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Toyota to replace 3.8M gas pedals

Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by Dave, Nov 25, 2009.

  1. Nov 25, 2009 at 8:29 AM
    #1
    Dave

    Dave [OP] Well-Known Member

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    WASHINGTON - Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it will replace accelerator pedals on 3.8 million recalled vehicles in the United States to address problems with the pedals becoming jammed in the floor mat.

    As a temporary step, Toyota will have dealers shorten the length of the gas pedals beginning in January while the company develops replacement pedals for their vehicles, the Transportation Department and Toyota said. New pedals will be available beginning in April, and some vehicles will have brake override systems installed as a precaution.

    Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, announced the massive recall in late September and told owners to remove the driver’s side floor mats to prevent the gas pedal from potentially becoming jammed.

    “The safety of our owners and the public is our utmost concern and Toyota has and will continue to thoroughly investigate and take appropriate measures to address any defect trends that are identified,“ Toyota said in a statement.

    Popular vehicles such as the Toyota Camry, the top-selling passenger car in America, and the Toyota Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid, are part of the recall. It includes the 2007-10 model year Camry, 2005-10 Toyota Avalon, 2004-09 Prius, 2005-10 Toyota Tacoma, 2007-10 Toyota Tundra, 2007-10 Lexus ES350 and 2006-10 Lexus IS250/350.

    On Tuesday, Toyota announced a recall of 110,000 Tundra trucks from the 2000-03 model years to address excessive rust on the vehicle’s frame.

    The recall involving the accelerators was Toyota’s largest in the U.S. It was prompted by a high-speed crash in August involving a 2009 Lexus ES350 that killed a California Highway Patrol officer and three members of his family near San Diego. The Lexus hit speeds exceeding 120 mph, struck a sport utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames.

    A family member in the runaway Lexus made a frantic 911 call moments before the crash, telling emergency responders that the accelerator was stuck and the driver couldn’t stop the car. The call ended as someone was overheard urging others to hold on and pray, followed by a woman’s scream.

    In Japan, Toyota President Akio Toyoda called the fatal crash “extremely regrettable” and offered his “deepest condolences” to the California family.

    Investigators with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determined that a rubber all-weather floor mat found in the wreckage was slightly longer than the mat that belonged in the vehicle, and could have snared or covered the accelerator pedal.

    The government has attributed at least five deaths and two injuries to floor mat-related unintended acceleration in the Toyota vehicles and has received reports of more than 100 incidents in which the accelerator may have become stuck. A Massachusetts-based safety consultant who has investigated the Toyota cases, however, has found more than 2,000 incidents involving 16 deaths and 243 injuries potentially tied to the Toyota gas pedals.

    To fix the problem, Toyota and the government said dealers will shorten the length of the accelerator pedal on the recalled vehicles and in some cases remove foam from beneath the carpeting near the pedal to increase the space between the pedal and the floor. They said owners of the ES350, Camry and Avalon would be the first to receive notification because the vehicles are believed to have the highest risk for pedal entrapment.

    Toyota plans to install a brake override system on the Camry, Avalon and Lexus ES350, IS350 and IS250 models as an “extra measure of confidence,“ Toyota and NHTSA said. The brake override system, commonly called a “smart brake,“ will ensure the vehicle will stop if both the brake and the accelerator pedals are applied simultaneously.

    Toyota also plans to make the brake override system standard equipment throughout the Toyota and Lexus lineup starting with January 2010 production of the ES350 and Camry. Most new models will get the equipment by the end of 2010.

    Dealers will be instructed on how to modify the pedals before the end of the year and will begin shortening the accelerators in 2010. New replacement pedals are expected to be available for some models beginning in April and will be provided even if the vehicles have already received a modified pedal under the recall.

    The automaker and government regulators have been discussing a potential fix for several weeks. In late September, Toyota announced the recall and told owners to remove driver’s side floor mats and not replace them until the company had determined a remedy for the problem. The automaker said unhooked floor mats or replacement mats stacked on top of the originals could lead to stuck accelerators.

    In early November, Toyota issued a statement saying NHTSA had confirmed “that no defect exists in vehicles in which the driver’s floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly secured.“

    But in a rare rebuke, NHTSA accused Toyota of releasing misleading information about the recall, saying removing the mats did not “correct the underlying defect.“ Toyota said it was not the company’s intention to mislead anyone.

    If a vehicle accelerator pedal becomes stuck and a driver can’t dislodge it, Toyota advises drivers to press on the brake with both feet and then shift the vehicle into neutral, which will disengage the transmission. The automaker says drivers should continue braking until the vehicle comes to a stop.

    A driver can also try shutting off the engine or turning the key to the “ACC” position on the ignition. Drivers will not lose control of the steering or the brakes. But once the vehicle is turned off the driver won’t have the benefit of power brakes or power steering. For vehicles that have a start/stop button for the
    engine, drivers are advised to hold the button for three seconds to turn it off.

    For more information, owners can contact Toyota at 800-331-4331 or the NHTSA hot line at 888-327-4236.
     
