NEWS:  Toyota expanding recall by another 1 million vehicles

YAHOO NEWS -- Jan 27, 2010 -- Toyota Motor Corp late on Wednesday said it is expanding a recall of its cars and trucks by another 1.1 million vehicles to address the risk of accelerator pedals becoming dangerously stuck.

The recall involves 2009-2010 model year Corolla, Venza, Matrix vehicles and the 2008-2010 Highlander, as well as the 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe. The Vibe had been assembled at a plant in California that Toyota had operated jointly with GM.

Toyota told federal officials of the expanded recall on Wednesday.  It is the second high-profile safety action in less than a week for the automaker. 

Last week, Toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles that it said may have a faulty accelerator pedal that sticks.  Last year, Toyota said it was recalling more than 4 million vehicles for what it then said were safety risks linked to improperly placed floormats.  In November, after the issue was investigated by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Toyota said it would also modify or replace accelerator pedals as well. 

The total number of recalled Toyotas in 2009 and 2010 now stands at 5.9 million. There are some models involved in last week's as well as last year's recall.  In a letter to the NHTSA on Wednesday, Toyota said its plan is to modify or replace accelerator pedals. Modifying vehicle floors also will be considered on some models, Toyota said.

"Initially, dealers will be instructed on how to reshape the accelerator pedal for the repair," Toyota's letter to U.S. safety regulators said.  "As replacement parts...become available, they will be made available to the dealers," Toyota said

Models covered by the latest GAS PEDAL recall include the
 JANUARY 25, 2010

• 2009-10 RAV4
• 2009-10 Corolla
• 2007-10 Camry
• 2009-10 Matrix
• 2005-10 Avalon
• 2010 Highlander
• 2007-10 Tundra
• 2008-10 Sequoia

Models ADDED to the latest FLOOR MAT recall include the
 JANUARY 27, 2010

• 2009-10 Corolla
• 2009-10 Venza
• 2009-10 Matrix
• 2008-2010 Highlander
• 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe

Models covered by the original FLOOR MAT recall include
 NOVEMBER 21, 2009

• 2007-2010 Toyota Camry
• 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon
• 2004-2009 Toyota Prius
• 2005-2010 Tacoma
• 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra
• 2007-2010 Lexus ES350
• 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350

NEWS:  Toyota halts US sales of 8 recalled models

YAHOO NEWS -- Jan 26, 2010 -- Toyota is suspending U.S. sales of eight car and truck models to fix sticking gas pedals and halting production lines at plants from Texas to Canada to deal with the problem, the latest to confront the world's No. 1 automaker.

The suspended sales, announced Tuesday, involve a significant portion of Toyota Motor Co.'s fleet and some of its most popular vehicles, including the Camry and Corolla. As part of the plan, Toyota is halting some production at five assembly plants beginning the week of Feb. 1 "to assess and coordinate activities."

There are 2.3 million vehicles involved in the recall, which was announced last week. Toyota has said it was unaware of any accidents or injuries due to the pedal problems associated with the recall, but could not rule them out for sure.

"This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized," said Bob Carter, Toyota's group vice president and general manager.

The Japanese automaker said the sales suspension includes the following models: the 2009-2010 RAV4, the 2009-2010 Corolla, the 2007-2010 Camry, the 2009-2010 Matrix, the 2005-2010 Avalon, the 2010 Highlander, the 2007-2010 Tundra and the 2008-2010 Sequoia.

Models covered by the latest recall include the

• 2009-10 RAV4
• 2009-10 Corolla
• 2007-10 Camry
• 2009-10 Matrix
• 2005-10 Avalon
• 2010 Highlander
• 2007-10 Tundra
• 2008-10 Sequoia

Aaron Bragman, an auto analyst for the consulting firm IHS Global Insight in Troy, Mich., said Toyota typically sells about 65,000 Camrys and Corollas a month, and the frozen sales could strike the company's bottom line and reputation for quality.

"That's huge if they can't sell these and they don't have a fix identified. They need to go and get a solution to this fast," Bragman said.

Toyota sold more than 34,000 Camrys in December, making the midsize sedan America's best-selling car. It commands 3.4 percent of the U.S. market and sales rose 38 percent from a year earlier. Sales of the Corolla and Matrix, a small sedan and a hatchback, totaled 34,220 last month, with 3.3 percent of the market and sales up nearly 55 percent from December of 2008.

It was unclear how long Toyota would suspend production of the vehicles. In an e-mail to employees, company officials said, "we don't know yet how long this pause will last but we will make every effort to resume production soon."

Toyota officials did not immediately return phone messages.

The automaker said the move would affect plants in Princeton, Ind., Lafayette, Ind., Georgetown, Ky., San Antonio, Texas, and a facility in Ontario, Canada. About 300 workers who build V8 engines at a Toyota plant in Huntsville, Ala., will also be affected, said Stephanie Deemer, a spokeswoman for the plant.

Deemer said workers there would have the option of receiving additional training, take vacation or unpaid leave.

Toyota said no other North American Toyota facility would be affected by the decision.

