1. IntroductionRecalls happen all the time in the auto industry. Some are
glitches that affect things like window switches, radio buttons and
seat recliners. Others, however, involve more complicated components
that directly affect your safety while driving. It's important that all
recalls are handled well by auto manufacturers so that every owner of a
recalled vehicle has the opportunity to get his or her vehicle fixed in
a timely manner. Most of the time, that's exactly what happens.
Sometimes, it doesn't. The situation involving Toyota vehicles that may
experience sudden unintended acceleration is one of those times.
As things stand, the information out there regarding two major
recalls of select Toyota vehicles – one for floormats and another for
sticking accelerator pedals – is confusing, so we've assembled the
Ultimate Toyota Recall Guide for every current owner of an affected
Toyota vehicle and anyone considering the purchase of a Toyota vehicle
in the near future. We hope it aids your understanding of what's going
on, though there are still many unanswered questions so keep coming
back to this page as we update its content on a daily basis.
2. Ongoing Coverage
- Click here to read Autoblog's ongoing, up-to-the-minute Toyota recall coverage
- Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed of Toyota recall coverage
3. The RecallsInformation obtained from
recalls.gov.
1. Floormat RecallsDate: October 5, 2009 | January 27, 2010
NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V-388 | 10V023000
Potential Number of Units Affected: Appx. 4.9 million
Affected Models Years | Make | Model |
2007–2010 | Lexus | ES350 |
2006–2010 | Lexus | IS |
2005–2010 | Toyota | Avalon |
2009–2010 | Toyota | Corolla |
2007–2010 | Toyota | Camry |
2008–2010 | Toyota | Highlander |
2009–2010 | Toyota | Matrix |
2004–2009 | Toyota | Prius |
2005–2010 | Toyota | Tacoma |
2007–2010 | Toyota | Tundra |
2009–2010 | Toyota | Venza |
2009–2010 | Pontiac | Vibe |
Description: Accelerator pedal can get stuck in
the wide open throttle position due to its being trapped by an
unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
Who to Call: 1-800-331-4331 (Toyota), 1-800-255-3987 (Lexus)
The Fix: Toyota's temporary floormat recall fix step-by-step 2. Sticking Pedal RecallGallery: Toyota's Recalled Pedal Assembly Close-Up[Images: AOL Autos]Date: January 21, 2010
NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V017000
Potential Number of Units Affected: 2.3 million
Affected Vehicles Years | Make | Model |
2009–2010 | Toyota | RAV4 |
2009-2010 | Toyota | Corolla |
2009-2010 | Toyota | Matrix |
2009-2010 | Pontiac | Vibe |
2005–2010 | Toyota | Avalon |
2007–2010 | Toyota | Camry |
2010 | Toyota | Highlander |
2007-2010 | Toyota | Tundra |
2008–2010 | Toyota | Sequoia |
Description: The sliding surface of the friction
lever inside the accelerator pedal mechanism may become smooth during
vehicle operation. If condensation occurs on this surface, as may
happen from heater operation (without A/C) when the pedal assembly is
cold, the friction when the accelerator pedal is operated may increase,
which may result in the pedal becoming harder to depress, slower to
return, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially
depressed position.
Who to Call: 1-800-331-4331 (Toyota)
The Fix: Toyota's remedy for recalled pedals announcedWhat Toyota Says: Recall FAQ 3. Prius/HS 250h Brake RecallDate: February 8, 2010
NHTSA Campaign Number: 10V039000
Potential Number of Units Affected: 400,000 worldwide (147,500 in U.S.)
Affected Models Years | Make | Model |
2010 | Toyota | Prius |
2010 | Lexus | HS 250h |
Description: Inconsistent brake feel after
ABS actuation during slow and steady application of the brakes on rough
or slick road surfaces. Stopping distances may be increased compared
with a customer's expectation for a given pedal force.
Who to Call: 1-800-331-4331 (Toyota)
The Fix: Software upgrade
4. TimelineWhile
reports of sudden unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles can be
traced back many years, events leading up to the automaker's two latest
recalls involving floormats and sticky accelerator pedals began back in
2007 with a relatively small recall of 55,000 models of the Lexus ES350
and Toyota Camry. It wasn't until August 2009 – two years later – that
a crash involving a Lexus ES350 in which a California Highway Patrol
officer and three family members were killed that Toyota's problem with
sudden unintended acceleration attracted national attention. Use the
timeline below to see where things have lead from there.
5. The Fallout | Consumer Reports yanks Recommended status on recalled ToyotasThis could help quell some criticism against Consumer Reports being biased in favor of Toyota when handing out its valuable "Recommended" status to vehicles. The popular consumer products review magazine announced today that it has temporarily suspended Recommended status for all eight vehicles ... |
| New GM incentives aimed at stealing irked Toyota owners, rental firms pulling recalled models We're honestly tired of writing about Toyota and its recall-to-end-all-recalls, but the news keeps coming so our fingers get no rest. Just like the Honda dealer in Dallas that's apparently hoping to gain a few extra customers at Toyota's expense (above), General Motors has announced a new ... |
| Report: UAW, Teamsters plan D.C. rally against Toyota How much Toyota news can you take in one week? Put another way, how much negative press can Toyota absorb? First there was the massive recall, then there was the sales and manufacturing freeze. And now there's this this: The UAW and the Teamsters are planning to rally outside the Japanese ... |
| Hyundai matches incentives for Toyota customers from Ford, GM Mired in what is officially a nightmarish recall fiasco, Toyota's getting gang-tackled as it wraps up a really bad week. General Motors, smelling blood in the water, is offering incentives specifically targeting Toyota drivers through the end of February. Likewise, Ford is adding $1,000 to the ... |
| Chrysler jumps on bandwagon, offers incentives to Toyota customers Earlier this week, General Motors announced that it would offer special incentives to Toyota owners in an effort to capitalize on the Japanese automaker's recent recall troubles. Ford and Hyundai ... |
| Toyota loses $21B in market share in one week, plans media blitz this week After a long spell as the apple of the media's eye, Toyota is now officially in the bad news barrel. So far the Japanese automaker has announced the recall of 5.3 million vehicles for floor mat issues ... |
| Pedal Power: Toyota sales fall 16% in January We'll have our By the Numbers report for January sales ready in about an hour, but in the meantime, we thought you'd like to know how Toyota sales fared considering, well... everything that's going ... |
| Transportion Sec. says stop driving recalled Toyotas, then retracts statement Appearing before a House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation this morning, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that Toyota owners should "stop driving" their recalled vehicles until they're fixed. "We need to fix the problem so people don't have to worry about disengaging the ... |
| Has Toyota's brand perception eroded below that of Hummer? At least one survey thinks so Those of you who are still following our ongoing coverage of the Toyota recall saga already know that the Japanese automaker has taken a direct blow to the chin when it comes to consumer perception. But just how low has Toyota sunk? Naturally, that depends on who you ask and on how much weight ... |