Toyota Recall: The Latest Info for Owners and Shoppers

Sorting If You Are Affected by the Recalls and How To Respond

Update: On February 24, 2011, Toyota Motor Sales USA added another 2 million vehicles to a recall initiated in 2009 to remediate loose floormats that could cause the accelerator pedal to remain partially depressed after the driver releases it. More details are here. The chart shown below reflects the recalls as of February 2011.

Introduction
VIDEO: Overview of Toyota's accelerator pedal recall
Vehicles Being Recalled for a Sticking Accelerator Pedal and/or Floor Mat Entrapment
Is My Toyota Safe To Drive?
VIDEO: What to do if the throttle sticks in any car
How To Contact Toyota, Lexus, or Pontiac/GM About Recalls
How Toyota Indicates the Problem Will Be Fixed
VIDEO: Sticky Throttle Feature — Pedals and Floor Mats
History of the Toyota Sticking Pedal Recall and Floor Mat Recall
About the Faulty Gas Pedal and Why Only Certain Toyota Vehicles Are Affected
Shopping for a Toyota During the Recall
Compare Toyota Vehicles to other Popular Models

Get the Latest Information on the 2010 Toyota Prius Brake Problem

Introduction

If you're a Toyota owner and you've heard the uproar about the recent floor mat entrapment and accelerator pedal recalls, you're probably wondering if your vehicle is affected or when and how the recalled models will be fixed. While repairs are now under way, we will continue to update this page as new information becomes available.

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Vehicles Being Recalled for a Sticking Accelerator Pedal and/or Floor Mat Entrapment

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Is My Toyota Safe To Drive?

Top of mind for most owners is this basic question: Is it safe to drive my Toyota? The answer is found by checking the model (Camry, Sienna, etc.) and model year of your car (2006, 2009, etc.) against the above list. If your vehicle is on the Toyota recall list, locate your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and check with a Toyota dealer to see if your vehicle is affected. The VIN is generally visible at the base of the windshield, and is also listed on your registration. Have your VIN ready when you call or visit the dealer.

If the dealer says that your car is affected by the sticking accelerator pedal recall, you should proceed carefully. According to Toyota spokespeople, unless you have observed anything unusual about the feel or behavior of the throttle pedal (friction seems to have increased over time; the throttle is mechanically sticking in a partially depressed position or returning slowly to the idle position; the pedal is slow to return after you depress it), your car should be safe to operate during the recall.

If your vehicle is on the recall list for floor mat entrapment, Toyota advises that you remove the driver floor mat and not replace it with any other floor mat until your vehicle can be serviced for the recall. If you're subject to both recalls, ask your dealer to schedule service for both recalls on the same visit.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stated (and later claimed that he had misspoke) that Toyota owners with cars affected by the accelerator pedal recall should "stop driving" them and bring them to a Toyota dealer for repair, but we feel that Toyota's above advice is sound. If you've noticed nothing unusual about your gas pedal, you are likely not in any immediate danger, and can wait until you are notified by Toyota before heading to the dealership.

If you are in any way concerned about your particular car, or are not comfortable driving it during the recall, concerned consumers can request that their car be towed to the dealership to have the mechanism inspected or replaced. If you opt to continue driving your vehicle before the inspection or repair is completed, you should thoroughly familiarize yourself with how to react if the accelerator pedal malfunctions. In fact, all motorists should know how to stop any vehicle that suddenly accelerates or will not slow down.

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Learn some of the causes of unintended acceleration and preventive steps to make sure it never happens in the first place. For information on how to inspect your own floor mats please see our Floor Mat Walk Around.

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How To Contact Toyota, Lexus, or Pontiac/GM About Recalls

In our experience, the fastest way to get information about whether your vehicle is included in the recall is to contact the dealership service department and provide your VIN. We called a Santa Monica-area Toyota dealership, got right through to the service department, and asked them to run the VIN of a 2007 Camry. The service advisor told us our car was part of the recall and should be inspected.

When you're speaking to the service advisor at the dealership, they may be able to find your vehicle in their computer system by searching your name and then getting the VIN from records. Toyota has begun the process of mailing recall notice letters to the owners of the affected vehicles. If you have noticed nothing unusual about your gas pedal, you should wait until you receive this letter before taking action with your local dealership. Toyota has posted an FAQ on the recall on their Web site.

General Motors has not yet determined a remedy for affected Pontiac Vibe vehicles. Owners can contact their local dealership service department for updates, or check the Pontiac Vibe accelerator pedal recall campaign page at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Web site.

Find a car dealership in your neighborhood.

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How Toyota Indicates the Problem Will Be Fixed

Accelerator Pedal Recall. On February 1, 2010, Toyota announced that it has engineered a solution to the sticking gas pedal problem. Toyota began rolling out this remedy through its dealer network later the week of February 1. The repair involves installing some new parts into the gas pedal assembly. The service departments at many Toyota dealers will work extended hours to complete the recalls as quickly as possible, some even staying open 24 hours a day.

