The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has declared that Toyota will recall the 3.8 million vehicles affected under the prior notice. Previously, Toyota had presented its floor mat entrapment announcement as a “safety advisory.”
 
Toyota will notify owners, advising them to remove the mats and not replace them, pending development of model-specific replacements.
 
The NHTSA recall notice does not include the 2010 Avalon and Tacoma, yet these models are on Toyota’s list. It is recommended these owners err on the side of caution and remove their mats.
 
Depending on how quickly Toyota can produce and distribute replacement mats, the wait may be inconvenient for some consumers living in snow-belt regions where foul winter weather is just a few short weeks away. Owners should resist the temptation to replace the mats, as aftermarket mats could have greater risks if they are not secured with the factory mat anchors.
 
The impacted vehicles:

2005 - 2010 Toyota Avalon
2007 - 2010 Toyota Camry
2004 - 2009 Toyota Prius
2005 - 2010 Toyota Tacoma
2007 - 2010 Toyota Tundra
2007 - 2010 Lexus ES350
2006 - 2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350

 
For customer service questions, contact:

Toyota – 800-331-4331
Lexus – 800-255-3987

 
For more information and advice, read: “Toyota advises 3.8 million Lexus and Toyota owners to remove floor mats.”

Learn about safety techologies in our car safety section.

—Jeff Bartlett