Toyota Unintended Acceleration Recalls

Toyota Motor Corporation recalled millions of vehicles worldwide beginning in November 2009 after reports that vehicles could accelerate unintentionally. The first recall, issued November 2, 2009, addressed a risk that an incorrect or out of place front driver's side floor mat could trap the accelerator pedal, and covered roughly 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles. A second recall followed on January 21, 2010, after some crashes were shown not to involve floor mats; that recall addressed a possible mechanical sticking of the accelerator pedal itself and covered 2.3 million vehicles in the United States, with about 1.8 million more in Europe and 75,000 in China. The recalls led to congressional hearings and years of civil litigation; in 2013 a jury found that unintended acceleration could have resulted from deficiencies in Toyota's electronic throttle control system, and the company reached settlements with plaintiffs.