Wipe your feet: Toyota recalls 55,000 floor mats
Toyota plans to recall 55,000 all-weather floor mats that have been blamed for unintended acceleration in 40 complaint reports collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Owners who filed complaints reported their floor mats, which should normally be secured by clips, had become stuck under the acceleration pedal. Toyota, however, has said that in some cases these all-weather mats were merely placed on top of the standard floor mats, rather than being secured with their clips. Regardless, the sticking floor mats have led to eight crashes and 12 injuries. Though only affecting floor mats sold with the Lexus ES 350 and 2007/08 Toyota Camry, the NHTSA is also warning Toyota Prius, Avalon, RAV4 and Tacoma owners to check and make sure their floor mats are properly secured. The potential for an accident to occur is much greater in the Lexus ES 350, however, because it's equipped with a push-button ignition so that the engine cannot simply be turned off by a key if an owner experiences unintended acceleration.
Toyota will notify owners of the affected vehicles in October and replace the floormats in November. If you own a Toyota or Lexus and opted for the all-weather floor mats, check to make sure they're secure before your next drive.
[Source: Detroit Free Press]
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Biff Baxter All American 2:39PM (9/26/2007)
I'd comment on this, but the irony is too delicious to spoil.
A $10 gift certificate to McDonald's for the first poster who blames it on the Big 3.
Reply
Menice 3:07PM (9/26/2007)
if the big 3 had just made non all weather floor mats to begin with, then toyota wouldnt have had to be competitive and buy theirs from china.
there, the big 3 and china to blame in 1 sentence
john 8:45PM (9/26/2007)
GM sent secret agent Bob Jefferson to Toyota's factory, and replaced the molds with ones that create a 0.2" thicker floor mat.
Hence the jamming problem.
You go GM secret agent man!
rem83 2:44PM (9/26/2007)
Huh, I never even contemplated the possibility that a car with push-button ignition would not have some type of kill switch...yikes, I think I'll stick with keys for a while longer.
Reply
willem 2:47PM (9/26/2007)
Toy's well on its way to recalling more cars than they sell. Driving a Toy just might take your life.
Reply
MooseMuffin 3:10PM (9/26/2007)
You're right. This recall of zero cars just might push them over that line.
mike m 2:53PM (9/26/2007)
You mean to tell me that it wasn't the soft drink bottle, or the plastic utensils, or the many napkins, or the empty pizza box that caused me to crash into the take-out intercom at my local drive-thru?? Phew!!
Wait a second, I don't drive a Toyota!
Reply
Non-Bizarro Adam 3:00PM (9/26/2007)
I don't care what you drive, if you don't have enough sense to know that your floor mat is sliding around under your accelerator, and end up crashing, you are an idiot, and it is not the car manufacturers fault.
I have had a car "unintentionally accelerate" before, a stuck throttle cable left my engine racing for redline. You know what I did? I stood on the brake with my left foot while alternately kicking and then trying to pry up the gas pedal with my right foot. After a couple good kicks, and after slowing considerably, the gas pedal came free. And that car had somewhere north of 400hp. If a car with drum brakes managed to haul down a 400hp V8, I am thinking the 4 wheel discs on a Camry could stop the ES350 or the Camry despite the best efforts of their V6. I am not saying that the cars shouldn't be recalled, I just find it silly that people allowed themselves to crash for this stupid a reason.
Reply
04A4 5:00PM (9/26/2007)
that sticking throttle cable wouldn't happen to have been in an 04 Mustang cobra would it?
Menice 3:09PM (9/26/2007)
because it's equipped with a push-button ignition so that the engine cannot simply be turned off by a key if an owner experiences unintended acceleration
ok never thought about it, but how do you then shut it off? is there no quick way?
Reply
paul34 3:44PM (9/26/2007)
Well, other than the fact I find it a little funny since these guys suffer the consequences of the automatic tranny (otherwise you could just slam the clutch), an auto won't kill you either.
You just push the shifter into neutral. In most cars, Toyotas included, you don't need to push in the brake pedal to go from D--> N. Just make sure you don't go from N --> D while the car is still moving. Very bad for the tranny.
I don't get it why people are incapable of thinking. Oh wait, that's right... because they drive cars that are automatic in every way. They have no idea of even how to add washer fluid to their car.
I'm surprised not one of those people thought to just go into neutral then hit the brakes. Not that hard.
But then again, if they let their mats bunch up in the first place, I'm guessing they're not really the type to care about their cars in even the most remote way anway.
I can't tell you, as a valet, how many cars I see with those rEALLY REALLY cheap mats. The really thin kind? I see them bunching up under the pedals all the time. Not to a big deal to bunch up under the accelerator, but DEFINITELY a huge deal if its blocking the brake pedal.
Sometimes its so bad I have to actually use my hands and adjust the mat before I can drive it.
What's even worse is that my dad buys those types of cheap Wal-Mart mats for his cars. Ugh.
I buy cheap Wallie world all-weather mats, but I get the very heavy, thick kinds which I cut myself so that they're not blocking my pedals or riding up. I do have adjust it every once in a while, but the way I have it cut, the dead pedal sort of holds it back from riding it up to much.
And since they're so thick/heavy, they don't "bunch" up.
Gary Z 4:30PM (9/26/2007)
I think you put the floor mat on the brake pedal to kill it.
krew 8:26PM (9/26/2007)
FYI, you need to hold the push-button down for at least three seconds for an emergency shutdown.
toasty 3:13PM (9/26/2007)
Believe it or not, this cause was blamed for a co-worker's accident in an 07 tacoma....
what's the problem with that you say? THE TRUCK DID NOT HAVE THE ALL WEATHER FLOORMATS. in these instances, a tap of the BRAKE pedal sent the truck screaming down the road.
Reply
Menice 3:54PM (9/26/2007)
i'm lost... the brake peddle?
calguy 3:35PM (9/26/2007)
I have long thought the whole trend for pushbutton 'ON' systems seemed silly. Just one more pause while the shebang gets going.
NOW, after reading that, I'm convinced, they are super dumb. One would think the birth rate would be going down if people are sooo lazy they can't even stick it in and twist.
Reply
VW-Guy 3:53PM (9/26/2007)
See, that's the problem today. People are just 'going off' as soon as they stick it in. No twisting or repeated pushing in required.
Brian 3:45PM (9/26/2007)
The mats even say right on them- "do not install on top of carpeted mats" and come with the clips. How stupid can some people be?
Reply
porker 3:49PM (9/26/2007)
So how do you turn off the engine on a lexus ES350? Say, "Stop you d**** japanese sh**box" in japanese?
Reply
mike m 3:52PM (9/26/2007)
Guys, stop taking pot-shots at Toyota owner!! These are simple cars for very simple people. Shit happens!
Reply