  2. Nov 25, 2009 at 8:35 AM
    #2
    macgyver

    macgyver Well-Known Member

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    I hope they disable this on the manual transmission vehicles or make an exception. I heel-toe downshift when I drive to make the downshift less jerky when I'm slowing down. This requires me to blip the gas pedal while I'm braking to pop the revs up while I'm letting the clutch out. I know other people who do this as well. I even do this driving my tacoma.

    I hope they do it for all the idiot left foot brakers who drive automatics and don't know how to drive.
     
  3. Nov 25, 2009 at 8:39 AM
    #3
    Dellosa89

    Dellosa89 Love peace and Taco Grease

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    I wonder if we half to get the new pedal. Im perfectly fine with my gas pedal and if it even did stick im pretty good at working under pressure and can shift into neutral.
     
  4. Nov 25, 2009 at 8:50 AM
    #4
    Yoytoda

    Yoytoda The Little Truck That Could

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    im sure as hell not going to get my pedal "shortened" After seeing the TSB for the mat Toyota is losing my respect.

    1. zip tie my mat the the seat (seriously toyota thats the best the engineers can come up with???

    2. now you want dealers to "cut" my pedal down. (is it the sawz all mod???)

    3. I want proof its not the gay fly by wire system thats fing up
     
  5. Nov 25, 2009 at 8:58 AM
    #5
    Packman73

    Packman73 ^^^^ 3%er ^^^^

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    I'll be keeping my pedal.
     
  6. Nov 25, 2009 at 9:06 AM
    #6
    Jester243

    Jester243 all I wanted was a god dang picture of a hotdog...

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    some of this, a little of that
    They will not be touching my truck. I read something about them removing some of the foam backing on the carpet to increase the space for the pedal...um no.
     
  7. Nov 25, 2009 at 9:56 AM
    #7
    Janster

    Janster Old & Forgetful

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    The pedal is small enough......

    Geez.... I thought the temporary fix was to remove the floor mats? But now they wanna shorten the pedal so you can re-install your floor mats?

    I have no fear of having problems with my Husky liners in there. I think I'll wait until they have a replacement pedal in the works....
     
  8. Nov 25, 2009 at 10:25 AM
    #8
    BTO

    BTO Well-Known Member

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    I need a big pedal 'cause I got a big heavy foot. ;)
     
  9. Nov 25, 2009 at 10:38 AM
    #9
    dman597

    dman597 Well-Known Member

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  10. Nov 25, 2009 at 10:43 AM
    #10
    BakoTruck

    BakoTruck Well-Known Member

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    The foot pedal is short enough as it is, let alone put a smaller one in there.
    I think I'll keep it the way it is, thank you very much.
     
  11. Nov 25, 2009 at 11:53 AM
    #11
    Mr_Torque

    Mr_Torque Buy the Ticket take the Ride.....

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    No more power braking the rear drive automatics!
     
  12. Nov 25, 2009 at 11:57 AM
    #12
    brandob9

    brandob9 Well-Known Member

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    This isn't a big deal, they are just replacing the gas pedal with one that is a 1/4" shorter or so.

    Be happy that they didn't extend the software re-programming to the trucks. In the Camry, Avalon and ES350 (all the same underneath), they are reprogramming such that if the brake and gas are on at the same time, it will ignore the gas pedal. Again, this is only happening to the cars, which preserves a favorite off-roading technique.
     
  13. Nov 25, 2009 at 12:04 PM
    #13
    rosebud

    rosebud Love that transmission!

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    Stock suspension, stock wheels, stock bumper, stock, stock, stock, dammit!
    I don't like the idea of having to adjust to a smaller pedal, and no Dellosa89, they will not force you to get it, but they will not be liable if you don't and something happens because they have now offered a solution.
     
  14. Nov 25, 2009 at 12:45 PM
    #14
    PR45

    PR45 Well-Known Member

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    I hope they change to a roller pedal like a dune buggy:drool:!
     
  15. Nov 25, 2009 at 12:50 PM
    #15
    HondaGM

    HondaGM CallSign Monke

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    they aint nobody touchin my babys pedal,its just right!
     
  16. Nov 25, 2009 at 12:52 PM
    #16
    HondaGM

    HondaGM CallSign Monke

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    i think whats really happening is the pedal is rusting........:D
     
  17. Nov 25, 2009 at 12:53 PM
    #17
    Yoytoda

    Yoytoda The Little Truck That Could

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    some of the accidents are happening in socal on new vehicles= no rust
     
  18. Nov 25, 2009 at 1:51 PM
    #18
    HondaGM

    HondaGM CallSign Monke

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    i know,i was being sarcastic:D
     
  19. Nov 25, 2009 at 1:57 PM
    #19
    Kyouto42

    Kyouto42 Iron Beard

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    I'll be keeping my pedal also. It's fine. I'm afraid to bring my truck in to the stealership for anything, in case they decide to 'oh btw we did your recall.'
     
  20. Nov 25, 2009 at 2:03 PM
    #20
    jefferson

    jefferson needs to stop cruising Buy/Sell/Trade....

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    Shorter? No thanks. I have weathertechs anyway.. but my stock floormats are stained.. does this mean i can trade those old things in for shiny new ones (to put right back in my closet)??
     

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