Toyota Accelerator Recall Lawsuit
Toyota has been one of the leading automobile manufacturers in the world for decades, and its brand is known for quality, dependability, fuel economy and safety. Even during a terrible time for the automotive market as a whole, Toyota has continued to forge ahead with new models and designs meant to meet the current needs of the public.However, news was released today that could harm that effort, as it’s apparent that millions of Toyota drivers could be at risk for serious injury or worse. That was shown by the company issuing its largest United States recall in the company’s history. Below you’ll find information regarding the reason for the recall, the models affected, the problems that could arise and ultimately how you should proceed if you have been harmed as a result of driving one of these defective vehicles.
Reasons for the Toyota Accelerator Recall
The recall involves several different makes and models, and those will be listed below. However, the defect present in each model is consistent, and it concerns the presence of a problematic floor mat on the driver’s side of the vehicle. This floor mat has shown a tendency to cause the accelerator of these vehicles to stick, and as a result the affected models could suddenly accelerate to extremely dangerous speeds and prevent the driver from making a normal stop before it’s too late.These floor mats are generally made of rubber and are removable, and both the federal government and Toyota have advised drivers of affected models to remove these floor mats immediately until a more permanent solution can be obtained. Both Toyota and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are making efforts to formulate that solution and will announce it as soon as possible.
Although Toyota has not yet issued a statement that definitively identifies the specific cause of the problem, the NHTSA has stated that these removable rubber all-weather floor mats appear to be longer than they should be based on the space available on the driver’s side floor, and this added length could be what’s leading to the problem of stuck accelerators.
Toyota Accelerator Recall – Toyota Models Affected
Below is a list of the models of vehicles that are part of this recall:- Toyota Camry – 2007-10 models
- Toyota Avalon – 2005-10 models
- Toyota Prius – 2004-09 models
- Toyota Tacoma – 2005-10 models
- Toyota Tundra – 2007-10 models
- Lexus ES 350 – 2007-10 models
- Lexus IS 250 – 2006-10
- Lexus IS 350 – 2006-10
This recall affects a total of 3.8 million vehicles, far exceeding the previous wide-ranging recall made by Toyota that affected 900,000 vehicles in 2005 because of a steering issue. Overall, the NHTSA has received 102 complaints regarding this current defect, although no statistics have been released regarding the number of accidents that the defective floor mats caused.
However, there has been at least one crash that led to fatalities because of this problem, and it occurred in San Diego. As a result of the immediate and extreme danger involved with this potential issue, the company advised drivers to remove the floor mat if they notice irregular acceleration, and if that’s not possible, the driver should step on the brakes with both feet and slam the car into neutral after it slows down. For those models that contain an engine start/stop button, holding the button down for at least three seconds should cut the power from the engine.
Stuck Accelerator Accident Problems
The potential problems that could arise from a stuck accelerator should be quite clear. When a vehicle accelerates unexpectedly, the driver may not be able to take corrective measures to avoid other vehicles, particularly in settings in and around cities where heavy traffic can be present at any time.In addition, reports have been released that this problem has led to accelerations of vehicles to speeds of up to 120 miles per hour, and the vehicle that killed the family in San Diego was believed to have been traveling at approximately that speed before launching off the side of the road and rolling over several times before the vehicle caught on fire. Four people were killed in that crash.
