Another runaway Toyota Prius was reported yesterday. A 56-year-old driver was injured while driving her 2005 Prius in New York. The accident was blamed on the sticky accelerator pedal that has the Japanese automaker under fire. So what should Toyota owners do?
First, identify if you have one of the affected vehicles. Here are the models affected by Toyota’s pedal recall:
- Certain 2009-2010 RAV4
- Certain 2009-2010 Corolla
- 2009-2010 Matrix
- 2005-2010 Avalon
- Certain 2007-2010 Camry
- Certain 2009 Camry Hybrid
- Certain 2010 Highlander
- 2007-2010 Tundra
- 2008-2010 Sequoia
Even easier is plugging in your 17-digit Vehicle ID Number (VIN) at this website, which will determine whether or not your car is one of the many being recalled. It’s located on your windshield, on the driver’s side at the front of the dashboard.
If you do have an affected car, you can take it to your nearest Toyota dealership. Toyota will cover the cost of the repair.
There is also another Toyota recall of floor mats, which have been known to “entrap” the pedals. The easiest solution for this is to simply remove the floor mat from your driver’s side seat. Cars affected:
- 2005-2010 Avalon
- 2007-2010 Camry
- 2009-2010 Corolla
- 2008-2010 Highlander
- 2009-2010 Matrix
- 2004-2009 Prius
- 2005-2010 Tacoma
- 2007-2010 Tundra
- 2009-2010 VENZA
The solution is a reinforcement bar that is installed into the pedal assembly, which will prevent the accelerator from sticking. You can find recall information at Toyota’s website.
