NHTSA Goes at War with Toyota

Tundra, one of the models affected by the fault

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) publicly expressed their position on Japanese carmaker's Toyota floor mat problem, accusing it of providing inaccurate and misleading information about the 3.8 million vehicles affected.

According to NHTSA, Toyota was wrong to say there are no defects "in vehicles in which the driver’s floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly secured.”

The safety agency, cited by New York Times, stated that removing the floor mats “does not correct the underlying defect in the vehicles involving the potential for entrapment of the accelerator by floor mats, which is related to accelerator and floor pan design.”

Toyota tried to settle the dispute, by releasing a statement yesterday.

“It was never our intention to mislead or provide inaccurate information. Toyota agrees with N.H.T.S.A.’s position that the removal of the floor mats is an interim measure and that further vehicle-based action is required. We are in the process of developing vehicle-based remedies to help avoid the potential for an unsecured or incompatible floor mat to trap the accelerator pedal.”

To remind you, Toyota began sending letters to owners in the beginning of the week, advising them to remove the mats and assuring them at the same time that the NHTSA found no problems with the vehicles themselves. NHTSA denies ever coming to this conclusion and they say the matter is still under investigation.

Where does that leave the owners? Not sure yet. Removing the mats is a solution, but appears only to be a temporary one.