Toyota Motor Corp. is in the midst of another major recall. A total of 2.3 million vehicles have been recalled due to a potential problem with the gas pedal getting stuck and possibly leading to a serious car accident. This will be the third recall in less than a year for the world’s most popular car company.
The recall affects these Toyota vehicles:
- 2009-2010 Toyota Rav4
- 2009-2010 Corolla
- 2009-2010 Matrix
- 2005-2010 Avalon
- 2007-2010 Camry
- 2010 Highlander
- 2007-2010 Tundra
- 2008-2010 Sequoia
The first recall was issued back in September of 2009 for 3.8 million vehicles and the problem was supposedly centered around faulty floor mats. Our law firm was skeptical from the beginning that floor mats were the culprit in numerous car wrecks. The media highlighted a particular car crash where an off-duty police officer and his family were killed when the Lexus they were in accelerated suddenly to 120mph and slammed into an SUV.
Toyota issued a second recall (a total of four million vehicles), this time focused on the gas pedal. However, Toyota claimed the problem was that the gas pedal was too long and simply needed to be reduced in size so it didn’t get caught in the aforementioned floor mat.
Given this newest recall, it appears the problem is much deeper than an elongated pedal. The current recall highlights a mechanical issue where the gas pedal can get stuck (floormat or not) and/or return slowly to an idle position leading to over acceleration, according to CNN.
"The news that Toyota has expanded this recall, in conjunction with a statement that removes blame from the previously identified faulty floor mats, is proof that this situation is slowly spiraling out of control. As a company with a reputation for steadiness, these must be uncomfortable days for Toyota," said James Bell, who works for Kelley Blue Book.
Here’s a video discussing the Toyota recall and providing examples of how dangerous this gas pedal problem is to Toyota drivers…
I believe Toyota made an error in September by simply recalling vehicle floor mats. If they had issued a single major recall focused on the gas pedal from the beginning, maybe they wouldn’t have been forced to issue three of the largest recalls in company history in such a brief period of time.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper, Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm (VA-NC law offices ) edits the injury law blogs Virginia Beach Injuryboard , Norfolk Injuryboard , and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono service to consumers.
