort of legal waiver you sign when you buy the mats *snicker*
Hey, what about aftermarket mats - do we get to sue them or the car manufacturer?:>)
If you have toyota mats there is a hole in the mat with a grommet and also the floor. There should be a hook that you insert in the floor and through the mat. If not, see your dealer. All Toyotas come with this feature. I wonder when the rest of the car companies are gonna get sued? Toyota mats are no different than any other mats. Other than they all have the hook.
“So what is toyota going to do about those out of control vehicles that didn’t have mats?”
Ummmm...there aren’t any? NASA and NHTSA looked at all the data from, what they said, was all the complaints and there were no problems with the electronics. It was either driver error or possibly floor mats.
So, DON’T PANIC!!!! Your car is not going to JUST TAKE OFF!!!!
” It was either driver error or possibly floor mats.”
Actually, they simply said they couldn’t reproduce and MAYBE it was the floor mats or “something”. Not exactly a definitive answer.
“Oh boy what if this had been an American car company 90% of fellow Freepers would be howling “union thugs” etc etc damning the American company. Take your Honda’s and Toyotas and stick them you know where.”
Toyota has many plants in the US. So does honda. They don’t have unions. Which may be why their cars are being recalled because people are too stupind to install mats or hit the brake.
“Actually, they simply said they couldn’t reproduce and MAYBE it was the floor mats or “something”. Not exactly a definitive answer.”
Maybe it was a little green alien. Or, maybe it was a people problem.
Stupid people can kill themselves using practically anything. These recalls won't save any of them, They will continue to kill themselves by stupidly using perfectly safe products.
Loungitude, if i recall, you are right about the braking issue with that runaway lexus, driver didn’t go to an immediate stop, the brakes overheated, therefore useless. The 2009 lexus the Chips guy had was a keyless go, the stopping procedure was to press the start button for several seconds. It was a loaner so the driver might not have known, and in a panic, might forget (dangerous design imo)
All these unintended accel cars are always automatics (the manual audis never had any problem). To me, that explains it, the autos have a driver base that includes people too uncoordinated to drive a manual - they are the problem no matter how many safety feature the manufacturers build in.
LOL I guess I was real lucky in not doing the same.
Mine was a ‘67 Cutlass, back before government motors.
We drove a 1949 Chevy on a frozen lake..I was the passenger..we were 14..there were two boys.
We could hear the ice cracking behind the car as we sped along..
At times the gas pedal was stuck to the floorboard by a foot..
Ah..the crazy things we did..
In the first instance, I was wearing snow boots in Montana, there was snow, and I kicked up the mat over the accelerator. Knowing instantly what happened, I put the car in neutral, and calmly reached down to remove the mat.
The second time was just dumb, my foot dragged the mat, and it landed on the gas pedal, so the engine raced as I was going 66 on the interstate. Once again, I knew what happened, and I put the car in neutral. Damn near blew the engine, but I was able to remove the mat with my right foot as I slowed down the vehicle.
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