Toyota may be off the hook for any sort of electronic glitch resulting in claimed unintended acceleration events, but the automaker's efforts to shore up the floor mat/accelerator pedal design in its existing fleet wage on to the tune of another 2.2 million vehicles. Today the automaker announced two more recalls and expanded the infamous floormat recall.
Let's run down the list:
20,000 2006-2007 all-wheel-drive GS 300 and GS 350 sedans recalled to modified the shape of a plastic pad embedded in the driver footwell carpeting to keep said pad from interfering with accelerator pedal return (and potentially causing a stuck part-throttle condition). Owner notification to begin in March.
372,000 2004-2007 Lexus RX 330, 350 and 400h SUVs, and 397,000 2004-2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrids, recalled to replace the carpeting in the driver footwell and its two retention clips. If the clips fail, a portion of the carpet cover could interfere with the arm of the top-hinged gas pedal in these vehicles, again creating a stuck part-throttle situation.
761,000 2006-2010 Toyota RAV4s, 603,000 2003-2009 Toyota 4Runners and 17,000 2011 Lexus LX 570s added to floor mat recall.
Toyota and Lexus each have portal sites for owners seeking more information.
stovt001 says:
12:44 PM, 02/24/11
At this point wouldn't it be easier to just stop selling their cars with floor mats? It's not like Toyota/Lexus drivers would be awake enough to notice.
konocar400h says:
12:57 PM, 02/24/11
stovt001- Hey now, be nice! haha I hear you though... this is getting a bit ridiculous. Still after 100k, nothing has ever broken on my Lexus. Thats something I can't say about any other car I've ever owned.
93aero says:
02:57 PM, 02/24/11
They just need to give up.
ptcdawg says:
03:15 PM, 02/24/11
At this point, I think Toyota is going overboard to make damn sure their floor mats stay in place.
drhorrible says:
05:40 AM, 02/25/11
Having previously owned a GS300 it's a fix that was warranted.
m1tankr says:
08:08 AM, 02/25/11
At least there's nothing wrong w/the electronics. :)