Toyota to recall 3.8million vehicles (Tacoma too)

I read the article & it sounds like it's just the all weather mats. I have the carpet floor mats by Toyota & the front have hooks for them. Mine don't move so exactly what are they talking about?

 

I agree and I am going to do the same, Doc

 

Hmmm...... So notices will be sent out in a week or two?
"Toyota said it was still working with officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find a remedy to fix the problem and said owners could be notified about the recall as early as next week."

 

Damn it, I just got free all weather mats from the dealership 3 weeks ago and they issue this recall??

 

I wouldn't worry about it. If you're going to install rubber floor mats on top of the dealer installed mats, just make sure they are installed underneath the gas, clutch and brake pedals.

http://monarchrifle.com/dougs_tacoma.html

 

From a semi-reliable source, I have no clue if any of this is true, please do not flame the messenger. It does make you think.
The accident was not caused by the floor mats. The Lexus was being driven by an off duty Highway Patrol vehicle inspection officer. The Lexus was a model that does not use a key to start the car. You only have to have the key on your person to push the button and start the car. As I understand it the computer went haywire and floored the accelerator, as it "fly by wire" pulling up on the pedal won't help. As there is no key there is no way to shut the car off. The officer tried down shifting and the transmission would not respond. Witness say the brakes were on fire as the vehicle was traveling down the road. As I understand it this was all recorded by a 911 operator and lasted a couple of minutes. Some of this makes sense, any law enforcement officer, vehicle inspector or not would have the brains to pull the mat out of the way when he gets in the car and would certainly have the brains to pull the floor mat away from the pedal if it did get stuck. This was not some 90 year old at the DMV, this was a career LEO and a vehicle inspector no less, if you were to compile a list of people you would want driving in a situation like this, this would be the guy at the top of my list. If there was something holding the accelerator down inside the cabin of that car, that cop would have brought that car to a stop. Something had to have gone wrong with the electronics. This is like the bad wrap Firestone got on all the SUV rollovers. Overloaded SUV's on under-inflated tires, must be the tire manufactures fault.

 

Ok So out they come. Just met sales rep at local Toy store so I will check this one out soon.

 

Holding the start button shuts down the car regardless of being in drive. Worked on my bmw, and on my friends is250, but damn that sucks either way.

SO its allweather only?

 

"NHTSA said it had received reports of 102 incidents in which the accelerator may have become stuck on the Toyota vehicles involved. It was unclear how many led to crashes but the inquiry was prompted by a highspeed crash in August in California of a Lexus barreling out of control. As the vehicle hit speeds exceeding 120 mph, family members made a frantic 911 call and said the accelerator was stuck and they couldn't stop the vehicle."



Obviously, the person on the phone had better dexterity and a sense of calm than the driver.

 

my floor mats do this but all i do is reach down and pull the mat back. easy fix if you can think.

 

This is no flame or snide comment... could a lexus or any car in that situation NOT be shifted into neutral (auto trans.), I wonder?

 

Thats the problem with most people!

 

First I would like to say that some of you need to read about the story first before you start posting, and then get some of your facts straight before you start to give disrespect to a 19-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol.
Perhaps you need to shut your mouth and open your eyes more?

But anyways the Officer was most likely NOT on his cell phone, Investigators believe it was most likely his wife on the phone or his brother-in-law.

The car was also a rental car, and he may have not been very familiar with it. The car also has a push button on/off not a key, it also takes about three seconds of pushing it before it turns off. Perhaps if it was a key they would be alive today.

We do not know if he tried to put the car into neutral, but we have no idea how hard it is to shift a car under full acceleration into neutral and disengage those gears. Plus, if the computer controlling all those things had malfunctioned, it may not have been possible at all, particularly stopping the engine with the computerized power off button. I assume it's possible to shove it into neutral, but we just don't know at this point what was going on and I haven't tried to put a car into neutral going 100+. Maybe someone can clarify about that.

Also as far as the brakes are concerned, there were brakes at first...witnesses reported flames from the wheels (way overheated brakes), and he was able at first to get the car slowed down. Brake fade combined with a loss of vacuum from pumping the brakes and they went away.

I don't know about you guys, but I don't think I would reach down and try to get loose a floor mat when your going 120 miles per hour.

We don't know at this point what was really going on in that car or all of what was wrong with the car. Here is some links about the accident:

http://www.cbs8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11013075

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stori...bn30chp192249/

 

Yep, I said the same thing and it also did not respond, or so the story goes. And this should be something a vehicle inspector should or would know. Again, I'm not trying to argue, only relating a story I was told.
My 05 Camry has the same mats held down by the same hooks, why aren't they part of the recall? I checked the hooks on both of my Toyota's, the taco has WeatherTechs and the Camry looks fine.

 

Well said.

 

Thanks Bakotruck, you placed the unknown into a better perspective.

 

As the story was told to me, the trans did not respond, would not downshift or go into neutral. Nor would holding in the start button kill the engine. I would blame this on operator error if it were not for a CHP vehicle inspector. Not that they can't make a mistake, but something as simple as a floor mat?

 

now... if they are doing this recall just because of that accident involving the police officer... i wonder if this would be up if the driver was NOT an off duty officer... my guess would be no... anyhow... toyota should just give everyone TRD mats! sounds good doesnt it!?!

 

my base has enough mods to qualify me for a "TR5" , thats sr5 and TRD mutted.

Back on topic though, we have heard enough "rumors" of the acclerator, and threads about the fly by wire acting up led me to wonder where it might lead. One other ponder, do they actually tell buyers/renters that the start button can shut the engine down (whether or not it actually worked)?

 

Thats why I like my manual trans. I bet with all the computerized crap, stuff like this can happen. Onstar can shut a car off if the cops are chasing it. Scary shit, I will keep my older controlable vehicles.