Legal news for New York Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyers—Toyota Motor Corporation recalled 3.8 million vehicles after floor mats pose safety hazard and cause fatal crash.
New York, NY (NewYorkInjuryNews.com) — Toyota Motor Corporation has officially recalled 3.8 million vehicles in the United States in order to address the floor mat issue that has caused more than 100 incidents, reported the Associated Press.
Toyota notified the government about the formal recall on Monday, October 5, 2009. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) www.nhtsa.gov/ reported that the automaker’s recall is their largest recall in the history of the Corporation in the United States. It is one of the six largest recalls in the history of the U.S.
Toyota’s assistant manager of technical and regulatory affairs stated to NHTSA that not all of the make and models in the 3.8 million vehicles are qualified safety hazards. The numbers of vehicles recalled are subject to change as the automaker examines the vehicles that may be affected. Toyota plans to contact the owners of the make and models affected to inform them of the hazard.
The vehicle recalls includes 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350 and 2006-2010 Lexus IS250/IS350.2007-2010 model year Toyota Camry, 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon.
Santucci reiterated that the potential hazard of these Toyota models is that the floor mats can become struck under the accelerator, and could cause a deadly high speed crash. Toyota announced last week it would recall the vehicles, and warned owners to remove the driver’s side floor mats and not to replace them until the company determined a way to fix the problem.
A high speed crash, which occurred in August of this year prompted Toyota to recall the 3.8 million vehicles. A 2009 Lexus ES350 exceeded speeds of 120 mph, and then crashed into an SUV, which flipped over multiple times before coming to a halt. Passengers in the vehicle phoned 911 and in a state of panic, and revealed to the police that driver could not stop the vehicle because the gas pedal was struck. A California Police officer lost three members of his family that were traveling in the Lexus that day.
Toyota Corporation President Akio Toyoda commented on the fatal crash saying that he offered his “deep condolences” to the family. Toyota issued last week a warning about the floor mats, which informing consumers to remove them immediately.
Toyota is also planning on sending out a first class mailing to Toyota consumers to make sure they are all aware of the situation. The mailing is expected to begin in late October and complete by December.
Bridget Hom
NewYorkInjuryNews.com