Toyota Recalls 3.8 million Cars over Floor Mats

Toyota is recalling 3.8 million vehicles in the United States due to a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to get stuck and lead to a crash. This is the largest-ever US recall Toyota has had.

The recall will involve popular models such as the Toyota Camry, the top-selling passenger car in America, and the Toyota Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid.

Toyota is still working on a remedy to fix the problem; however, in the meantime owners should take out the removable floor mat on the driver’s side immediately and not replace it.

If the floor mat were to get stuck under the accelerator pedal, it may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop a vehicle which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.

So far the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has 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 high-speed crash in August. A California family was driving in their Lexus and the vehicle hit speeds of 120 mph because the accelerator was stuck, they had no brakes and they couldn’t stop the car. They called 911, but ended with someone telling people in the car to hold on and pray, followed by a woman’s scream.

NHTSA investigators determined that a rubber all-weather floor mat found in the wreckage was slightly longer than the mat that belonged in the vehicle.

The recall will affect 2007-2010 model year Toyota Camry, 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon, 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350 and 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350.

For more information, consumers can contact Toyota at (800) 331-4331 or Lexus at (800) 255-3987.