Financial Times (Toronto) - Toyota announced another huge vehicle recall in the US in response to regulatory concerns that it had not fixed defective floor mats that can jam accelerator pedals.
The Japanese group is recalling almost 2.2m Toyota and Lexus vehicles, including the RAV4 sports utility vehicle, bringing the number of vehicles recalled worldwide to almost 14m over the past 18 months.
The recalls by Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker by sales, have undermined the company's reputation for reliability. It has lost significant market share in the US, forcing it to raise discounts and offer other incentives in the past year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reviewed more than 400,000 pages of Toyota documents to determine whether earlier recalls related to jammed accelerator pedals were adequate.
"As a result of the agency's review, NHTSA asked Toyota to recall these additional vehicles, and now that the company has done so, our investigation is closed," said David Strickland, the administration's head.
Toyota has paid a record $49m in fines to Washington in the past year for improperly notifying regulators of potential defects, including sticky accelerators. It also faces class-action lawsuits.
The government this month exonerated Toyota from persistent allegations of defects in its electronic throttle control system. Ray LaHood, US transportation secretary, said that he had advised his daughter to buy a Toyota Sienna Minivan, adding: "I think that demonstrates we think Toyotas are safe to drive."
During the recall crisis last year, Mr LaHood warned Toyota owners not to drive their cars.
After earlier recalls, Toyota installed a small metal plate on accelerator pedals to address concerns about unintended acceleration. It made adjusted floor mats and advised drivers not to buy from outside suppliers.
Toyota acknowledged on Thursday that its own floor mats could still cause the pedal to "become temporarily stuck in a partially depressed position rather than returning to the idle position". Because of the defects, the NHTSA has begun a probe into the placement and spacing of accelerator and brake pedals in all cars.
Three models have been added to the earlier recalls. Toyota and Lexus dealers will make the latest modifications at no charge.
The latest recalls will include modifying the shape of a plastic pad embedded in the driver's side floor mat.
