Toyota Recalls Lexus SUVs to Fix Floor Mats

Toyota Motor Corp. will recall 154,000 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450H crossover vehicles from the 2010 model year in August to fix improperly installed floor mats that can trap the accelerator pedal in the wide open position, thus causing the vehicles to accelerate unexpectedly.

Toyota says its dealers also will modify or replace accelerator pedals in those crossovers with new systems that allow a larger space between the pedal and the floor.

The company recalled 7.8 million vehicles worldwide from September 2009 through 2011 to fix floor mats that interfered with accelerator pedal function. The company says that by the time the 2010 Lexus crossovers were introduced in late 2009, it believed that a new, thinner and more pliable all-weather floor mat had fixed the problem.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it may investigate whether Toyota acted quickly enough in recalling the 2010 Lexus crossovers.