Lexus Recall - Sudden Acceleration Lawsuit - Floor Mat Lawyer - Defective Accelerator Pedal Attorney - Toyota Motors Recall - ES350 - IS250 - IS350 |
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Lexus Recall - Sudden Acceleration Lawsuit:
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Lexus Sudden Acceleration Recall Lawsuit:
Toyota Motors has issued a recall of over 3 million vehicles including the Lexus ES350, IS250, and IS350 due to sudden acceleration caused by the accelerator pedal getting stuck. This may cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle resulting in serious injury, property damage, and death.
What Lexus Models Are Affected By The Recall?
Certain models of Lexus are included in the recall. They are:
• 2007– 2010 Lexus ES350 |
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• 2006 – 2010 Lexus IS350 |
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• 2006 – 2010 Lexus IS250 |
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Lexus Recall Investigation:
The investigation began when the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that they had received 102 incident reports involving Toyota and Lexus vehicles in which the accelerator became stuck.
The investigation took a tragic turn after an August 2009 fatal highway crash in California. In this tragic case, the accelerator pedal of a Lexus ES 350 became stuck, causing the car to reach speeds in excess of 120 mph. Four individuals, including a California Highway Patrol officer, were killed in the accident.
Toyota Motors has blamed the floor mats as the source of the problem stating that If not secured properly using the provided retention
hooks, the mats can slide forward causing the vehicle to
accelerate uncontrollably resulting in serious injury, property damage, and death. This has been questioned by consumers as well as automotive experts as some drivers that experienced sudden acceleration stated that the floor mats were secured properly and that the accelerator pedal did not get jammed under the floor mat.
Toyota Motors then included the accelerator pedals in the recall and proposed the following remedy:
1. The shape of the accelerator pedal will be reconfigured to address the risk of floor mat entrapment, even when an older-design all-weather floor mat or other inappropriate floor mat is improperly attached, or is placed on top of another floor mat. For the ES350, Camry, and Avalon models involved, the shape of the floor surface underneath will also be reconfigured to increase the space between the accelerator pedal and the floor.
2. Vehicles with any genuine Toyota or Lexus accessory all-weather floor mat will be provided with newly-designed replacement driver- and front passenger-side all-weather floor mats.
In addition, as a separate measure independent of the vehicle-based remedy, Toyota will install a brake override system onto the involved Camry, Avalon, and Lexus ES 350, IS350 and IS 250 models as an extra measure of confidence. This system cuts engine power in case of simultaneous application of both the accelerator and brake pedals.
Lexus 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.
If you or a loved one have been injured or suffered a loss as a result of a recalled Lexus you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Lexus - Toyota Sudden Acceleration Lawyers of Ennis & Ennis, P.A. today by filling out the form on this page or calling toll - free: 1-800-856-6405. Nationwide Free Case Evaluations.
