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Are Floor Mats to Blame?
The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported 102 incident reports involving Toyota and Lexus vehicles in which the accelerator became stuck. The investigation took a tragic turn after an August 2009 fatal highway crash in California. In this tragic case, the accelerator pedal of a Lexus ES 350 became stuck, causing the car to reach speeds in excess of 120 mph. Four individuals, including a California Highway Patrol officer, were killed in the accident.
Toyota Motors, after blaming the drivers or operators then blamed the floor mats as the source of the problem stating that If not secured properly using the provided retention hooks, the mats can slide forward causing the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably resulting in serious injury, property damage, and death.
This has been questioned by consumers as well as automotive experts as some drivers that experienced sudden acceleration stated that the floor mats were secured properly and that the accelerator pedal did not get jammed under the floor mat.
Toyota Motors then included the accelerator pedals in the recall and proposed the following remedy:
The shape of the accelerator pedal will be reconfigured to address the risk of floor mat entrapment, even when an older-design all-weather floor mat or other inappropriate floor mat is improperly attached, or is placed on top of another floor mat. For the ES350, Camry, and Avalon models involved, the shape of the floor surface underneath will also be reconfigured to increase the space between the accelerator pedal and the floor.
Vehicles with any genuine Toyota or Lexus accessory all-weather floor mat will be provided with newly-designed replacement driver- and front passenger-side all-weather floor mats.
In addition, as a separate measure independent of the vehicle-based remedy, Toyota will install a brake override system onto the involved Camry, Avalon, and Lexus ES 350, IS350 and IS 250 models as an extra measure of confidence. This system cuts engine power in case of simultaneous application of both the accelerator and brake pedals.
If you or a loved one have been injured or suffered a loss due to a recalled Toyota you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Toyota Recall Lawyers of Carabin Shaw today by filling out the form on this page or calling 800-862-1260.
Toyota Motors, after blaming the drivers or operators then blamed the floor mats as the source of the problem stating that If not secured properly using the provided retention hooks, the mats can slide forward causing the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably resulting in serious injury, property damage, and death.
This has been questioned by consumers as well as automotive experts as some drivers that experienced sudden acceleration stated that the floor mats were secured properly and that the accelerator pedal did not get jammed under the floor mat.
Toyota Motors then included the accelerator pedals in the recall and proposed the following remedy:
The shape of the accelerator pedal will be reconfigured to address the risk of floor mat entrapment, even when an older-design all-weather floor mat or other inappropriate floor mat is improperly attached, or is placed on top of another floor mat. For the ES350, Camry, and Avalon models involved, the shape of the floor surface underneath will also be reconfigured to increase the space between the accelerator pedal and the floor.
Vehicles with any genuine Toyota or Lexus accessory all-weather floor mat will be provided with newly-designed replacement driver- and front passenger-side all-weather floor mats.
In addition, as a separate measure independent of the vehicle-based remedy, Toyota will install a brake override system onto the involved Camry, Avalon, and Lexus ES 350, IS350 and IS 250 models as an extra measure of confidence. This system cuts engine power in case of simultaneous application of both the accelerator and brake pedals.
If you or a loved one have been injured or suffered a loss due to a recalled Toyota you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Toyota Recall Lawyers of Carabin Shaw today by filling out the form on this page or calling 800-862-1260.
