Toyota Recall September 2009 List Includes 3.8 Million Vehicles with Faulty Floor Mats

A New Recall from Toyota Covers a Floor Mat Linked to a Recent San Diego Accident

Ryan Christopher DeVault
A Toyota recall list has been issued to fix Toyota floor mats. The September 2009 Toyota recall also includes 3.8 million vehicles, and encompasses their Lexus brand. According to the Toyota Company's main press website, the problem with the cars is that the floor mat can become entangled with the accelerator pedal. In news out of San Diego, it was this reason that led to the crash of a family driving a Lexus where the floor mat snagged the gas pedal and sent it up to 120 miles per hour before the vehicle crashed into an SUV. The mats have been blamed for that accident, and now the Toyota recall could be one of the biggest in automotive history.

According to the Toyota press release on the floor mat recall, "Recent events have prompted Toyota to take a closer look at the potential for an accelerator pedal to get stuck in the full open position due to an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat." They go on to talk about the dangers of an accelerator pedal being stuck, and that high vehicle speeds can lead to even more dangerous situations. That part is self-explanatory, but leads to their revelation of why the Toyota and Lexus recall has become necessary. They also consider this to be an extremely critical recall, and that anyone with one of the effected vehicles needs to act immediately. The list of affected vehicles is found on page two of this article.

This is a very smart move by Toyota, and one that is probably going to cost them a lot of money in the end. By putting their customer safety ahead of a few extra dollars though, they could be extending a lot of good will to their customer base, and further ensuring that they have repeat consumers using their vehicles. Toyota has also taken steps to educate drivers on what they should do if their car does end up with a stuck accelerator. The most important tip is to press the break pedal and shift the car into neutral, or if it is one of their button-start engines to simply depress the button for a full three seconds to get the engine to turn off. These are both useful steps, and if you wish to read more about the Toyota warnings, I have linked the press release at the end of this article.

The Toyota Recall List

If you have a vehicle on this list, caution needs to be taken, and the floor mats need to be removed.

• 2007 - 2010 Camry
• 2005 - 2010 Avalon
• 2004 - 2009 Prius
• 2005 - 2010 Tacoma
• 2007 - 2010 Tundra
• 2007 - 2010 ES350
• 2006 - 2010 IS250 and IS350

Owners with questions or concerns, are asked to please contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center (1 800 331-4331) or Lexus Customer Assistance Center (1 800 255-3987), or consult the information posted at http://www.toyota.com and http://www.lexus.com.

Source: Toyota Recall press release

Published by Ryan Christopher DeVault - Featured Contributor in Sports

Born in Seattle, Washington, I am a 31 year old college graduate working in the field of Education and Research. I am also a professional freelance writer and news content provider. I can be reached at...   View profile

17 Comments

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  • alejandroB 10/8/2010

    Toyota is nearing completion of all necessary auto repairs and modifications that were needed within the recalls. The business suffered via lost sales and lost reputation as a result of the recalls. The company has updated the brake system to include a failsafe and override, to curb any unintended acceleration within the future. Self-accelerating cars were the issue that led to recalls and outrage. If your Toyota is on the recall list, don't take out a pay day loans to repair the problem, take your vehicle into a Toyota dealership. Customers who experience an accelerator pedal that is hard to depress, slow to return or is unsmooth during operation should drive the vehicle to a save location, shut off the engine and contact a Toyota dealer for assistance.

  • toyota yoda 2/12/2010

    i couldn't find an official toyota talk forum but i found this one....it has all the info about the 2010 Toyota Motor Corp. Recall & Prius Brake Pedal Fix. i found it to be very informative, it has more commentary than just the official toyota recall site.... check it out http://www.ToyotaBrakeRecall.org

  • Michael 1/28/2010

    I have a 2006 Toyota Carolla S; my floor mat used to always bunch up and fold over itself. At one point it folder over the gas pedal and under the breakpedal and when I was pulling into a parking spot - applying the brake - The car accelerated and I jumped the curb and was a foot away from plowing into my uncle's townhome. From the point forward; I threw my floor mat in the trunk; and have had no problems since.

  • Diane 1/22/2010

    I bought a 2003 Toyota Camry new. After a few weeks of driving my new car, hey lo and behold ... the "Camry" floor mat was pushing up against my gas pedal.

    ANSWER: I tore the mat out.

  • kdar 11/29/2009

    they say some experts think it might be something other than the floor mats that make these toyota cars and trucks accelerate uncontrolled my question is they only offer floor mats in north america not europe so do they have any problems there

  • winrar 11/25/2009

    POLICE FAIL NEUTRAL FTW

  • daniel r bills 10/7/2009

    my sister drives a 2003 Toyota rav, I saw a list aqnd wassnt sure if its part of the recall or not. The list was vast and long.

  • Pazsi 9/30/2009

    I have a 2009 Hybrid Camry. I fail to see how the mentioned problem can happen, unless one breaks the carpet hooks and does not replace them. But then don't blame the car manufacturer. May I add that in the wintertime, I place black rubber mats over the factory carpet. Yeah, I have to pull them back occasionally.

  • Ivan 9/30/2009

    Wilson: The police officer whose crash caused the recall did realize the floor mat was pushing on the gas pedal. His next step should've been shifting into neutral. He was a trained professional who was not supposed to panic.

  • Dizzle 9/30/2009

    I must add to my previous comment that my 2006 Corolla did come with 2 clips to hold the floor mat down. They did not work on my car. I found them sliding around by my feet and wondered what they were. I put them in the glove box and until this recall issue came out I realized what they were. http://www.brandsport.com/toy-00206-00801.html

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