TORRANCE, Calif. -

As the automaker’s top boss extended an agreement with a European OEM, Toyota Motor Sales USA late last week announced it amended its recall from late 2009.

The company added two models to address the potential for unsecured or incompatible floor mat entrapment of the accelerator pedal. The models now included are:

—2010 RX 350 (approximately 131,800 vehicles)
—2010 RX 450h (approximately 22,200 vehicles)

The automaker explained that owners of the involved vehicles will receive a safety recall notification by first class mail in early August.  Lexus dealers will remedy the involved vehicles at no cost to the customers.

Detailed information and answers to questions are available at or www.lexus.com/recall and Lexus Customer Satisfaction at (800) 255-3987.

Back in November 2009, Edmunds.com’s testing team did a “floor mat walkaround” and found potentially dangerous problems with all sorts of floor mats.

“Two things are clear: Floor mat attachments of all types have their problems, and you’ve got to make sure the mats are properly re-secured after a car wash or vacuum,” reported Edmunds.com’s director of vehicle testing Dan Edmunds.

“I know of the fear and panic that can come with a stuck throttle experience, because it happened to me at top speed on a racetrack, though that incident wasn’t quite floor mat related," Dan Edmunds added. “What should you do if the pedal won’t come back? I saved my skin by lifting the pedal up with the toe of my left racing shoe. Throwing the car into neutral is another idea that works. Keying off works, of course, as long as you don’t turn it all the way off and lock the steering.”

More details on the Floor Mat Walkaround can be found here.

BMW Group and Toyota Motor Corp. Agree to Further Strengthen Collaboration

Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corp., met late last week with Norbert Reithofer, chairman of the board of management of BMW Group, at its headquarters in Munich, Germany, to announce the planned expansion of their existing cooperation initiated in December last year.

The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at a long-term strategic collaboration in four fields:

—joint development of a fuel cell system
—joint development of architecture and components for a future sports vehicle
—collaboration on powertrain electrification
—joint research and development on lightweight technologies

Also, Reithofer and Toyoda signed a joint statement to reconfirm their companies’ shared intention to strengthen the long-term, strategic collaboration between them.

Reithofer said, “We aim to further strengthen our competitive position in sustainable future technologies. We signed an MoU to this effect today. Toyota and the BMW Group share the same strategic vision of sustainable individual future mobility. Together, we have a great opportunity to continue leading our industry through this transformation.”

Toyoda added, “BMW and Toyota both want to make ever-better cars. We respect each other. That is why we already can take the next step together. Toyota is strong in environment-friendly hybrids and fuel cells. I believe BMW’s strength is developing sports cars. I get so excited thinking about the cars that will result from this relationship.”

In March, BMW Group and TMC signed a binding agreement on collaborative research in the field of next-generation lithium-ion battery cells.

In addition, BMW Group and Toyota Motor Europe entered into a contract last December under which the BMW Group will supply highly efficient 1.6 liter and 2.0 liter diesel engines to Toyota Motor Europe starting in 2014.

The executives emphasized the MoU represents the companies’ agreement in December last year to identify and discuss other possible collaborative projects.