Toyota announces voluntary recall on 1,500 2010 Tacoma 4WD trucks to inspect
the front drive shaft

All-weather floor mat recall extended to include certain model Venza, Corolla, Matrix and Highlander vehicles

TORONTO , Feb. 12 /CNW/ - Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) today announced it was amending the voluntary safety improvement campaign initiated last year to provide certain vehicle-based improvements to help address the potential risk of floor mat entrapment due to an incompatible or unsecured driver's side floor mat. The safety improvement campaign will now also include certain MY Corolla, MY Matrix and MY Highlander vehicles. Toyota is also announcing a voluntary safety recall in respect of certain 2010 4-wheel drive Tacoma vehicles.

The voluntary safety recall was issued to inspect the front drive shaft on a small production run of certain 2010 model year Tacoma 4WD trucks. The front shaft in these vehicles may include a component that contains cracks that developed during the manufacturing process. As those vehicles are used, the cracks may eventually lead to the separation of the drive shaft at the joint portion. This condition only involves two specific front drive shaft production lot numbers installed in certain 2010 model year Tacoma 4WD vehicles. Toyota will notify owners by first-class mail starting in mid-March, 2010.

Dealers will be instructed to perform an inspection to identify the specific lot numbers located on the front drive shaft. Based upon the inspection results, in a limited number of cases, the front drive shaft may need to be replaced. The inspection is estimated to take ten minutes. The inspection and/or replacement will be performed at no cost to the vehicle owner.

Last year, following an investigation into the potential risk of accelerator pedal entrapment due to an incompatible or unsecured all-weather floor mat, Toyota Canada announced a voluntary safety improvement campaign in respect of certain models to provide certain vehicle-based improvements, depending on the model, for affected vehicles. At the same time, a recall involving the same models was announced in the USA.

Toyota Motor Sales, (TMS) Inc, USA recently announced that it was amending its recall to include certain Highlander, Corolla, Venza, and Matrix vehicles and that it would modify or replace the accelerator pedal in affected models to address the risk of floor mat entrapment. TMS also indicated that floor surface modifications were also being considered and would be included in the remedy plan for any model for which it is deemed appropriate.

Although no vehicle defect has been identified in the newly expanded population of affected models in Canada , because our customers' safety and confidence in the quality of Toyota vehicles is of paramount importance to Toyota Canada , Toyota Canada has decided to provide the same vehicle improvements to Canadian Toyota owners to address the potential risk of floor mat entrapment due to an incompatible or unsecured all-weather floor mat.

In addition, although not included in the safety improvement campaign, Toyota Canada has also decided to offer certain vehicle-based improvements, including modify the accelerator pedal, for Venza owners affected by a separate safety campaign to replace the genuine Toyota all-weather floor mat purchased as an accessory for the affected model.

Customers should always ensure that the correct floor mat for their model vehicle is being used, that it matches the size of the space on the carpet, that it is properly installed and secured, that it is not flipped over with the bottom-side up, and that one floor mat is not stacked over another.

For further information: For additional information about floor mats, customers can visit their Toyota dealership, www.toyota.ca or the Transport Canada website at www.tc.gc.ca