Toyota dealers said they were concerned the move would hamper sales and were hopeful parts to fix the problem could be distributed quickly.

"They're going the extra mile to reassure people that they really care about the customers," said Earl Stewart, owner of a Toyota dealership in North Palm Beach, Fla. "It is something that's going to be at least a short-term hardship on the dealers, and especially on Toyota."

The auto company said the sales suspension would not affect Lexus or Scion vehicles. Toyota said the Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser and select Camry models, including all Camry hybrids, would remain for sale.

Toyota said last week it was recalling 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S. to fix accelerator pedals with mechanical problems that could cause them to become stuck.

The announcement followed a larger recall months earlier of 4.2 million vehicles because of problems with gas pedals becoming trapped under floor mats, causing sudden acceleration. That problem was the cause of several crashes, including some fatalities.

NEWS:   Toyota issues new recall for 2.3M vehicles over sticking pedals

YAHOO NEWS – Jan 21, 2010 -- Toyota Motor Corp said on Thursday it would recall 2.3 million vehicles in the United States to fix potentially faulty accelerator pedals in an admission of more wide-ranging problems with dangerous acceleration in its cars and trucks.

The recall marked an acknowledgment that potential safety problems on Toyota vehicles run deeper than the automaker had first announced and broadened a recall that already ranked as its largest ever.

The moves have threatened to damage Toyota's reputation for market-leading quality and safety at a time when the automaker's U.S. sales remain under pressure.

Toyota had previously maintained that there was no evidence of a mechanical fault linked to reports of bursts of unintended acceleration that prompted the recall of about 4.2 million vehicles last year.

The recall announced on Thursday is separate from the earlier action that Toyota said was aimed at addressing the risk that the accelerator pedals could become entrapped by loose or improperly installed floor mats. About 1.7 million Toyota vehicles are subject to both recalls, Toyota said.

Models covered by the latest recall include the

• 2009-10 RAV4
• 2009-10 Corolla
• 2009-10 Matrix
• 2005-10 Avalon
• 2007-10 Camry
• 2010 Highlander
• 2007-10 Tundra
• 2008-10 Sequoia

The 2009-10 Pontiac Vibe -- which was assembled at the same factory as the Matrix -- is also going to be recalled.  

Toyota said its own investigation in recent months had found that some accelerator pedals on those Toyota brand models might stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to idle. The problems could occur when the pedal mechanism becomes worn, it said.

"Toyota will continue to investigate incidents of unwanted acceleration and take appropriate measures to address any trends that are identified," it said in a statement.  As recently as November,.... Toyota's U.S. brand chief, had said there was "no evidence" to support claims that the reported safety problems could be caused by anything other than loose floor mats interfering with the accelerator pedal.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had received reports of 100 incidents at the time of Toyota's first recall. Those reports included 17 crashes and five fatalities possibly linked to floor mats and accelerator pedals in Toyota cars and trucks.

Toyota's earlier recall covers the Camry and Avalon sedans, the Prius hybrid, the Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks, and the luxury Lexus models IS250, IS350 and ES350.  NHTSA had conducted a similar investigation of floor mats in Toyota vehicles that began in 2007 and resulted in a recall of more than 50,000 cars.  That probe focused on the Lexus ES350 and concluded that grooves in the floor mat could trap the accelerator if the mat was not secured with retaining hooks.

JANUARY 2010 - Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Avalon, model year 2007-2010 Camry, model year 2009-2010 Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Rav4, model year 2010 Highlander, model year 2008-2010 Sequoia, and model year 2007-2010 Tundra vehicles. Due to the manner in which the friction lever interacts with the sliding surface of the accelerator pedal inside the pedal sensor assembly, the sliding surface of the lever may become smooth during vehicle operation. In this condition, if condensation occurs on the surface, as may occur 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 accelerator pedal becoming harder to depress, slower to return, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position. The accelerator pedal may become hard to depress, slow to return to idle, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will install a reinforcement bar in the accelerator pedal which will allow the pedal to operate smoothly. GM will notify owners for the Pontiac Vibe please see 10V-018. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin early February and will be completed in late April 2010. 10V-017

OCTOBER 2009 -- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2010 passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat. A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death. Toyota will notify owners of affected vehicles to remove any driver's floor mat and not replace it with any other floor mat pending the development of model-specific remedies. Toyota will mail a second notification to owners of affected vehicles notifying them of the free remedy when it is available. The first notice was mailed on October 30, 2009 and Toyota will advise NHTSA an estimate of the date when the remedy parts will be available.    09V-388

NEWS:   Toyota to recall 3.8M vehicles over floor mats

September 29, 2009 -- Yahoo News – Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it will recall 3.8 million vehicles in the United States, the company's largest-ever U.S. recall, to address problems with a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to get stuck and lead to a crash.

The recall will involve popular models such as the Toyota Camry, the top-selling passenger car in America, and the Toyota Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid.

Toyota said it was still working with officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find a remedy to fix the problem and said owners could be notified about the recall as early as next week. Toyota spokesman Irv Miller said until the company finds a fix, owners should take out the removable floor mat on the driver's side and not replace it.

"A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop a vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death," Miller said.

