WASHINGTON – Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it will recall 3.8 million vehicles in the United States, the company's largest-ever U.S. recall, to address problems with a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to get stuck and lead to a crash.

The recall will involve popular models such as the Toyota Camry, the top-selling passenger car in America, and the Toyota Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid.

Toyota said it was still working with officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find a remedy to fix the problem and said owners could be notified about the recall as early as next week. Toyota spokesman Irv Miller said until the company finds a fix, owners should take out the removable floor mat on the driver's side and not replace it.

"A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop a vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death," Miller said.

NHTSA said it had received reports of 102 incidents in which the accelerator may have become stuck on the Toyota vehicles involved. It was unclear how many led to crashes but the inquiry was prompted by a highspeed crash in August in California of a Lexus barreling out of control. As the vehicle hit speeds exceeding 120 mph, family members made a frantic 911 call and said the accelerator was stuck and they couldn't stop the vehicle.

"This is an urgent matter," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement. "For everyone's sake, we strongly urge owners of these vehicles to remove mats or other obstacles that could lead to unintended acceleration."

The recall will affect

• 2007-2010 Toyota Camry
• 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon
• 2004-2009 Toyota Prius
• 2005-2010 Tacoma
• 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra
• 2007-2010 Lexus ES350
• 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350.

Toyota's previously largest U.S. recall was about 900,000 vehicles in 2005 to fix a steering issue. The company declined to say how many complaints it had received about the accelerator issue.

The Japanese automaker warned owners that if they think their vehicle is accelerating out of control, they should check to see whether their floor mat is under the pedal. If a driver can't remove the floor mat, Toyota advises drivers to step on the brake pedal with both feet until the vehicle slows and then try to put it into neutral and switch the ignition to accessory power.

For vehicles with engine start/stop buttons, Toyota said the engine can be shut off by holding the button down for three seconds.

In the August incident near San Diego, the fiery crash of a 2009 Lexus ES 350 killed California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor, 45, and three members of his family on State Route 125 in Santee. The runaway car was traveling at more than 120 mph when it hit a sport utility vehicle, launched off an embankment, rolled several times and burst into flames. One of the family members called police about a minute before the crash to report the vehicle had no brakes and the accelerator was stuck. The call ended with someone telling people in the car to hold on and pray, followed by a woman's scream.

NHTSA investigators determined that a rubber all-weather floor mat found in the wreckage was slightly longer than the mat that belonged in the vehicle, something that could have snared or covered the accelerator pedal.

Toyota spokesman John Hanson said the final report had not yet been submitted in the California case.

"We don't know what the actual cause was of that accident other than preliminary reports that have been published so it's impossible for us to comment on that particular incident," Hanson said.

In mid-September, Toyota ordered 1,400 Toyota and Lexus dealers nationwide to ensure that each new, used and loaner vehicles had the proper floor mats and that the mats were properly secured.

In September 2007, Toyota recalled an accessory all-weather floor mat sold for use in some 2007 and 2008 model year Lexus ES 350 and Toyota Camry vehicles because of similar problems.

YAHOO NEWS --  August 27, 2009 -- Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it is launching a recall of roughly 95,700 Toyota and Scion-brand vehicles in the U.S. due to a possible brake malfunction.

The recall affects some 2009 and 2010 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles and some 2008 and 2009 Scion xD vehicles, Toyota said. For those vehicles equipped with 1.8-liter engines, condensed moisture may seep into the brake system and freeze in low temperatures, potentially causing ice accumulation and weakening the power-assist to the brakes.

Those affected by the recall will be asked to return the vehicle to a dealer, where a new intake air connector will be installed. Customers will not be charged for the hour-long procedure, Toyota said.

