Toyota’s Recall: Dangerous Gas Pedals

Toyota is now in the middle of a massive recall for its defective floor mats and gas pedals. The nationwide recall of Camry, Avalon, Prius, Tundra, Tacoma and Lexus’ later models came on the wake of a tragic car accident caused by unintended acceleration which took the life of a veteran California Highyway Patrol officer and his entire family. Owners of affected Toyota models have been advised to take out the driver-side floor mat and to wait for Toyota’s direct notification of the recall by the end of the year. Reports and the investigations following the CHP officer’s death revealed that rubber all-weather floor mat found in the wreckage could have snared or covered the gas pedal. Likewise, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that there is an "underlying defect" involving the design of the accelerator pedal and the driver's foot-well.

The recall is a massive blow to Toyota’s outstanding reputation for quality. The Japanese car manufacturer is also the world’s biggest automaker. Its president, Akio Toyoda has expressed remorse for the death of the CHP officer and his family. According to the NHTSA, there have been 14 fatalities and eight injuries caused by sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles since 2002. There is also a safety consultant in Massachusetts who has found that there are more than 2,000 incidents with 16 deaths and 243 injuries because of Toyota’s gas pedals.

Buying a car is a very important investment and consumers always put their faith and money in the automakers’ claims of quality cars. But the truth is, while car makers have a reputation to uphold, their desire to make a profit is still their priority. Toyota is now in hot water for failing to address its consumer’s issues and complaints about the sudden acceleration of its trucks and cars as early as 2002. If they only acted sooner, the recall wouldn’t have been as massive as it is today and perhaps the lives would have been spared.

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