Toyota's Safety Recall Affects 3.8 Million US Vehicles

Just as we told you earlier today, Toyota is planning to recall several models in the United States due to a potential dangerous floor mat that could struck the acceleration pedal. According to an Associated Press report, the recall will concern 3.8 million vehicles but, more importantly, several incidents have already been reported.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it received reports of 102 incidents involving the aforementioned glitch but it's still unclear how many crashes actually resulted. One of the incidents took place in August in California as a Lexus reached 102 miles per hour (165 km/h) and family members inside the car called 911 saying the throttle pedal was struck.

“A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop a vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death,” Toyota spokesman Irv Miller said.

“This is an urgent matter,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. “For everyone’s sake, we strongly urge owners of these vehicles to remove mats or other obstacles that could lead to unintended acceleration.”

As a result, the Japanese automaker will start a safety recall for the following models: 2007 - 2010 Camry, 2005 - 2010 Avalon, 2004 - 2009 Prius, 2005 - 2010 Tacoma, 2007 - 2010 Tundra, 2007 - 2010 ES350, 2006 - 2010 IS250 and IS350.

The company said owners of the affected models will be notified starting next week when Toyota is expected to roll out all recall details. Meanwhile, you can try one of the solutions proposed by the manufacturer available here.