Toyota said vehicle owners from 19 states will receive recall notices in early September. They are: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

MORE RECALL INFO:

• Toyota Corolla
• Toyota Matrix
• Scoin xD

AUGUST 2009 -- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 Scion XD and model year 2009-2010 Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Pontiac Vibe vehicles equipped with 1.8L engine and originally sold in or currently registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. When driving under certain unique conditions in extremely low ambient temperatures, the intake manifold suction port for the brake vacuum can become locked due to the freezing of condensation resulting from positive crankcase ventilation. This could lead to an increase in vehicle stopping distance and a crash could occur. Dealers will install a newly designed intake air connector which will relocate the brake system vacuum port. This service will be performed free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before September 15, 2009.  09V-338

JUNE 2009 -- Toyota is recalling 1,348 Model Year 2009 and 2010 passenger cars built from June 2, 2008 to May 4, 2009. These vehicles were not equipped with load carrying capacity modification labels which fails to conform with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110, "Tire Selection and Rims." Incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels could result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash. Toyota will notify owners and provide them with a new, accurate label to be installed over the inaccurate label free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during July 2009. 09V-223

JUNE 2009 -- Toyota is recalling 1,281 Model Year 2006 through 2009 Sienna, 2004 Land Cruiser, and 2009 Lexus GX passenger vehicles. The vehicle capacity weight on the tire and loading information label and the GVWR on the certification label is insufficient for certain vehicles. Some vehicles were accessorized through vehicle processing centers and had accessories installed that caused the vehicle to exceed the GVWR value. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 110, "Tire Selection and Rims," and 49 CFR Part 567. The GVWR is insufficient for the load carrying capacity of the vehicles. Toyota will notify owners instructing them to return their vehicle to a Toyota or Lexus dealer for an exchange of the certification label and the tire and loading information label, an installation of the load carrying capacity modification label, if necessary, and a correction to the owner's manual. This remedy will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during July 2009.  09V-234

JANUARY 2009 -- Toyota is recalling 214,570 MY 2006-2008 Lexus IS, MY 2006-2007 GS and MY 2007-2008 LS passenger vehicles equipped with aluminum fuel delivery pipes (fuel rails). Ethanol fuels with a low moisture content will corrode the internal surface of the fuel rails. As this condition progresses, the engine malfunction indicator light may illuminate. Over time, the corrosion may create a pinhole resulting in fuel  leakage. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire. Dealers will inspect and replace the fuel delivery pipes free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during February 2009. Owners may contact Toyota/Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.   09V-020

JANUARY 2009 -- Toyota is conducting a safety improvement campaign involving 26,501 early 2004 MY Sienna vehicles.In the event the retention clip used to secure the floor carpet cover is missing, the cover can interfere with the operation of the accelerator pedal if the acceleration pedal is depressed to nearly the full throttle position. If this occurs, the accelerator pedal can become stuck which could result in a vehicle crash. Dealers will replace the retention clip and floor carpet cover at no charge. The manufacturer will begin notifying owners in early February 2009. Owner notification is expected to be completed by early April 2009. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371, if they have any further questions. This action is deemed a safety improvement campaign and is not being conducted under the safety act. However, Toyota has informed NHTSA that it will provide the modifications described above at no cost. This recall was the subject of an Engineering Analysis, EA08-014, conducted by the Office of Defects Investigation.  09V-023

JANUARY 2009 -- Toyota is recalling 134,895 MY 2006-2007 Yaris vehicles equipped with driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners, which are designed to be activated in response to a severe frontal impact. When the sensor detects a severe frontal impact, the front seat belts are quickly drawn back by the retractors so that the belts snugly restrain the occupants. The involved vehicles contain a center pillar sound insulatorlocated underneath each front seat belt pretensioner. In the event of seat belt pretensioner deployment, the gas generated may affect the sound insulators. In the worst case, if the sound insulators ignite, this condition will result in a post-collision fire. Dealers will modify the vehicle free of charge. The modification will entail removal of the small urethane center pillar sound insulators (sponge) underneath the driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners. The recall is expected to begin during February 2009. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371.   09V-031

Yahoo News -- January 28,2009 -- Toyota said Wednesday it will recall almost 1.3 million vehicles worldwide due to a defect that could cause a foam pad near the seat belt to ignite during collisions.

