Stuck Throttle Feature Video

Stuck Throttle Feature Video

By Edmunds Video Productions | Published December 11, 2009

7:24 min

There have been many recent headlines about Toyota’s recall of vehicles due to what is described as “unintended acceleration.” But what exactly does that mean and what, if any, danger might it pose to the average driver? Also, what should you do if it happens in your car, regardless of whether or not you own a Toyota?

Stuck Throttle Feature Video

By Edmunds Video Productions | Published December 11, 2009

7:24 min

Toyota has been in the news recently for problems associated with unintended acceleration. There have been two separate recalls affecting millions of vehicles. One regarding a mechanical defect in certain throttle pedals and the other involving floor mats  Edmunds.com editors investigated both of these issues, as well as the best ways to safely stop your car in the event of unintended acceleration.   Toyota has recalled 2.3 million vehicles because there is a possibility that the accelerator pedal may mechanically stick or return slowly to its idle position.  This recall involves certain units sold of the following Toyotas: The 09 and 10 Corolla, the 09 and 10 Matrix, the 07 to 10 Camry, the 05 to 10 Avalon, the 09 to 10 RAV4, the 2010 Highlander, the 07 to 10 Tundra and the 08-10 Sequoia.   Should you own one of these models, write down you Vehicle Identification number and call your dealer to know for sure if your specific vehicle is affected, and if it is, what can be done to correct any potential problem.  There was an earlier Toyota recall related to unintended acceleration involving floor mats, which could still pose a danger regardless of whether or not your vehicle has been effected by the more recent recall.  This recall affects every 07 to 10 Camry, 05 to 10 Avalon, 04 to 09 Prius, 09 to 10 Corolla, 09 to 10 Venza, 09 to 10 Martix, 05 to 10 Tacoma, 07 to 10 Tundra, 07 to 10 Lexus ES 350 and 06 to 10 Lexus IS 250 and IS 350.  To investigate this issue further and to see if it could pose a problem with different car makes and models, we conducted a random survey of 12 vehicles in the Edmunds long-term test fleet. Upon inspection we found that three of those vehicles had mats that drifted out of position toward the pedals. Another three had attachment points that were either broken or missing.  During our survey we discovered that we could classify vehicles into two categories, those with top-hinged throttle pedals and those with bottom-hinged ones. We discovered no problems with vehicles that had bottom-hinged pedals. We were able to acquire two vehicles on the original floor-mat-related Toyota recall list: A 2004 Toyota Prius and 2009 Lexus ES 350. It turns out that both have top-hinged throttle pedals.  Like all Toyota vehicles, the Prius’s floor mat has two hooks that prevent it from sliding forward. And if it’s in the right position, the throttle pedal and the floor mat are not close enough to each other to cause interference.  As we found in our survey of Edmunds long-term vehicles, floor mats can drift out of position for a variety of reasons. And when that starts to happen, the floor mat can start to interfere with the throttle pedal. Simple carpet floor mats are soft and bend out of the way. But that’s not true of heavy, all-weather floor mats such as these.  These all-weather mats have the right holes to attach to the securing hooks, but you have to remove the carpet mats first for them to work. If you don’t remove the carpet mats, the hooks connect and the all-weather mat can move dangerously forward. In this position, the edge of the mat can actually trap the throttle pedal.  In this position, the edge of the mat can actually trap the throttle pedal. Toyota’s interim solution is to have the owner remove the driver side floor mat altogether.  Setting aside the causes of unintended acceleration for a moment, what should you do in the event that your car suffers a stuck throttle pedal? You won’t have time to analyze the situation, so knowing what to do now may save you in the future.  Brakes may seem like an obvious first choice, but there are risks and experts are divided on the subject.  Fully applied brakes certainly have the power to keep a stationary car from moving under full throttle. But there is less certainty of an average driver to apply sufficient force to stop a vehicle that has developed a wide-open stuck throttle at highway speeds.  Turning the ignition off is tempting to, but this approach has its own problems. If your car has a key and you turn it too far you may lock the steering and therefore not be able to guide the vehicle.  Push button starters are become increasingly popular and they’re easy to use when the car is parked and a single press will stop the engine. But that’s NOT the case when the car is moving and there is no standardization between brands. Therefore owners need to read the manual to find out what method works for their car. Here are a couple of examples. So if you're facing a stuck-throttle situation, shifting the car into neutral is your best option. But to prevent such a situation, make sure your floor mats are properly installed and check to see if your car is one of those affected by the most recent Toyota throttle pedal recall.  For more information on this evolving story, check back to Edmunds.com.