Finance & Business World

WASHINGTON — Toyota plans to replace the gas pedals on 4 million vehicles in the United States because the pedals can get stuck in the floor mats and cause sudden acceleration.

The massive recall is the largest in the U.S. for Toyota Motor Corp. The Japanese automaker earlier told owners to remove the driver’s side floor mats to keep the gas pedal from becoming jammed.

A deadly crash in California brought attention to the problem. Investigators of the accident, in which four died, determined that a rubber all-weather floor mat found in the wreckage was slightly longer than the mat that belonged in the vehicle, and it could have snared or covered the gas pedal.

The government has attributed at least five deaths and two injuries to floor mat-related acceleration in the Toyota vehicles. Regulators have received reports of more than 100 other incidents.

Dealers will offer to shorten the gas pedals by three-fourths of an inch beginning in January as a stopgap measure while the company develops replacement pedals. New pedals will be installed by dealers on a rolling basis beginning in April, and some vehicles will get a brake override system as a precaution.

The recall involves 3.8 million vehicles, including the 2007-10 Camry, 2005-10 Avalon, 2004-09 Prius, 2005-10 Tacoma, 2007-10 Tundra, 2007-10 Lexus ES350 and 2006-10 Lexus IS250/350. Owners of the ES350, the Camry and the Avalon will get first notification because the cars are believed to be at most risk.

For more information, owners can contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hot line at 1-888-327-4236.

Source