Toyota Announces Recall of Floor Mats That May Jam Accelerators
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USA Today, in an article by Chris Woodyard, reported that Toyota said Tuesday it intends to recall 3.8 million vehicle floor mats due to a flaw that may cause accelerators to become jammed. The federal government reported at least 102 drivers have reported jammed accelerators in late-model Toyota and Lexus models.
The recall was likely the result of an accident on Aug. 28 in which four were killed in a Lexus driven by an off-duty California Highway Patrol
In a disturbing 911 call, the doomed passengers indicated the accelerator was stuck and that they were unable to turn the engine off. The vehicle was traveling at an estimated speed of 120 mph. The Lexus was a dealer service loaner that could have possibly had mats from another model.
The California accident "was certainly an eye opener for all of us," said Irv Miller, a vice president of Toyota's United States sales operation.
Toyota asked owners to remove all driver's side mats. The company's spokesman, John Hanson has also stated replacing the mats with a paper mat could actually be worse as it could slide or jam. Toyota is working on a replacement mat or other solution.
The government issued a statement that thirteen crashes and five deaths were likely caused by the defect.
For the full article:
USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2009-09-29-toyota-floor-mats-recall_N.htm