How to Know If my Toyota Car is Recalled

know if my Toyota Car is recalled

Due to an alarming number of reports about accelerators sticking on Toyota cars, Toyota is recalling many of the vehicles. Over 3.8 million vehicles are said to be affected by the recall, the largest for Toyota to date. The problem stemmed from the removable floor mat on the drivers side of the car. If the floor mat is allowed to move at all it could become lodged under the accelerator and cause the car to gain speed. Some people have reported cars going as fast as 120 miles per hour. Some of these incidents have resulted in wrecks and even death. It is very important for you to first inspect your floor mat to make sure it is the proper size for your car. If you have replace your cars floor mat, even with a Toyota approved floor mat you may be at risk of harm. If you notice your accelerator is stuck you should try to press firmly on the break. If you can reach down and remove the floor mat you can attempt to do so but if all else fails you need to throw your car into neutral. The motor will rev up but that is much better than being stuck behind a steering wheel running uncontrollably down the road.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. • 1

     The first thing you should do is review the list of recalled cars. Currently it is affecting:
     • Toyota Camry Model Year 2007-2010
     • Toyota Avalon Model Year 2005-2010
     • Toyota Prius Model Year 2004-2009
     • Tacoma Model Year 2005-2010
     • Toyota Tundra Model Year 2007-2010
     • Lexus ES350 Model Year 2007-2010
     • Lexus IS250 and IS350 Model Year 2006-2010

   • 2

     If you car is on the list it is strongly suggested that you remove the drivers side floor mat. This is the mat that you would take out when you vacuuming your cars floor. It will not affect your cars driving ability so just take it out better safe now than sorry later.

   • 3

     After you have removed the floor mat you should wait for the recall letter or you can contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's hot line at (888) 327-4236, Toyota at (800) 331-4331 or Lexus at (800) 255-3987 for more information.

   • 4

     Remember if your vehicle's accelerator becomes stuck the best thing you can do is try to slow down the car. If the breaks do not work you will need to put the car in neutral with the shifter then turn the key to the accessory power setting. This will still give you control of the stirring wheel and you will be able to come to a stop. For vehicles with a push button start you can hold the button down for three seconds to stop the engine.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure anyone that drives a Toyota vehicle is aware of this potentially harmful situation. Ask them to play it safe and remove the floor mats immediately.