Gas Pedal Recall Work Done

I had the steering column wiring airbag recall done and told them do not cut the pedal but they did it anyway, looks like crap. My milage dropped afterwards so i asked them if they did anything else like computer mods but they said no. Started looking at nissans.

 

I just read through this whole thing before realizing it was a 4 year old thread. Anywho, I was a Toyota tech when they recalls went down and have done more 90L's than I care to admit, lol. As far as all questions I saw in the thread...the recall is a cut pedal. We removed the pedal and had a box of metal templates that clipped on the bottom of the pedal that we used to trace the new shape and its cut with a hacksaw, smoothed with a sander and usually had a sharpie scribbled on the bottom to make it black again (our dealer did that since the cut plastic is white). Not all pedals got that treatment but it was like 95% of them. If you had the sport pedals they just sent a new shorter pedal face, we knocked out the roll pin on the old and hammered in a new one with the short face.
Next, the Tacomas had a ECM reflash that is the current program with the addition of a brake pedal over ride, that way if you are on the gas and stab the brake it kills the gas, that's all. Now some people here mentioned smoother shifting as a side effect, a few years back there was a TSB that dealt with that complaint and this reflash has it already in it, so yay? Also it's a reflash of the computer, so it doesn't know who you are anymore. If it's a little "off" drive it like normal for about a week before you call or bring it back, the computer just needs to learn how you like to drive and readjust.
If you have floormats what happens from here depends on your dealer. The recall states that aftermarket floormats need to be removed from the driver side floor and Toyota AWFM need to be replaced with the new style (thinner). That's it. So what we did was take the floor mats and set them on the back floorboard. If your old AWFM were in good shape we set them back there too, Toyota never wanted them sent back so we stopped returning them to the parts department. The recall just said that we needed to have them out until the customer took the vehicle back, if you want to put the old ones back then have at it, we did all we were required to do.
As far as if you want the reflash but no pedal cut....sorry, it's not supposed to work that way. We can't authorize a half of a recall and dealers that are are breaking a big big rule. The idea is if you have your truck reflashed but no pedal cut and the Toyota thinks the recall is performed (we only have a yes or no option) and someone gets into an accident, someone is screwed. However you can just say no to the recall, it's your choice.
Lastly, the big one...why are we doing the recalls? As the first couple pages are full of comments saying it's worthless....well no shit, you think we don't know that? The recalls aren't meant for anyone on this forum so please quit bitching at the dealership, it's not their fault. This recall is a giant case of cover your ass. The only confirmed cases of unintended acceleration were discovered to be because the pedal got stuck to the 14 floor mats some people put in their car. Now as I said a sentence ago, most people who are savvy enough to be on this forum and working on their trucks know better than to do that, but you wouldn't believe the stuff I've personally pulled out from the floor of cars. I think 7 floormats was the record in a Prius. The thing that made it affect the Tacoma is the space between the bottom of the pedal and floor is standard among Toyota so it's almost impossible to explain why the pedal on a Prius has to be cut and a Tacoma does not, so they all get cut, just a case of CYA.
Last thing I almost forgot is someone kept swearing they cut his floorboard, the Tacoma does not get that treatment, that's Camry and Corolla. The carpet is pre formed and doesn't sit perfect since it's not actually secured in the middle you will always have spots that seem loose or like there is nothing under them, you just never notice them unless you're really looking.
Did that clear any of the questions people have or had? Let me know if I missed something.

 

Yes, they reflashed the ECU.
The "floor mat recall" was a 2-part job. One was to cut OR REPLACE the original accelerator.
Replacement parts have been available for YEARS now... if they cut your factory pedal, go back and ask them to replace it with a new part that was manufactured for the recall. It won't cost the dealership anything... Toyota covers costs for recall parts and labor.

The 2nd part of the recall is to reflash the ECU so if the brakes are applied while the throttle is open by 25% or greater, the engine shuts down to idle.
Try it... get going up a fairly steep hill (so you don't build excessive speed), and just tap your brake enough to light up the brake light. Be sure you're wearing your seat belt so it doesn't throw you through the windshield.

Since the ECU was reflashed, it needs to relearn the fuel trims, timing, etc... slightly reduced MPG can be expected... same when you disconnect your battery.

 

7, or 14 is a bit excessive, but people would not feel the need to stack floor mats if Toyota would provide a durable mat with the vehicle like they used to.
Wife's '04 Rav4? Still on the factory mats.
My '03 Tundra? Put 125k on that truck on the factory mats.
My '08 Tacoma? Bought it used, didn't come with mats. Bought OEM mats from the dealer. Within 2 months there was a hole under the gas pedal.
Bought another set... same thing. Let it ride, now there is a hole in the carpet.
Carpet and mats, they used to put a heavy insert under the pedals. Now they are just cheap carpet... and aftermarket mats aren't any better.
Sure, there's Weathertech if you are an "outdoors" type, but those don't work with dress shoes, and I have no need for hard plastic floorboards.

