Toyota recalls 3.8 million U.S. Toyota & Lexus models
September 30, 2009 by Alborz Fallah
Something as simple as floor mats has caused the world’s biggest manufacturer to plan a recall of 3.8 million cars. Toyota is planning to recall Toyota and Lexus models in the United States for the largest ever recall in the company’s history.
The issue? Floor mats that may snag accelerator pedals and cause vehicles to accelerate at high speeds.
The issue was raised when four people were killed in a Lexus in San Diego last month. Before the crash, a passenger inside the brand new Lexus ES350 had called emergency and told dispatchers that the accelerator pedal was stuck and the car was speeding at up to 200km/h.
Although the investigation into the accident is still continuing, Irv Miller, a spokesman for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc said a floor mat catching on the accelerator may have caused that crash.
The cars which are affected (U.S. models only) 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.
While U.S. authorities have urged owners to remove the drivers’ floor mat Toyota U.S.A has told owners that incase a mat does catch on the pedal, owners should pull back the mat and dislodge it. If the mat doesn’t dislodge, owners should step firmly on the brake pedal with both feet, shift into neutral or as a last resort turn off the engine.
This is not the first time Toyota U.S.A. has had issues with floor mats, in September 2007 the Big T recalled an all-weather floor mat from particular 2007 and 2008 Lexus ES 350 and Toyota Camry vehicles due to similar issues.
Australian Lexus or Toyota customers have nothing to worry about as the recall does not affect Australian delivered vehicles.
Print it: 
This happens a lot with various manufactures. My Subaru had the same recall about 2 years ago.
So perhaps Toyota should have checked theirs based on that Tim :)
Aren’t they screwed into the carpet ?
What a horrible way to go. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I was the numpty that designed the floormats….
Scissors beats paper. Rock beats scissors. Brake pedal beats accelerator, every time. No amount of throttle can overcome firmly clamped brakes. Audi convinced a US court of that in the famous “Unintended Acceleration” scandal years ago.
I’m sorry, but how can people be so stupid? If the driver was so palsied with fear, perhaps the well-meaning passenger might have nudged the gear selector into Neutral instead of howling down the mobile to 911.
Worthy Darwin Award recipients?
wtf? why not just put it into neutral? or make it stall it’s self? better then dying
Exactly what I was thinking.
Or press brake or use hand brake
People obviously don’t know how to use their cars.
You would place the car out of drive and then apply the brake.
I was taught this during my driver training when going for my licence.
Ain’t it so? Instead…(picks up telephone)…”Hellowwwwwwwww? Is this Nine One One? (You’ve just dialled it, Ma’am, you havin’ a nice day there, y’all?) Oh My Gaaaaaaaaaaaaad , we’re in this brand nooooooooo corrrrrrrrr, mah frinz and ahhhh, and it’s goin’ faster and FAAAAAAAAASTER and we can’t stop it, just send somebody, THIS IS AN EMER…(Ma’am…Ma’am…you there? Oh well, have a nice day, y’all)…….”
Fail at being funny. Sorry brah.
I had fun, Tim. That’s all that counts.
You did good GS. V.funi.
I think we need to reword some of our Blonde and Irish jokes. Well overdue, no?
Q. How many Americans does it take to change a light globe?
A. Four. One to steer whilst the other three dial 911.
Not a bad attempt Golfie. With a little refinement we’ll all be in stitches!
Gold. Stupid seppos call 911 – put it in neutral or turn the key off, oh hang on dont tell them to turn the key off they’d probably turn it off all the way and lock the steering. Another form of Darwinism.
I like the ES350 pictured. Why don’t we have these in Australia? Also, I couldn’t agree with everyone else more. As if you wouldn’t put it in neutral or stall or turn off the ignition. Maybe when the pedal became lodged and it kept going faster they thought “OOOOOHHH this could be my only excuse to ever get to drive this fast. Better make the most of it.”
I am not going to call them idiots, that would be slac. There must be another reasons though.
“The cars which are affected (U.S. models only) are 2007 to 2010 Camrys;”
How do you a recall a 2010 car that hasn’t been made yet?
Don’t show your ignorance. MY10 cars are on the roads everywhere.
Hmm, the septics are an interesting lot when it comes to common sense.
A floor mat, weighing all of 120gm at the corner, has crept onto the throttle and kept it floored (I say impossible to this), however, given that the throttle is now fully floored, and the car is gathering pace….A passenger has enough time to decide to call 911, but the driver doesn’t have enough time to
a)put foot on brake harder and harder till car stops
b)put both feet on brake and press even harder if car is not stopping
c)put gearstick into neutral, let engine rev its tits off while the foot on brake is dramatically slowing the now driveless car
d)perhaps but not essential – since the car is now slowing dramatically the key might be turned off before the pistons exit the block
e)the now lacking power steering and power brakes should be a lot less scary than watching the final collision approaching.
Yep, Toyota/Lexus will rue not vetting their customers……the JD Power rating that frequently sees lexus near the top will now see lexus at the bottom.
Amazing… floormats,
Speaking of Toyota, had a workmate tour their facilities, every 100sec a car rolls out of their plant and thats delayed, they can do it in 80sec or less.
Speaking of issues, with a push of a button they can halt the entire production process if they find a issue no matter how small or big, this happens ~10 times a day. Those who raise this get monetary rewards for doing so…
Looking back in this article I wonder how the US plants behave…
They have fat bastards sitting on their asses complaining about how they are making a japanese import and how they could have been making the new Taurus or the new Malibu. The quality must be really low because if a silly car mat can kill a person i hate to think what the car as a whole could do? Oh yeah and i agree with all on the blog, why not just go Neutral or turn off the engine. And btw how do floor mats get stuck on a pedal and how do they hold it in place to accelerate???? please tell?
1 car every 80 seconds is nothing. The daily record at Ford in a single shift is 547 cars or about 75 cars per hour. And their floor mates don’t cause accelerator pedals to jam.
Stupid Toyota and stupid Yanks
Floor mats, maybe not.
But Ford and its Explorer tyres were probably the world’s most expensive car manufacturer fault, and Ford kept on selling them even when faced with mounting, irrefutable evidence.
At least Tomota is recalling, Ford had to be dragged through the courts.
So, we need to add: Stupid Ford
hahaha this must be a joke? Dying cos the accelerator is stuck lol
The comeday of the year…
And now I need to go to the hospital. My erection just slammed into the underside of my desk at an alarming speed.