Lexus Stuck Accelerator Recall

Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. takes public safety very seriously. It believes its vehicles to be among the safest on the road today.

 

Recent events have prompted Toyota to take a closer look at the potential for an accelerator pedal to get stuck in the full open position due to an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat. A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.

 

Toyota considers this a critical matter and will soon launch a safety campaign on specific Toyota and Lexus vehicles. Throughout the process of developing the details of the action plan, it will advise the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

 

Until Toyota develops a remedy, it is asking owners of specific Toyota and Lexus models to take out any removable driver’s floor mat and NOT replace it with any other floor mat. The following models are affected:

 

• 2007 – 2010 Camry

• 2005 – 2010 Avalon

• 2004 – 2009 Prius

• 2005 – 2010 Tacoma

• 2007 – 2010 Tundra

 

Should the vehicle continue to accelerate rapidly after releasing the accelerator pedal, this could be an indication of floor mat interference. If this occurs, Toyota recommends the driver take the following actions:

 

First, if it is possible and safe to do so, pull back the floor mat and dislodge it from the accelerator pedal; then pull over and stop the vehicle.

 

If the floor mat cannot be dislodged, then firmly and steadily step on the brake pedal with both feet. Do NOT pump the brake pedal repeatedly as 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 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.

 

 

http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota/...ory-102572.aspx

"It's quite amazing how panic makes you forget the simplest solutions. RIP "

Yes and he was a trained CHP officer, who was trained to work in panic situations, ...sad

Yeah. It's probably just unfamiliarity with the vehicle.

 

Well it's very logical. Everyone that drives a car knows what D does, what N does, what R does. You also know the key is to turn the engine on/off. It wouldn't take a regular person more than 5 seconds MAX to figure that out. I guess they all just froze/panicked or were in shock.

 

On the ignition, you can also just turn the engine off with the car in Drive? Or does the key lock in position in that gear?

 

Yes of course you can turn the ignition off in Drive. The ignition system has nothing to do with the trans.

On the ignition, you can also just turn the engine off with the car in Drive? Or does the key lock in position in that gear?

 

 

If you pull the key, the Steering wheel locks..... If you turn off the engine but leave the key in, the power steering and power brakes turn off.

 

 

Best bet is to throw it in neutral.... BEFORE THE CAR IS GOING 120 down hill.... Then its too late.

 

 

If you pull the key, the Steering wheel locks..... If you turn off the engine but leave the key in, the power steering and power brakes turn off.

 

 

Best bet is to throw it in neutral.... BEFORE THE CAR IS GOING 120 down hill.... Then its too late.

 

 

If you've exhausted all of these options, the only last ditch option I can think of is to try to initiate a high speed skid like those you see in Nascar races. Probably a quick tug left and right of the wheel or maybe some handbrake action will be enough to start the slide.

 

Even from very high speeds like 110-120, you will scrub off tons of speed fast from the sliding. You will need to countersteer like a champ, but it's certainly doable. Within 5-10 seconds, it will all be over one way or another.

 

I've gotten out of a very high speed slide after acting like an idiot without crashing, so I know what's possible. It's possible things could have ended up worse (e.g., no median to separate you from oncoming traffic), but anything is better than what happened.

 

And like others pointed out, these rational ideas are hard to execute in real life unless you're very calm and/or done it before.

 

RIP.

If you pull the key, the Steering wheel locks..... If you turn off the engine but leave the key in, the power steering and power brakes turn off.

 

 

Best bet is to throw it in neutral.... BEFORE THE CAR IS GOING 120 down hill.... Then its too late.

 

Aren't most of the keys on these luxury vehicles keyless go ones???

 

If you've exhausted all of these options, the only last ditch option I can think of is to try to initiate a high speed skid like those you see in Nascar races. Probably a quick tug left and right of the wheel or maybe some handbrake action will be enough to start the slide.

 

Even from very high speeds like 110-120, you will scrub off tons of speed fast from the sliding. You will need to countersteer like a champ, but it's certainly doable. Within 5-10 seconds, it will all be over one way or another.

 

I've gotten out of a very high speed slide after acting like an idiot without crashing, so I know what's possible. It's possible things could have ended up worse (e.g., no median to separate you from oncoming traffic), but anything is better than what happened.

 

And like others pointed out, these rational ideas are hard to execute in real life unless you're very calm and/or done it before.

 

RIP.

 

Thats a high roll over risk right there.

Aren't most of the keys on these luxury vehicles keyless go ones???

 

 

OH..... SHIT..... Mine is.

 

 

NEUTRAL!!!!!! And then gradually turn into the guardrail or shoulder....