So I left the last of my 4 sets of factory mats in the truck since they hook to the floor, and tossed a set of aftermarket carpeted mats on top of them. The aftermarket mats have a good backing so they don't slide around on the OEM mats, and the OEM mats stay in place.

 

Mlight, both Toyota and dealers said I could not refuse recall. One told me that in the future Tx was considering making safety recalls mandatory to pass inspection. Of course I called bullshit on that one. Some people have no problem with cut pedal but not me. I refused to let dealer perform any shadetree mechanic fixes on my vehicle. They said I could drive off and come back and get a new shorter pedal. I said waste of my time.

 

I did a lot of these pedal recalls while at Lexus. I don't understand why they just don't do the re-flash and leave it at that. The pedals do look bad afterwards. I can see where they are coming from when a customer pulls into the shop in their Lexus and has 4 floor mats on the driver side .

 

I'm in Virginia if that makes any difference, but we let people refuse them all the time, just made a note on the ticket that the customer declined the recall to be performed at the time. The customer signing the ticket is typically considered enough to keep us in the clear for lawsuits, same as if you declined a brake job and had zero pad left, no dealership can hold your car hostage so don't let them make you think they can. Also (here in VA) the only mandatory time a recall has to be performed is when the car is sold.

 

I discussed with Toyota corp for several minutes and they told if I had my truck at dealer for any service the dealer was required to perform recall work. Sounds like they were blowing smoke. I only called after 2 dealers in Dallas said they do it whether I wanted or not.

 

If they have put the new short one on, is it possible to buy an older and longer and put it back on? What all would need to happen?

 

i passed on both recalls. the dealer asked me about it and i said no. both recalls are useless to someone that knows how to drive a vehicle.

who in their right mind presses the gas pedal and the brake pedal at the same time? that should never be done. that is just bad driving not a faulty product.

the floor mats come nowhere near the gas pedal so cutting it is pointless.

 

+2...no cutty the 05 pedal and the 08 already had it cut. I bought an extra pedal assembly off someone here and have whole pedal. No, you can't has my original all weather mats and you can't fuck with spiral cable - airbag light not on. I would have let them put the 4 leaf packs on had the truck not already been past 36k when I bought it.....and WT's work fine with my dress shoes.

 

They cut mine when I had my parents take it in for a leaking tail shaft seal when it was under warranty (I was in Afghanistan). I told them, and they told the service writer, not to cut the pedal. When I got back and drove my truck for the first time since I had dropped it off, first words out if my mouth were What The Fu**. My dad asked what was wrong and was amazed that I knew my pedal had been cut as soon as I put my foot on it.

 

You can't tell the difference

 

bullshit, I can and have to adjust my foot often. I wear an 11 wide so I do not have small feet. I refused to let them cut my pedal on 2009. Of course I had no choice on 2013. I got the small pedal. It is all a bunch of crap.

 

I disagree OZ. You can definately tell the difference on mine. Not just because of a sloppy cut, but the feel is different with my 12w boots.

 

i have sport pedals. no way i was taking them off.

 

I had the spiral cable done and also experienced a drop in fuel economy- apparently my truck is retarded because it doesn't seem to "learn" my driving and the mileage keeps getting worse (no codes being thrown, everything checks OK when hooked to the dealer computer). I typically drive like a boring middle aged guy.

Every time I take the truck in I tell them "Do not cut my pedal or I'll come back and burn the dealership down"- yes, I'm on pretty good terms with them. As an extra precaution I write "Do not cut" on the pedal with a silver Sharpie. I've had Husky liners in it since '06 and they definitely don't interfere with pedal travel.

 

i received a letter about the air bag thing but my light has never come on. i just went to the dealer not long ago for an oil change and they never mentioned anything about it.

 

I had those on the 05, the OBX ones. I just put a slender sheetrock screw through the middle of the pedal cover & 08 gas pedal to hold it in place on the cut one until getting the uncut pedal assembly off someone here........

 

I had a few recalls performed for my 2005 off-road 4x4/auto recently and now have a strange surging problem under acceleration.

It seems to be only during heavy load conditions, say over 50% throttle. I don't feel it at low speeds, but say from 20-40 mph. It does not feel like a transmission issue, more like the throttle being modulated.

I've given it a couple of months thinking it may be some long term fuel/timing trims being worked out - but it hasn't gotten any better.

Has anyone experienced anything like this?

Thanks.
Jim