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Sudden Acceleration Recall, Floor Mats, and Electronic Throttle Control Problems Tarnish Toyota and Lexus Safety Image
-Ennislaw
12/21/2009 – Recently Toyota motors has had several safety issues leading to a massive recall and has consumers questioning the safety of Toyota and Lexus vehicles.
It all started with a 911 call was received from a passeneger of off-duty highway patrol officer Mark Saylor, who was driving a Lexus ES 350 loaner from a dealer. The caller said the sedan was racing out of control at more than 100 mph and Saylor could not stop it. The car ended up crashing into another vehicle, killing Saylor and the others. Then came other reports of runaway Toyotas and Lexus vehicles.
Shortly thereafter, Toyota ordered its largest recall ever — upwards of 4 million vehicles — over a defect that caused what the government calls "unintended acceleration."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a rare public rebuke, saying Toyota prematurely tried to blame the entire acceleration problem on floor mats when a NHTSA report cited other potential vehicle problems and contributing factors.
Toyota Electronic Throttle Control To Blame?
Toyota denied that it even had a sudden acceleration problem for more than five years. Even when Toyota acknowledge there could be a problem, it did so by making "inaccurate and misleading" statements about the safety of Toyota vehicles and received a strong public rebuke from the regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The findings from the independent investigators at the San Diego County Sheriff's Department further bolster the findings of independent safety experts that the Toyota electronic throttle -- not floor mats -- is to blame for these unintended acceleration events.
Sean Kane, an Independent safety expert of Safety Research & Strategies, has identified more than 2,100 Toyota sudden acceleration events. Many of these events occurred in vehicles with no floor mats at all.
Consumer Reports also confirmed that many of the sudden acceleration events occurred in vehicles with no floor mats stating "There was something else, outside the cabin, that was causing the problem."
While Toyota initially tried to blame the accelerator troubles on a floor mat issue, it became evident that this was not simply a floor mat problem. Independent safety experts continue to point to Toyota's electronic throttle controls, not the floor mats, as the source of the sudden acceleration defect. A review of NHTSA safety records by the Los Angeles Times found more than 1,000 Toyota and Lexus owners have reported sudden acceleration since 2001 — resulting in at least 19 deaths — and that jammed floor mats were not cited as a contributing cause in many of the incidents. Consumer Reports also says its analysis of NHTSA data found Toyota had 40% more unintended acceleration incidents than any other automaker in its 2008 models.
Toyota Lawsuits:
The Attorneys at Ennis & Ennis, P.A. are actively accepting cases of those injured or that have suffered a loss as a result of a runaway Toyota or Lexus vehicle due to sudden acceleration. For more Toyota recall information visit our Toyota Recall or Lexus Recall page.
If you or a loved one have been injured or suffered a loss due to a jammed accelerator pedal or a recalled Toyota floor mat you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Toyota-Lexus Recall Lawyers of Ennis & Ennis, P.A. for a free case evaluation by filling out the form on this page or calling toll-free: 1-800-856-6405. Our experienced attorneys can answer any questions you may have about the Toyota Floor Mat Recall or Toyota Lawsuit.
