The Toyota and The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) officially warned the owners of Toyota and Lexus cars regarding accelerator pedal that may get stuck in the full-open position. According to experts, this is due to an unsecured or incompatible driver’s floor mat. This problem has caused various crashes including Toyota and Lexus vehicles.

Reuters reported that according to US government they have received reports of 100 incident relating to this problem. Among those accidents, a passenger of the Lexus ES350 had called the police to inform that the accelerator pedal was jammed and the car reached 193kmph at that time.

“The accident was an eye opener for all of us”, said Toyota spokesperson. Toyota is now planning to issue a recall on 3.8million vehicles due to the floor mat issue. The affected Toyota models are the 2007-2010 Tundra, 2004-2009 Prius, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2005-2010 Tacoma and 2007-2010 Camry. The Lexus modes affected by the recall are the 2006-2010 IS 250 and 2007-2010 ES 350 and IS 350 sedans. This is not the first time Toyota is facing this problem. In September 2007, the company recalled an all weather floor mat sold for use in Toyota Camry and 2007-2008 Lexus ES 350 sedans because of similar issues. The company asked the owners to remove the driver’s floor mat and not to replace with any other floor mat until a remedy was developed.

In case the drivers confront with jammed accelerator pedal the company recommends that they practice following steps:

• At first, try to pull back the floor mat and dislodge it from the accelerator pedal and then safely pull over and stop the vehicle. If the floor mat cannot be dislodged firmly and steadily press the brake pedal with both feet. (Do not pump the brake pedal repeatedly).
• Shift the gear to neutral (N) and use the brakes for a safe stop. If unable to shift to neutral(N), turn the engine off. This will not cause any steering or braking trouble, but the power assist to the systems will be lost. If the vehicle has an engine start/stop button, push the button firmly for at least three seconds. (Do not tap the button)
• If the vehicle has conventional key-ignition turn the ignition key to engine off position. (Do not remove the key because it will lock the steering wheel).

Toyota recommends the owners to use genuine floor mats that can be properly and securely installed. Information on installation of floor mats may be found at www.toyota.com.

Source: [carscoop]