News
Toyota Canada Inc. Statement
Toyota takes public safety very seriously. It believes its vehicles to be among the safest on the road today.
On November 26th Toyota Canada and Transport Canada announced the completion of the investigation concerning the possibility that improperly installed all weather floor mats may create the potential for the accelerator pedal to become stuck in the open position.
As a result of the investigation, actions to assist affected owners in Canada were outlined in the announcement. Copies of the related news releases are provided in this site. We encourage any owners concerned about this investigation to refer to these announcements and the additional information provided here.
We wish to clearly state that the Toyota and Lexus models affected by the advisory were confirmed to be safe to drive.
Further we wish to confirm that the Toyota supplied removable carpet mats supplied with these vehicles are completely safe and were never a subject of this investigation.
Toyota supplies two types of floor mat for all Toyota vehicles. One has a carpet top surface, the other is made completely of black rubber and is known as an All Weather Floor Mat. This communication relates solely to the "Rubber All Weather Floor Mat".
It is important that only Toyota specific floor mats are used, that they are the correct mats for your vehicle, secured on the retaining hooks provided and never stacked. Should you be uncertain about correct floor mat installation, please contact your nearest Toyota (Lexus) dealer.
Owners who may be affected by the findings of the investigation due to the use of all weather mats and those that will be offered additional precautionary remedies as a result of the investigation will be contacted by direct mail starting in December.
In the interim all owners of affected models who are using Toyota supplied all weather mats are instructed to ensure that they are properly installed using the retention hooks and not being used stacked on top of the carpet mats. All owners should refer to the instructions provided in their owner's manual concerning correct floor mat selection and the installation instructions provided in this site.
The following models are affected:
- 2007 – 2010 Camry
- 2005 – 2010 Avalon
- 2004 – 2009 Prius
- 2005 – 2010 Tacoma
- 2007 – 2010 Tundra
- 2007 – 2010 ES 350
- 2006 – 2010 IS Series
Proper floor mat selection and installation
Unwanted acceleration due to an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat can occur in any vehicle. For further information, please see Transport Canada website regarding "Vehicle Floor Mats – Interference with Accelerator (Gas) and Brake Pedals" http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp14665/v200701/menu.htm
If you use a removable driver's side floor mat in your vehicle, Toyota recommends that you use the correct floor mat for your model of vehicle, that it is properly installed and secured, that it is not flipped over with the bottom-side up, and that one floor mat is not stacked over another.
Example of Properly Installed Floor Mat:
What to do in the event of unwanted acceleration
Should your Toyota vehicle continue to accelerate after releasing the accelerator pedal, this could be an indicator of the floor mat interference. Toyota recommends you take the following actions:
First, only if it is possible to do so, pull back the floor mat and dislodge it from the accelerator pedal: then safely pull over and stop the vehicle.
If you are unable to confirm the state of the floor mat, or unable to dislodge the floor mat, then firmly and steadily step on the brake pedal with both feet. Do NOT pump the brake pedal repeatedly this will increase the effort required to slow the vehicle.
Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine.
If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF or to ACC. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.
If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop push button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button.
If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.
What if you have other questions?
Please contact the Service Department at any Toyota dealership. Your Toyota dealer will be more than happy to assist and answer any of your questions. You may also contact Toyota Canada directly at 1 888-TOYOTA-8
