Lexus and Toyota recall floor mats

Consumer Reports News: October 01, 2007 02:24 PM

Toyota Motor Sales, USA, along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has announced it will recall 55,000 All-Weather Floor Mats due to a problem with the mats potentially getting stuck under the accelerator pedal in certain cars. If not secured properly using the provided retention hooks, the heavy-duty rubber mats can slide forward causing the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably. The recall affects driver's side floor mats that were an option on 2007 and early 2008 Lexus ES 350 and Toyota Camry models. (Read about the September 29, 2009, Toyota and Lexus floor mat recall.)

Toyota will notify owners by mail in early October and will begin replacing the mats in November at no charge to consumers.

Toyota also urges all drivers utilizing a driver's side floor mat to make sure they are properly secured and not placed on top of another floor mat. The hooks for the mats are designed to accommodate only one floor mat at a time.

If you have any questions on the recall, contact your local Toyota (888-270-9371) or Lexus (800-255-3987) dealer. Or call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Hotline at 888-327-4236.

Although this recall affected Toyota and Lexus vehicles, improper mat usage can pose risks in any vehicle. When installing factory or aftermarket mats, follow the directions. If your vehicle has them, utilize the mat anchors; they provide a real safety benefit of keeping the mats secure and out of the way of the pedals. And do not stack a new mat on the old one. The combined height of the two mats or a loose upper mat may interfere with pedal operation.

Update 9/30/09:

Toyota advises 3.8 million Lexus and Toyota owners to remove floor mats
Misaligned floor mat may have caused calamity

--Liza Barth

Discuss Lexus and Toyota in the Consumer Reports Forums.