As reported by the Houston Examiner:
Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. has urged its dealer body and that of Lexus to inspect all vehicles, new and used, as well as loaner fleet vehicles for floor mats that may interfere with the operation of the pedals in their cars after California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor and three passengers died in a Lexus after the floor mat allegedly became stuck in the accelerator pedal.
A 2009 ES350 loaned to them by a local Lexus dealer apparently had all-weather floor mats which became lodged in the accelerator pedal. Preliminary information from law enforcement investigators indicates that the all-weather floor mat from a different Lexus model could, if installed incorrectly in the ES350, cause it to interfere with the accelerator pedal.
All-weather floor mats are frequently installed by dealers or customers as an accessory item. Driver’s floor mat interference with the accelerator pedal is possible in any vehicle make with any combination of floor mats when the floor mat is not properly secured or if it is not designed to fit the vehicle properly.
“We urge all other automakers, dealers, vehicle owners, and the independent service and car wash industries to assure that any floor mat, whether factory or aftermarket, is correct for the vehicle and properly installed and secured,” Toyota Motor Sales USA said in a statement.
In November 2007, Toyota recalled its all-weather mats in the 2007 and early 2008 ES 350s and Camrys after owners complained that the mats could slip forward and entrap the gas pedal if they were not properly attached to the floor. It is unclear whether the floor mat being looked at in the Saylor accident were among those previously recalled.
