Toyota announced Friday that two Lexus SUV models have been added to the recall list from 2009, addressing the potential threat of the floor map trapping the gas pedal.
According to the announcement, approximately 131,800 2010 RX 350 and 22,200 2010 RX 450h models have been added to the recall list. The company will send a notification by first class mail in early August of this year to the owners of affected vehicles and fix the problem for free. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated on its website the the gas pedal of these models could get stuck because of "unsecured or incompatible" floor mat.
"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", wrote NHTSA.
The original recall that initiated three years ago gave a big damage to the Japanese automaker, both in the brand image and the sales. Toyota recalled over 4 million vehicles worldwide in 2009 for the stuck gas pedal problem. The company also had to pay $48.8 million to the government for failing to inform the safely regulars in time and delaying recalls.
NHTSA said there might be another investigation as to whether Toyota "met its obligation to notify the agency and conduct a recall in a timely manner," LA Times reported.
However, Edmunds.com's senior analyst Jessica Caldwell thinks they have reacted quickly this time.
"The damage is done there," Caldwell said, Dailybreeze reported.
"Since the recalls, Toyota has been very proactive whenever there was an issue with their vehicles. I think that's what got them in trouble, the issue that they didn't act quickly enough. Now they're reacting quickly."
In the mean time, owners of affected vehicle may visit www.lexus.com/recall or call Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-255-3987. Owners may also contact NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to www.safercar.gov.
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