2007 Toyota Camry Recalls

On October 10, 2012, Toyota initiated a safety recall of approximately 2.5 million U.S. vehicles involving the following models and model years:2007-2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2008 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007-2009 RAV4, 2008-2009 Scion xB and xD, 2008-2009 Sequoia, 2007-2008 Tundra, 2007-2008 Yaris, and 2009 Pontiac Vibe.See NHTSA recall number 12V-491 for more details, including the affected vehicle manufacture dates for each vehicle model.Note that only early-production 2009 model year vehicles are included in the recall.Toyota and GM dealers will inspect the power window master switch (PWMS) assemblies and apply a specialized grease that inhibits heat build-up.The circuit board in the PWMS may be replaced with a new one if notchy or sticking feeling is observed during the inspection.The failure report summary above shows counts for the vehicles identified at the start of this Engineering Analysis, specifically the approximately 1.4 million vehicles that share an identical PWMS assembly design including, model year 2007-2009 Camry, Camry Hybrid, RAV4, and Yaris built from September 2006 through August 2008, as well as all 2008 Highlander Hybrid.Toyota subsequently identified approximately one million additional vehicles that have a slightly different PWMS design but contain the same defect condition.Note that the totals for complaints and fires shown above may include duplicative reports (between ODI and manufacturer reports).This Engineering Analysis is closed.See attached report for additional information.The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers: 10323848, 10360414, 10392622, 10394453, 10411328, 10429983, 10436663, 10446699, 10447416, 10447417, 10447419, 10447444, 10447515, 10447845, 10447947, 10449270, 10450133, 10450568, 10450606, 10450641, 10451821, 10455540, 10455614, 10456353, 10456438, 10457854, 10457955, 10459730, 10460166, 10460691, 10461220, 10462140, 10462200, 10462247, 10462404, 10462705, 10462761, 10464451, 10464769, 10465421, 10466279, 10466667, 10468126, 10468265, 10475230, 10470313, 10470684, 10471551, 10471824, 10472336, 10472910, 10473753, 10473967, 10473969, 10476921, 10477469, 10478563 and 10478657.

ODI has identified certain Toyota vehicles experiencing a higher rate of fire and thermal event incidents among all Toyota vehicles that use the same power window master switch design.They include a total of approximately 1.4 million model year (MY) 2007 through 2009 Camry, Camry Hybrid, RAV4 and Yaris vehicles built from approximately September 2006 through August 2008, as well as all MY 2008 Highlander Hybrid vehicles.This Preliminary Evaluation has been upgraded to an Engineering Analysis (EA12-006) to further study the alleged defect and its consequences.The ODI reports cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers: 10461220, 10460691, 10460166, 10459730, 10457955, 10457854, 10456438, 10456353, 10455614, 10455540, 10451821, 10450641, 10450606, 10450568, 10450133, 10449270, 10447947, 10447845, 10447515, 10447444, 10447419, 10447417, 10447416, 10446699, 10436663, 10429983, 10411328, 10407290, 10394453, 10392622, 10360414, 10323848.

