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Table of Contents

Introduction
Ongoing Coverage
The Recalls
Timeline
The Fallout
Multimedia
What To Do If Your Car Suddenly Accelerates

1. Introduction

Recalls 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 Recalls
Information obtained from recalls.gov.

1. Floormat Recalls

Date: 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 Recall

Gallery: 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 announced

What Toyota Says: Recall FAQ

3. Prius/HS 250h Brake Recall

Date: 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. Timeline

While 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.

Date	Headline
9/26/2007	Toyota Recalls 55,000 Vehicles Over Floormats
8/28/2009	Four People Killed When Lexus ES350 Suddenly Accelerates
9/29/2009	Toyota Recalls Additional 3.8M Vehicles Over Floormats (Largest Toyota Recall Ever)
10/8/2009	Temporary Solution For Recalled Floormats Announced: Zip Ties
11/3/2009	ABC News investigates Toyota Sudden Unintended Acceleration
11/6/2009	NHTSA Asserts Floormats Do Not Address Underlying Defect
11/9/2009	Class Action Lawsuit Filed Over Runaway Toyotas
11/25/2009	Permanent Solution For Recalled Floormats Announced: Reshape, Replace Pedals
1/12/2010	Toyota Announces Brake Override Systems For All Vehicles By End of 2010
1/21/2010	Toyota Recalls 2.3M Vehicles Over Sticking Accelerator Pedals
1/26/2010	Toyota Halts Sales of Eight Models Recalled Over Sticking Accelerator Pedal
1/27/2010	Replacement Pedals Begin Reaching Assembly Plants
1/28/2010	Additional 1.1M Vehicles Added to Floormat Recall
1/28/2010	First House Hearing to Investigate Pedal Recall Scheduled for Feb. 25
1/29/2010	Pedal Recall Expands To Include 1.8M Vehicles in Europe
1/29/2010	Second House Hearing to Investigate Pedal Recall Scheduled for Feb. 10
1/29/2010	Toyota CEO issues apology
1/30/2010	Toyota Begins Shipping Replacement Accelerator Pedals to Dealers
1/31/2010	Class Action Lawsuit filed Over Recalled Toyotas
1/31/2010	Toyota's remedy for recalled pedals announced
2/4/2010	Toyota admits Prius had a braking problem, U.S. opens probe
2/5/2010	Toyota President apologizes again, will head committee to improve quality
2/4/2010	Toyota recalls 2010 Prius and Lexus HS 250h for brake fix

5. The Fallout

	Consumer Reports yanks Recommended status on recalled Toyotas This 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 ...

6. Multimedia

VIDEO: Toyota dealer demonstrates recalled pedal fix

VIDEO: Toyota Pedal Recall Closeup

VIDEO: Toyota Recall Mea Culpa TV Spot

VIDEO: Jim Lentz Talks About Sticking Accelerator Pedal Recall

VIDEO: Toyota Pres. Jim Lentz Talks to Customers

VIDEO: Toyota Pres. Jim Lentz on Today Show

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

VIDEO: Toyota pres. Jim Lentz denies coverup

VIDEO: Steve Wozniak clarifies statement on Prius problems

7. What To Do If Your Car Suddenly Accelerates

What Toyota Says
Each circumstance may vary, and drivers must use their best judgment, but Toyota recommends taking one of the following actions:

If you need to stop immediately, the vehicle can be controlled by stepping on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for the power brake assist.

Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine.

If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.

If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button.

If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.

What Consumer Reports Says

Click to view How to Cope with Sudden Unintended Acceleration (PDF)

Autoblog Podcast #194 - Bentley Continental, Lamborghini teaser, Mexico's Mastretta and budget Toyota sports cars

It's Episode #194 of the Autoblog Podcast, and Chris, Sam and Dan talk about the 2011 Bentley Continental, what Lamborghini has in store for the Paris Motor Show, Mexico's Mastretta MXT and budget sports cars from Toyota. Two questions cap it at just over an hour this week. Thanks for listening!