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Canadians left in the dark on car mat danger
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Toyota warned U.S. customers three weeks ago about loose floor mats but haven't told Canadians directly.
Toyota began sending letters to millions of U.S. customers three weeks ago warning them about the danger of loose floor mats interfering with accelerator pedals, but the company hasn't yet personally notified thousands of vehicle owners in Canada.
An official for Toyota Canada Inc. said Wednesday that the automaker expects to inform owners of several specific models by letter soon after a review with Transport Canada is completed.
The company would not disclose the number of affected vehicles, but Transport Canada says it is about 200,000 Toyota and luxury Lexus models.
"We're currently conducting a review but a customer notification and the issuing of a letter is not far off," said Sandy Di Felice, the company's director of external affairs.
"We've fulfilled all our legal obligations and done more."
But the Automobile Protection Association, which represents motorist interests, said while complaints about the problem are much lower here – even on a per-capita basis – than in the United States, Toyota Canada should still have sent letters like its American counterparts to properly warn all customers.
"They should have done it as a precautionary measure and followed up again later after finding out the cause and resolution," association president George Iny said.
"We're also not convinced that the issue is only one of mats on the listed vehicles. It may be more complicated than that."
Toyota Canada issued an "alert" on its website in late September warning customers about potential problems.
Some dealers sent notices to customers while others currently check cars for any accelerator or mat problems during regular servicing and repair work.
"We have responded responsibly and proactively," Di Felice said. "We also haven't found the situation here is the same as in the U.S."
Toyota, which won't disclose complaint or incident numbers, issued a notice to Transport Canada on Oct. 7 about a possible problem and the government is looking into the issue.
Under the law, Toyota must issue letters within 60 days of filing the notice and Di Felice indicated the company would comply.
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. said it started mailing letters to 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus owners south of the border on Oct. 30 about a possible problem and defect on some models.
The company disclosed that an unsecured or incompatible floor mat on the driver's side could interfere with the accelerator pedal and cause it to get stuck in a wide-open position.
As an interim precaution, Toyota asked U.S. owners to take out any removable driver's floor mats and not replace them until a "vehicle-based remedy" could be developed and implemented. The company said it would inform them again when it finds a solution.
Toyota U.S.A. also provided a series of instructions in the letter on what drivers should do if they run into "unwanted acceleration."
Toyota Canada offered similar instructions and information including possible dangers on its website here.
"A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death," Toyota Canada said in its "alert."
The affected models are the 2007-2010 Camry; 2005-2010 Avalon; 2004-2009 Prius; 2005-2010 Tacoma; 2007-2010 Tundra; 2007-2010 Lexus ES 350 and the 2006-2010 Lexus IS Series in both countries.
A Tokyo newspaper reported earlier this week that Toyota would soon offer to fix accelerator pedals on up to four million models in the U.S. It did not indicate what the repair would involve.
But Toyota denied it had reached an agreement with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The regulator stressed the issue, which it considered a "very dangerous problem," remains under review.
NHTSA added the replacement of mats is simply an interim move and does not correct the underlying defect on stuck accelerators, which relates to pedal and floor design.
The U.S. letters followed a high-speed crash, rollover and fire involving a Lexus model that killed four family members near San Diego this summer.
The occupants made a frantic 911 call from the Lexus and told a dispatcher that the accelerator was stuck and they couldn't stop the vehicle.
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