THE DRIVER SIDE FLOOR MAT WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH THE THROTTLE PEDAL IF PROPERLY SECURED USING THE RETAINING HOOKS PROVIDED BY TOYOTA.HOWEVER, IF THE ALL WEATHER MAT IS UNSECURED AND MOVES FORWARD FROM ITS INTENDED POSITION IT CAN ENTRAP THE THROTTLE PEDAL AT THE FULLY OPEN POSITION AFTER IT HAS BEEN DEPRESSED.THIS CAN HAPPEN REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT ANOTHER MAT (CARPET) IS UNDERNEATH.WHEN THIS OCCURS, SOME OPERATORS REACT BY APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL MULTIPLE TIMES, DEPLETING THE BRAKING SYSTEM'S (VACUUM BASED) POWER ASSIST.STOPPING THE VEHICLE WITH UNASSISTED BRAKING WHILE THE THROTTLE IS FULLY OPEN REQUIRES SIGNIFICANT PEDAL FORCE, WHICH SOME OPERATORS DID NOT, OR WERE UNABLE TO, APPLY FOR THE REQUIRED DURATION.CONTINUED DRIVING IN THIS CONDITION RESULTS IN OVERHEATED BRAKES, WHICH FURTHER DIMINISHES THE BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS.SOME OPERATORS ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF BY DEPRESSING THE ENGINE CONTROL BUTTON, HOWEVER THEY WERE UNAWARE THE BUTTON HAD TO BE DEPRESSED FOR THREE SECONDS TO STOP THE ENGINE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION; THIS FUNCTIONALITY WAS NOT EXPLAINED ADEQUATELY IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL.IN ODI INTERVIEWS, OWNER'S REPORTED THEY WERE UNAWARE THE ALL WEATHER MAT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO INTERFERE WITH THE THROTTLE PEDAL, ADVISING THAT THIS WAS NEVER PROPERLY EXPLAINED GIVEN THE SIGNIFICANT HAZARD IT REPRESENTED.OWNERS REPORTED SEVERAL EXPLANATIONS FOR WHY THE MAT WAS UNSECURED, INCLUDING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED IN THIS CONDITION (MOST COMMON REASON), OR THAT THEY HAD (UNWITTINGLY) INSTALLED THE MAT THEMSELVES, OR THAT ANOTHER PARTY, SUCH AS A CAR WASH ATTENDANT, HAD DISTURBED THE MAT WITHOUT THE OWNER'S KNOWLEDGE.ONE CONSUMER REPORTED THAT THEIR VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED WITHOUT THE RETAINING DEVICES INSTALLED.IN A SEPTEMBER 26, 2007 LETTER TO NHTSA, TOYOTA INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO REPLACE THE ALL WEATHER MAT WITH A REDESIGNED MAT.ACCORDING TO TOYOTA, THE NEW MAT DESIGN WILL REDUCE THE POTENTIAL FOR MAT INTERFERENCE WITH THE THROTTLE PEDAL.THE POPULATION NOTED ABOVE REPRESENTS THE NUMBER OF SUBJECT MATSTHAT HAVE BEEN SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES.SINCE TOYOTA CANNOT IDENTIFY WHICH VEHICLES MAY HAVE THE SUBJECT MATS, THEY WILL SEND A LETTER TO ALL REGISTERED OWNERS OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES (ESTIMATED 750K) ADVISING THEM OF THE CONCERN AND REMEDY.A COPY OF THAT LETTER WILL BE POSTED TO NHTSA'S WEB SITE UNDER RECALL 07E-082; IT CONTAINS A DESCRIPTION OF THE CONDITION AND THE ACTIONS AN OPERATOR SHOULD TAKE IN THE EVENT THROTTLE ENTRAPMENT OCCURS WHILE DRIVING.THE FATALITY INCIDENT NOTED ABOVE OCCURRED IN JULY 2007 AND WAS INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA'S SPECIAL CRASH INVESTIGATIONS OFFICE.IT HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED ON A VEHICLE OWNER QUESTIONNAIRE.THE OPERATOR REPORTEDLY TRAVELLED AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH FOR AN ESTIMATED EIGHT MILES ON AN INTERSTATE IN CALIFORNIA BEFORE IT STRUCK TWO OTHER VEHICLES.ONE OF THE STRUCK VEHICLES AND THE SUBJECT VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE.THE OCCUPANT OF THE STRUCK VEHICLE DID NOT EVACULATE AND DIED AT THE SCENE.THE SUBJECT VEHICLE DRIVER SUFFERED A BROKEN BONE.THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL IS INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT ALSO.ODI DID NOT ISSUE AN INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER DURING THIS INVESTIGATION.THE TOYOTA REPORTS NOTED ABOVE WERE REPORTED DURING PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE07-016 AND ARE CURRENT THROUGH APRIL 2007 FOR MY 2007 LEXUS ES350 ONLY.ODI DOES NOT HAVE FIELD EXPERIENCE DATA FROM TOYOTA FOR CAMRY VEHICLES.THROTTLE ENTRAPMENT DUE TO IMPROPERLY INSTALLED FLOOR MATS COULD BE A CONCERN IN ALL VEHICLES.THEREFORE, DRIVERS SHOULD ALWAYS ENSURE THEIR FLOOR MATS ARE PROPERLY AND SAFELY INSTALLED.THIS INCL