Perhaps it is the season or maybe it is just a coincidence, but both Toyota and Ford have issued their largest recalls ever over the past few weeks.
Ford, Toyota Recalls
On September 29th, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) notified select Toyota and Lexus owners that 3.8 million cars were being recalled due to the driver’s floor mat which could get wedged underneath the accelerator, causing their cars to speed up. That recall follows a fiery crash in California late this past summer when four occupants of a rental Lexus were killed when their car surged out of control and flew off of an embankment.
On October 13th, the NHTSA notified Ford and Mercury owners that 4.5 million cars, trucks and motorhomes were being recalled faulty cruise control deactivation switch manufactured by Texas Instruments. According to the NHTSA, “The switch can leak hydraulic fluid, overheat and then burn, potentially causing vehicle fires even with the ignition turned off and the vehicles parked and unattended.” Notably, this is the eight recall made by Ford for this problem affecting some 16 million vehicles.
Toyota and Lexus vehicles affected by this consumer alert are:
- 2007-2010 Camry
- 2005-2010 Avalon
- 2004-2009 Prius
- 2005-2010 Tacoma
- 2007-2010 Tundra
- 2007-2010 ES 350
- 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS350
In September 2007, Toyota recalled an accessory all-weather floor mat sold for use in some 2007 and 2008 model year Lexus ES 350 and Toyota Camry vehicles because of similar problems.
The Ford recall involves the following vehicles:
- 1995-2003 model year Ford Windstars
- 2000-2003 model year Ford Excursion diesels
- 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 Ford F-Super Duty diesels
- 1992-2003 Ford Econolines
- 1995-2002 Ford Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers
- 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 Ford Rangers
- And 1994 Ford F53 motorhomes
The NHTSA has warned drivers to be aware of certain signs of possible impendent fires, including cruise control systems that stop working or cannot be activated, brake lights that cease working, brake lights and ABS warning lights illuminating on the dash board, or not being able to shift the vehicle out of park.
What You Should Do
These two huge recalls are unrelated and are simply noteworthy for their size and the number of vehicles covered. Visit the NHTSA site to see if your car has a recall pending and, if so, call your dealer to learn what action you should take to remedy the problem. Costs for repairs under NHTSA recalls are covered by the manufacturer.
Don’t wait – some problems must be addressed immediately in order to ensure your safety.
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