Toyota to replace 2004-2009 Prius gas pedals, give new all-weather mats

Re: Gas Pedal--Re-call ?

I have a problem with the logic expressed in the cited article in post #17:

Here's one excerpt: "Toyota spokesman Irv Miller said the company was "very, very confident that we have addressed this issue" with the new fix. Toyota has found "no reason to believe that there is a problem with the electronic control systems," he said."

Compare to this excerpt: "Toyota also plans to install a brake override system on the Camry, Avalon and Lexus ES350, IS350 and IS250 models, Toyota and NHTSA said. The brake override system will ensure the vehicle will stop if the brake and the accelerator pedals are applied at the same time.
Toyota plans to make the brake override system standard equipment throughout the Toyota and Lexus lineup by the end of 2010."

If there's no problem with the electronic control systems, then why is the brake override system going to become standard equipment throughout the entire Toyota/Lexus lineup?

I would rather see the recall effort being directed towards installing this brake override system, rather than installing a smaller accelerator pedal.

Further, what's up with this: "Toyota officials said the floor mats are only sold in the U.S. and the recall would be limited to North America."

If the floor mats are the only problem, then get rid of them and leave the accelerator pedal alone. Or is this recall just being done for political reasons? Are Toyota owners living outside North America at risk, or not?

 

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Re: Gas Pedal--Re-call ?

It must not be a very urgent problem to Toyota if they aren't going to start installing the "new" pedals until April 2010.

FWIW, I'm not going to bother changing mine unless I'm going to bring the car into the dealer for some other reason. None of the gas pedals in any of my Toyotas (even my MR2) are affected by the floor mats. If I ever experience the reported acceleration problem, I'm just going to stand on the brake pedal and push the start button the required 3 seconds to turn off the car.

 

For those of us with big clumsy ape-like feet, we do NOT want a smaller and skinnier gas pedal

 

Those Prius owners in that category need to follow Carolyn's barefoot example...

 

Sorry, I'm just not trendy enough to drive with bare feet

Not to mention I feel my big clumsy ape-like feet tend to draw attention ...

 

Re: Gas Pedal--Re-call ?

Does our Prius already have the brake override system?

 

Re: Gas Pedal--Re-call ?

This recall is Total BS. I'm leaving my Prius alone. The acellerator pedal is fine the way it is.

 

will this fix cost anything if your warranty is up?

 

They also get stiff in winter.

Note that Toyota Canada has a box on their website you can click and then see "us too" basically. They tell us to remove all-weather mats and any unsecured mats, especially ones placed over the stock ones. They DO NOT inform of any recalls.

See, it's the US govt. agencies that force Toyota to actually DO something, not Toyota's good intentions. In Canada we don't actually HAVE any govt. that is interested enough to force ANY company to actually DO something. Funny, as we are considered much more liberal than the US!

Just to let everyone know before my death, I'm leaving my aftermarket mats in, on top of the properly secured by clips stock Toyota carpeted mats. (DANGER Will Robinson, DANGER!!)

(ducking)

 

Re: Gas Pedal--Re-call ?

The announcement seems to tell me that they will install a brake override system to our Prius as well, just not their first priority?

 

Too bad they're not replacing the carpeted mats, I could use a new set.

Since it's a safety recall, it will be done for free even if out of warranty.

Anyway, this is more or less what I predicted. The bottom edge of the accelerator touches the floor, unlike most other cars. This means that anything on the floor under it could snag it.

However, there are still some people that think it's a software problem.

 

Re: Gas Pedal--Re-call ?

The only letter I got so far discusses the mat issue and says
that they're going to "start a campaign" or some such and that
the existing floor mats should be removed in the meantime. I'm
ignoring it, of course, as my correctly-installed plain ol' carpet
mats are nowhere near the pedal edge -- even if I ever *did*
push it down that far, which pretty much never happens.
.
So why not take a hacksaw to the bottom part of the existing
pedal, as it's only plastic? Or for that matter, cut the
notch in the silly mat a little deeper?
.
_H*

 

I'm laying odds there'll be at least one more of the same threads created shortly.

We got a note regarding our Lexus SUV hybrid, but not the Prius


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Re: Gas Pedal--Re-call ?

Apparently that is exactly what the dealers will do initially before the new gas pedals are made. Toyota will give the dealers some kind of template so all pedals will be cut off the same fashion. This was heard from NPR radio news program.

 

I wonder why my FJ Cruiser isn't part of the campaign? It has a drive-by-wire accelerator pedal.

 

Re: Gas Pedal--Re-call ?

No. You can "force charge" while stationary, but at highway speeds it doesn't work

 

Wonder what the final cost to Toyota will end up at? Seems like a fairly significant mod to several million cars

 

I'm not making a trip to the dealer to fix a "problem" that doesn't exist with the car. The "problem" is a bleeding heart do-gooder mindset that believes a manufacturer is responsible when the end user installs inappropriate aftermarket equipment. I'd pefer the money going to be spent on this directed to driver education.