Toyota cares about your safety!
You may have read a recent news story that raises questions about Toyota safety and sudden or unintended accelerations. We wanted to provide you with the following information should any customers contact you with concerns regarding safety issues:
An article published this week points out that reports of sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles has resulted in nine federal inquiries and investigations since 2000. Two were determined that there were improperly positioned floor mats, another found a loose part in a Sienna minivan, and another remains open. The remaining five were dismissed with no findings of equipment problems.
However, it is important to contrast the number of inquires with the following proven Toyota facts.
- More than 22 million people rely on Toyota. (Based on R. L. Polk & Co. U.S. Vehicles In Operation registration statistics 1989-2009, as of January 1, 2009.)
- Toyota is rated highest in dependability of all automakers. (©2008 AutoPacific New Vehicle Satisfaction Survey: Toyota brand scores highest in satisfaction with reliability/dependability.)
- 80% of Toyotas sold in the last 20 years are still on the road today. (Based on R. L. Polk & Co. U.S. Vehicles In Operation registration statistics 1989-2009, as of January 1, 2009.)
- Toyota has won the most Total Quality Awards and has the best overall value of any manufacturer. (Based on Strategic Vision’s 2001–2009 New Vehicle Experience Study™; see www.strategicvision.com. 2009 IntelliChoice® Inc., www.IntelliChoice.com; among non-luxury full-line car manufacturers.)
Toyota is committed to the highest standards of product quality and safety, and fully stands behind the structural integrity of all its vehicles and their adherence to federal safety regulations. That is why Toyota is the only full-line automaker with standard side curtain air bags on all vehicles: just one of the reasons no other manufacturer has won more awards given by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
IIHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to reducing the losses — deaths, injuries, and property damage — from crashes on the nation’s highways.
Toyota Vehicles Awarded by IIHS this year:
- Corolla – 2009-10 models with electronic stability control (optional in 2009, standard in 2010)
- Prius – 2010 models
- FJ Cruiser
- Highlander
- Venza
- Tundra
- Tacoma
- Rav 4
- Avalon
- Lexus RX – 2010 models
Latest Update on Floor Mat Safety Campaign:
Toyota plans to strengthen its measures to provide high-quality, affordable, and attractive products that meet customers’ needs utilizing next-generation technologies in the areas of the environment, energy, and safety. Toyota’s ultimate goal is making a vehicle that is safe for everybody.
Because Toyota takes public safety very seriously, they promptly issued a Consumer Safety Advisory about 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, increasing the chances of an accident
In the forthcoming safety campaign, Toyota will notify owners of affected vehicles to take out any removable driver’s floor mat and not replace it with any other floor mat, pending the development of model-specific remedies. Toyota expects to carry out this customer notification via first class mail beginning in late October.
The following models are affected:
- 2007 – 2010 Camry
- 2005 – 2010 Avalon 2004 – 2009 Prius
- 2005 – 2010 Tacoma
- 2007 – 2010 Tundra
- 2007 – 2010 ES350
- 2006 – 2010 IS250 and IS350
If you choose not to remove the mat, Toyota is strongly recommending that you ensure you are using the correct mat, 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. Information on proper mat installation can be found on http://www.toyota.com and http://www.lexus.com.