Washington – Federal regulators have stepped up an investigation into 98,454 Lexus ES 350 sedans after amassing 40 reports of unintended acceleration, including eight crashes and 12 injuries.
Toyota Motor Co. told safety officials that the problem appeared to be caused by loose floor mats and contends that it dealt with the flaw through a mailing to customers earlier this year. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decided to continue its investigation last week to verify whether Toyota’s efforts were sufficient.
Sudden-acceleration problems carry a unique stigma in the U.S. auto industry because of the collapse of the Audi brand in the late 1980s following a “60 Minutes” report alleging runaway vehicles. Federal safety officials later cleared Audi.
NHTSA found an all-season floor mat that Lexus sold as an option in a majority of the cases it reviewed. The rubber mat should be secured by clips to the car’s carpet. If left unclipped and installed over the regular mats, it can slide under the accelerator pedal.