NHTSA said it had received reports of 102 incidents in which the accelerator may have become stuck on the Toyota vehicles involved. It was unclear how many led to crashes but the inquiry was prompted by a highspeed crash in August in California of a Lexus barreling out of control. As the vehicle hit speeds exceeding 120 mph, family members made a frantic 911 call and said the accelerator was stuck and they couldn't stop the vehicle.

"This is an urgent matter," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. "For everyone's sake, we strongly urge owners of these vehicles to remove mats or other obstacles that could lead to unintended acceleration."

The recall will affect

• 2007-2010 Toyota Camry
• 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon
• 2004-2009 Toyota Prius
• 2005-2010 Tacoma
• 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra
• 2007-2010 Lexus ES350
• 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350.

Toyota's previously largest U.S. recall was about 900,000 vehicles in 2005 to fix a steering issue. The company declined to say how many complaints it had received about the accelerator issue.

The Japanese automaker warned owners that if they think their vehicle is accelerating out of control, they should check to see whether their floor mat is under the pedal. If a driver can't remove the floor mat, Toyota advises drivers to step on the brake pedal with both feet until the vehicle slows and then try to put it into neutral and switch the ignition to accessory power.

For vehicles with engine start/stop buttons, Toyota said the engine can be shut off by holding the button down for three seconds.

In the August incident near San Diego, the fiery crash of a 2009 Lexus ES 350 killed California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor, 45, and three members of his family on State Route 125 in Santee. The runaway car was traveling at more than 120 mph when it hit a sport utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames. One of the family members called police about a minute before the crash to report the vehicle had no brakes and the accelerator was stuck. The call ended with someone telling people in the car to hold on and pray, followed by a woman's scream.

NHTSA investigators determined that a rubber all-weather floor mat found in the wreckage was slightly longer than the mat that belonged in the vehicle, something that could have snared or covered the accelerator pedal.

Toyota spokesman John Hanson said the final report had not yet been submitted in the California case.

"We don't know what the actual cause was of that accident other than preliminary reports that have been published so it's impossible for us to comment on that particular incident," Hanson said.

In mid-September, Toyota ordered 1,400 Toyota and Lexus dealers nationwide to ensure that each new, used and loaner vehicles had the proper floor mats and that the mats were properly secured.

In September 2007, Toyota recalled an accessory all-weather floor mat sold for use in some 2007 and 2008 model year Lexus ES 350 and Toyota Camry vehicles because of similar problems.

NEWS:   Toyota recalls floor mats that jam gas pedals 

Detroit Free Press -- September 27, 2007 -- Toyota Motor Co. will recall floor mats from 55,000 Camry and Lexus ES 350 models due to complaints of unintended acceleration caused by the mats sticking underneath the accelerator pedal, federal safety officials and the automaker said Wednesday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration took the unusual step of highlighting Toyota's recall announcement, advising owners of other Toyota models -- including the Prius hybrid and Avalon sedans -- to ensure their floor mats are properly installed.

"We have also received complaints about the RAV 4" crossover "and Tacoma" pickup, said Rae Tyson, a spokesman for NHTSA. "We will continue to monitor all of the other Toyota vehicles not involved in the recall."

As the Free Press first reported last month, NHTSA had opened an investigation into the floor mats after amassing 40 reports of unintended acceleration in 2007 Lexus ES 350 sedans, including eight crashes and 12 injuries.

Since then, NHTSA has received complaints from owners of other Toyota models about the problem.

In several of the original complaints, drivers said the vehicles only stopped after an accident. One driver told the agency the vehicle had hit speeds of 100 m.p.h. over a 6-mile stretch of freeway due to the problem.

A Michigan woman said the problem caused her to lose control of her Lexus, triggering a rollover crash on I-75 that totaled her car. Because some ES 350s are sold with stop/start buttons rather than traditional ignitions, some drivers said they were unable to shut off the engine by pressing the button as the car accelerated.

At the time, Toyota told safety officials it had identified an optional all-weather floor mat that if not properly secured by clips to the floor could stick under the accelerator pedal; in some cases, Toyota said owners had simply put the rubber mat over the standard floor mats.

The company contended it had dealt with the problem through a mailing to customers earlier this year.

Toyota said Wednesday the recall involves 30,500 mats for the ES 350 and 24,500 mats for the 2007 and 2008 Toyota Camry.

Owners will be told of the recall in October and offered replacement mats in November. The company also warned drivers to check their floor mats and make sure that only one was installed.

Sudden and unintended acceleration cases carry a stigma in the U.S. auto industry, due to the collapse of the Audi brand in the late 1980s following a "60 Minutes" report alleging runaway cars. Federal safety officials later cleared Audi, but it took years for the company to rebuild its reputation.

In a separate move, Nissan Motor Co. said it was recalling nearly 420,000 sport utility vehicles because of possible corrosion in the tube where motorists pump gas.

The recall involves Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4 SUVs from the 1997-2001 model years. More than 370,000 of the vehicles under recall were originally sold or are currently registered in 22 cold weather states and the District of Columbia. Another 45,000 vehicles are in Canada.