The issue lies in premature wear of friction plates combined with humidity inside the throttle mechanism built by CTS, a Canadian supplier of Toyota. Japan’s Denso, which also manufactures gas pedals for Toyota, uses a different design and has been cleared of any wrongdoing.
The easy fix is to insert tiny reinforcement bars inside the pedal assembly, which takes about 30 minutes to complete. Naturally, Toyota vehicles that are now rolling out of the assembly line all come with this device.
Different floor mats in Canada
Mr. Gagnon also clarified the situation with all-season floor mats sold in Canada, which are different from the ones in the U.S.
"All-season floor mats made available by Toyota Canada are different. They use a soft material that retains its shape even at low temperatures and they’re precisely cut to fit each Toyota. Furthermore, they incorporate holes that work with floor-integrated tie-downs to prevent the mats from moving around, so they won’t slide under the gas pedal and cause it to stick," explains the regional sales manager.
To further reassure customers, Toyota Canada encourages them to pay a visit to their local dealer, who will check floor mat installation and, in some cases, shorten the pedal to ensure that, even with a universal mat purchased at a department store, nothing will ever come in the way and impede the pedal stroke.
Safe braking
Earlier this week, Toyota Canada also announced that it will install a brake override system on an expanded range of vehicles to provide an additional measure of confidence. This braking system enhancement will automatically reduce engine power when the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal are applied simultaneously under certain driving conditions.
We, journalists, were invited to assess the merits of the new device on a closed track. Even with the gas pedal to the floor and my Prius flying past 80 km/h, a steady pressure on the brake pedal resulted in the car safely coming to a full stop.
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| Jean-Pierre Gagnon (right), Toyota Canada’s Regional Sales Manager for Quebec, spoke with our journalist. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |
The easy fix is to insert tiny reinforcement bars inside the pedal assembly, which takes about 30 minutes to complete. Naturally, Toyota vehicles that are now rolling out of the assembly line all come with this device.
Different floor mats in Canada
Mr. Gagnon also clarified the situation with all-season floor mats sold in Canada, which are different from the ones in the U.S.
"All-season floor mats made available by Toyota Canada are different. They use a soft material that retains its shape even at low temperatures and they’re precisely cut to fit each Toyota. Furthermore, they incorporate holes that work with floor-integrated tie-downs to prevent the mats from moving around, so they won’t slide under the gas pedal and cause it to stick," explains the regional sales manager.
To further reassure customers, Toyota Canada encourages them to pay a visit to their local dealer, who will check floor mat installation and, in some cases, shorten the pedal to ensure that, even with a universal mat purchased at a department store, nothing will ever come in the way and impede the pedal stroke.
Safe braking
Earlier this week, Toyota Canada also announced that it will install a brake override system on an expanded range of vehicles to provide an additional measure of confidence. This braking system enhancement will automatically reduce engine power when the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal are applied simultaneously under certain driving conditions.
We, journalists, were invited to assess the merits of the new device on a closed track. Even with the gas pedal to the floor and my Prius flying past 80 km/h, a steady pressure on the brake pedal resulted in the car safely coming to a full stop.
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| With or without the new brake override system, a Toyota can come to a full stop by applying maximum pressure on the pedal. (Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com) |