OH..... SHIT..... Mine is.

 

 

NEUTRAL!!!!!! And then gradually turn into the guardrail or shoulder....

 

if you shift into nuetral you can still turn the engine off on the merc keyless go. It will flash a red warning sign to shift the car into P or N to turn off the engine. I think my friends lexus could be turned off while still in drive. I cannot remember exactly though but we did this experiment below 5 mph and it was a while ago.

Yes if it was a newer lexus it had a push button start

Yes if it was a newer lexus it had a push button start

Sorry but I just do not like threads like this on Lambo power. Yes there is an argument that if you don't like it don't read it but there current fad of morbid fascination sweeping through and people diagnosing what ifs etc kind of devalues what this board actually offers.

 

People died, someone is not having their loved one return home and discussing the hows, whys and what nots kind of devalues theirs lives.

 

RIP.

 

 

I don't see anything wrong with this thread. If anything, it promotes awareness of what to do if someone here should find themselves with a stuck throttle. Yes, obvious solutions, but when you are in the situation it will take you a few moments to realize what's going on.

Thank you for posting this. I have a 2008 Lexus es350 and had no idea of this recall. I'm taking it to the dealership now. The new models are "keyless".

Sorry but I just do not like threads like this on Lambo power. Yes there is an argument that if you don't like it don't read it but there current fad of morbid fascination sweeping through and people diagnosing what ifs etc kind of devalues what this board actually offers.

 

People died, someone is not having their loved one return home and discussing the hows, whys and what nots kind of devalues theirs lives.

 

RIP.

I wouldn't look at it like that. Like placid said, I just want to know what to do IF this occurs. At least I know I can put the car into neutral without applying the brakes, I didn't know so ...

I wouldn't look at it like that. Like placid said, I just want to know what to do IF this occurs. At least I know I can put the car into neutral without applying the brakes, I didn't know so ...

 

Also have to agree, there is some good information coming out in this thread.

I don't see anything wrong with this thread. If anything, it promotes awareness of what to do if someone here should find themselves with a stuck throttle. Yes, obvious solutions, but when you are in the situation it will take you a few moments to realize what's going on.

 

 

I agree..... Ive been the victim of a stuck throttle (the e30 m3s have a notorious throttle linkage that can break, causing the cable to pull out about two inches farther than its supposed to at idol..... That doesnt sound like much, but its basically WOT).

 

I was turning left at the time in heavy traffic and the goddamned thing spun up like an F18 on catapult, I dropped the fcuking clutch (basically because I couldnt think of what else to do, I was about to either slam into the car in front of me, or lose the whole back end, or both) while the damned thing was bouncing off the rev limiter.... Swung into a driveway and killed the engine.....

 

50 cent clips fix the fcuking thing..... But new shorts and a leather shampooing are quite a bit more....

 

http://www.e30m3project.com/e30m3performan...lips/clips1.htm

What is "WOT?"

 

You sure have a lot of life experience Roman, been jumped and beat up, been shot at, had an accelerator lock up on you, damn!

 

I'm not flying on a plane with you

Wide Open Throttle.

 

Each to their own and I have expressed my view. I wouldn't want CSI Internet analysing my demise.

On the vehicle I drive, in order to go from Drive to Neutral, one must first shift through Reverse gear. So would it be possible to shift into Neutral while the vehicle is in Drive while rolling forwards without the brake pedal pressed?

 

Each to their own and I have expressed my view. I wouldn't want CSI Internet analysing my demise.

 

Well I don't think people are really analyzing the people's demise as we are just discussing the cause of the crash itself so that it doesn't happen to anyone else.

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8980024

Well I don't think people are really analyzing the people's demise as we are just discussing the cause of the crash itself so that it doesn't happen to anyone else.

 

I had read that the pedal got stuck because there were 2 floor mats stacked on top of eachother in the drivers footwell. On the bottom was the original carpet that was "hooked" in, and on top was a thick rubber all weather mat. Since the all weather mat could not be hooked in, it slid foward enough to wedge up on the accelerator pedal.

 

Please don't double stack your mats, and make sure the mat that is in there is "hooked".

On the vehicle I drive, in order to go from Drive to Neutral, one must first shift through Reverse gear. So would it be possible to shift into Neutral while the vehicle is in Drive while rolling forwards without the brake pedal pressed?

 

Shoudn't be a problem. The reaction time of the gearbox will be too slow to actually shift into Reverse and by then the selector would be in Neutral and staying there, just don't let the selector dwel for any length of time in Reverse. To be sure this is not a problem ask a mechanic about your specific car, and to get your confidence up try it at a very slow speed.