NHTSA Investigation EA08014

ACCELERATOR PEDAL INTERFERENCE

IN A JUNE 25, 2008, LETTER RESPONDING TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST FROM ODI, TOYOTA PROVIDED INFORMATION ABOUT AN ACCELERATOR PEDAL INTERFERENCE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED DURING PRODUCTION DYNAMOMETER TESTING AT THE ASSEMBLY PLANT FOR AN EARLY PRODUCTION MY 2004 SIENNA MINIVAN.THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A MISSING RETAINING CLIP THAT ALLOWED THE CENTER CONSOLE TRIM PANEL TO INTERFERE WITH (TRAP) THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AFTER IT HAD BEEN DEPRESSED.TOYOTA SUBSEQUENTLY IMPLEMENTED AN 100% INSPECTION REQUIREMENT FOR THE RETAINING CLIP.IN JUNE 2003, TOYOTA CHANGED THE ORIGINAL DESIGN OF THE TRIM PANEL TO ELIMINATE THE POTENTIAL FOR PEDAL INTERFERENCE IN THE EVENT THE RETAINING CLIP IS NOT PRESENT.ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY DATA SHOW THAT A FEW (4) INCIDENTS OF INTERFERENCE BY THE TRIM PANEL HAVE OCCURRED IN SERVICE.IN AT LEAST THREE OF THE INCIDENTS, THE INTERFERENCE OCCURRED AFTER SERVICE WAS PERFORMED THAT REQUIRED REMOVAL AND REINSTALLATION OF THE SUBJECT TRIM PANEL AND RETAINING CLIP. ON JANUARY 14, 2009, TOYOTA NOTIFIED ODI THAT THEY WOULD RECALL SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT BETWEEN JANUARY 10, 2003 AND JUNE 11, 2003, WHEN THE ORIGINAL DESIGN FLOOR CARPET COVER WAS USED IN PRODUCTION (NHTSA RECALL NO. 09V-023).TOYOTA'S RECALL WILL INSTRUCT DEALERS TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL FLOOR CARPET COVER WITH THE NEWER DESIGN FLOOR CARPET (AND RETENTION CLIP) AT NO CHARGE TO THE OWNER.THE REPAIR WILL REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR TRIM PANEL INTERFERENCE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TRAVEL SHOULD THE RETAINING CLIPS BECOME MISSING BECAUSE OF IMPROPER SERVICE OR OTHER REASONS.THE RECALL WILL BE CONDUCTED AS A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.