“Dummies” was already taken so I’m going with “Idiots” (no trademark infringement!). But the Toyota recall—actually make that plural: recalls—needs a down and dirty IKEA-type schematic for anyone to get what the hell is going on.
See, this morning, I was tracking the latest info on the Toyota Prius. For the brakes. According to reports, at least 100 complaints have flowed into the NHTSA. About potentially poorly performing brakes. Oh, but wait a minute—didn’t we just see “Prius” listed somewhere on a recall list?
Yes! We did! That was when the Prius was recalled for risk of “floor mat entrapment of accelerator pedals”—but not for sticking accelerator pedals. Are you with me? And that’s on 2004-2009 Prius models.
Now, if we’re talking the Toyota Camry, the recalls are for the 2007-2010 models—BUT Camry Hybrids are not included in that. And if you’re Camry has a VIN that starts with lucky “J”—you’ve won a mini lottery—YOUR Camry isn’t in the sticking accelerator pedal recall. BUT otherwise (lucky “J” folks stay alert here) ALL Camry’s from 2007-2010 are part of both the floor mat recall and the sticking accelerator pedal recall.
See my confusion? So rather than go on here and try to sort out all the other models, let’s skip over to what you’re supposed to do if you have, say, a 2007-2010 Camry without a “J” VIN.
Well, first up, the floor mat recall. Toyota says you’re supposed to take out any removable driver’s floor mat and not replace it with any other floor mat until you receive the vehicle-based remedy. Sounds pretty simple. Then, once you receive a notification from Toyota that the recall remedy for your car is available, you should take your vehicle to an authorized (always “authorized”) Toyota dealer, where they will reconfigure the shape of the accelerator pedal to address the floor mat entrapment. (For Camry and Avalon, the floor surface underneath will also be reconfigured to increase the space between the accelerator pedal and the floor).
Sounds like a lot of work for something that could be solved by just taking the floor mats out—and leaving them out, no? And if they’re reconfiguring the accelerator pedal, shouldn’t that then fix the sticky accelerator issue?
Of course not!
So now, we move on to the accelerator pedal recall. Assuming we’re still with that Camry vs. leaving it somewhere in the Jersey meadows, it would’ve just gotten a reconfigured accelerator pedal and a reconfigured underneath floor surface. (It’s like Camry’s been given a full day-spa pass from Spa Finders and I’m feeling a bit jealous…”Your hot stone therapy massage is next…”—but I digress.) Next up, for the accelerator pedal sticking issue, a precision-cut steel reinforcement bar will be installed into the accelerator pedal assembly, thereby eliminating the excess friction that has caused pedals to stick in rare instances.
Ok, whatever. So you bring the car in, and it gets fixed.
But did you catch that one phrase? The one that said, “…once you receive notification from Toyota…the recall remedy…is available”. Yeah, that one. Sooo, you can’t just bring your car—the one that every media outlet is basically telling you to STOP DRIVING—to the “authorized” Toyota dealer pronto? Uh, no.
So what should you do? You have to drive the car…to work, to pick up your kids, to get groceries… Here’s what Toyota says–straight off their sticking accelerator pedal page on their website:
If you have noticed that your accelerator pedal is hard to depress, slow to return or is not smooth during operation, the vehicle should be stopped at the nearest safe location, the engine shut off and a Toyota dealer contacted for assistance.
What if you experience a sticking accelerator pedal while driving?
Each circumstance may vary, and drivers must use their best judgment, but Toyota recommends taking one of the following actions:
- If you need to stop immediately, the vehicle can be controlled by stepping on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for the power brake assist.
- Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine.
- If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.
- If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button.
- If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.
Are they for real? I may be an idiot in need of a cheat sheet on how to understand the enire Toyota recalll, but I’m not an idiot who’s about to get behind the wheel of any of the Toyota models listed in any of the recalls other than to drive straight to the “authorized” dealer when I get that notice that my “remedy” is ready.