Floor Mat Entrapment Recall. Multiple remedies have been implemented to resolve safety issues related to risk of floor mat entrapment in affected Toyota, Lexus and Pontiac/GM vehicles. The shape of the gas pedal will be "reconfigured" to create ample clearance between the floor mats and the accelerator pedal even if mats are from an aftermarket company or are improperly installed. In the ES350, Camry and Avalon, the floor underneath the gas pedal will be reconfigured to create extra space to allow the floor mat not to hold down the gas pedal.

Toyota will also issue newly designed floor mats to owners of the affected vehicles. To boost consumer confidence, Toyota announced that it will also install an override system to cut power when both the brake and the accelerator are pressed at the same time. The brake override system will be installed going forward in Toyota vehicles.

Brake Override System. On February 22, 2010, Toyota announced that it will install a brake override system on "an expanded range" of customer's vehicles to provide an additional measure of confidence. This braking system enhancement will automatically reduce engine power when the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal are applied simultaneously under certain driving conditions. Vehicles which will receive the brake override system upgrade include:

2005-2010 Toyota Avalon
2007-2010 Toyota Camry
2008-2010 Toyota Sequoia
2005-2010 Toyota Tacoma
2009-2010 Toyota Venza
2007-2010 Lexus ES 350
2006-2010 Lexus IS 250
2006-2010 Lexus IS 350

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History of the Toyota Sticking Pedal Recall and Floor Mat Recall

At the core of the issue is a throttle (gas) pedal mechanism that is installed in some Toyota vehicles as well as in the Pontiac Vibe. A defect could cause the vehicle's accelerator pedal (gas pedal) to stick unexpectedly or not return to idle when the driver releases it (lifts their foot). On January 21, 2010, a recall was issued related to the faulty accelerator pedal mechanism in some Toyota models. This recall then led Toyota to suspend the manufacturing and sale of eight of its most popular models on January 26, 2010. No Scion or Lexus vehicles are affected by this accelerator pedal mechanism recall.

The accelerator pedal recall is a separate issue from the improperly placed floor mats that can hold the gas pedal down, for which Toyota issued a recall on November 25, 2009 (an additional 1.1 million vehicles were added to this floor mat recall on January 27, 2010).

Read the Toyota consumer safety advisory page for more background information and announcements about Toyota recalls.

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About the Faulty Gas Pedal and Why Only Certain Toyota Vehicles Are Affected

Not all of the gas pedals in the affected models are problematic, because the mechanism is supplied by more than one vendor. In general, Denso of Japan supplies throttle pedal assemblies for vehicles built in Japan (hence, Japanese-built Scion and Lexus are not included in the recall) and CTS Corp. (based in Elkhart, Indiana) supplies parts for vehicles built in the U.S. and Canada. A visual inspection can easily distinguish the two pedal assemblies.

CTS, which said it built the component to Toyota's specification, announced that it has redesigned the gas pedal mechanism to perform safely. The new part is being manufactured and will be shipped to Toyota plants and to dealers waiting to repair recalled vehicles. CTS has insisted that no accidents or injuries have been caused by its defective gas pedal assembly.

Since Toyota produces cars for the U.S. market both here and in Japan, only Toyota vehicles that contain the North American-produced version of that part are included in the recall. The likelihood that your car is one of the vehicles that contains this defective part will vary depending on the model you drive, and potentially your car's VIN.

By reading the VIN, you might be able to see if your vehicle is not affected by the current recall. If your vehicle's VIN starts with the letter "J" (signifying that the vehicle was built in Japan with the Denso part), it is not affected by the recall. However, it is still a good idea to call the dealership to confirm that the recall does not affect you.

For owners of the affected model years of the Avalon, Matrix, Sequoia, Tundra and Pontiac Vibe, all of these models potentially have the affected throttle mechanism. Owners of the Corolla, Highlander and RAV4 can check their VIN, and if it begins with the letter "J", their car should not be involved with the recall. If it begins with a number ("1" "2," "3," etc.), their car is part of the recall. For Camry owners, if their VIN begins with the letter "J," their car is likely not part of the recall. If your Camry's VIN begins with a number, your car is part of the recall.

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Shopping for a Toyota During the Recall

Many consumers might currently be in the process of shopping for a Toyota and are now concerned because these vehicles are now on the recall list. For some general advice on this subject please see Shopping for a Toyota During the Recalls. Many incentive offers are being announced urging Toyota owners to trade-in their cars to competitors. Other offers are designed to capture Toyota shoppers who are now considering other brands. For consumers in the market for Toyota products, we've created model-by-model comparisons (below) of direct competitors for each offering in Toyota's current lineup.

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Compare Toyota Vehicles to other Popular Models

2010 Toyota 4Runner | 2010 Toyota Avalon | 2010 Toyota Camry | 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid | 2010 Toyota Corolla
2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser | 2010 Toyota Highlander | 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser
2010 Toyota Matrix | 2010 Toyota Prius | 2010 Toyota RAV4 | 2010 Toyota Sequoia | 2010 Toyota Sienna
2010 Toyota Tacoma | 2010 Toyota Tundra | 2010 Toyota Venza |2010 Toyota Yaris

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