The Japanese automaker said the recall includes 134,900 model-year 2006 and 2007 Yaris subcompacts that were sold in the U.S. Toyota Motor Sales USA said it is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recall the vehicles.

Toyota spokesman said in "severe front-end collisions," the mechanism that tightens the vehicle's seat belt expels a gas that could cause a sound-insulating foam pad nearby to ignite. In a worst-case scenario, the problem could cause a fire, he said.

However, ... said no cases of either have been reported where this actually happened in the U.S., and no other vehicles are affected.

The recall affects about 1.28 million vehicles worldwide that are based on Toyota's Yaris platform.

MORE RECALL INFO:    Toyota Yaris

APRIL 2008 -- Toyota is recalling 662,178 MY 2003-2004 Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Pontiac Vibe vehicles equipped with power windows. The driver and front passenger door glass bolts may loosen and come off, causing the door glass to separate from the window regulator. Due to the components becoming loose and possibly rattling, an abnormal noise may be heard from the driver and/or front passenger door when operating the power windows. The door glass may separate from the window regulator, bind and shatter during operation of the power windows, causing driver distraction and/or injury. Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger door glass bolts with newly designed bolts free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during May 2008. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371. This recall was the subject of an Engineering Analysis, EA08-004, conducted by the Office of Defects Investigation. 08V-162

APRIL 2008 -- Toyota is recalling 90,189 MY 2008 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles equipped with a third row seat. These vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." The non-driver designated seating positions (DSP) on these vehicles are equipped with seat belt assemblies that have a feature that converts the retractor from an emergency locking retractor (ELR) to an automatic locking retractor (ALR). The belts convert to the ALR mode after the webbing has been fully withdrawn from the retractor. The system is designed so that as the belt is released into the retractor, the system remains in the ALR mode so that a child restraint system can be tightly secured. However, for the two third row seating positions on these vehicles, the ALR mode deactivates before the webbing is fully retracted, so that it will not lock when certain rear-facing child restraint systems that have a short seat belt routing path are installed in the vehicle. This can allow the seat belt webbing to spool out during normal driving maneuvers, which could affect the stability of a child restraint installed at those seating positions. As such, this could discourage the use of a child restraint and in the event of a crash, the child may not be adequately protected possibly resulting in injury. Dealers will install a newly designed seat belt component free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. This recall was the subject of an investigation, OA-208-071120E, conducted by the Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance. 08V-181

DECEMBER 2007 -- Toyota is recalling 15,616 MY 2007 Tundra 4-wheel drive pickup trucks. Due to the improper heat treatment of the slip yokes that had been reworked during the manufacturing process, the hardness of the slip yoke may be insufficient. In this condition, there is a possibility that the yoke may break causing the propeller shaft to separate at the joint and come into contact with the road surface or the fuel tank which could result in a loss of vehicle control or a fuel leak. Dealers will inspect the slip yoke and replace the propeller shaft if necessary. The recall is expected to begin during January 2008. 07V-579

NOVEMBER 2007 -- Toyota is recalling 34,343 MY 2006 Lexus GS and IS vehicles. High stress areas may have been created in two specific fuel pipes located in the engine compartment. Combined with other factors such as the presence of corrosive agents in fuel, a crack may form over time leading to fuel leakage from the fuel line(s). Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire. Dealers will replace the two involved fuel lines with newly designed lines free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during December 2007. 07V545

NEWS:    2004-2006 Toyota Sienna

MORE RECALL INFO:    Toyota Sienna

NEWS:    Toyota recalls 90,000 Highlander SUVs over seat belt problem

Toyota recalling about 90,000 Highlander sport utility vehicles over seat belt problem

NEW YORK (Associated Press/CNNMoney.com)- May 2,2008 - Toyota Motor Corp. plans to recall about 90,000 Highlander sport utility vehicles in the United States.

The Japanese automaker wants to fix a problem that could prevent the seat belt in a third-row seat from securing a rear-facing child seat.

Toyota spokesman ....said Friday the company had issued a stop sale of the 2008 Highlander SUV and hybrid version with third-row seats to retrofit changes to the seat belt.

There have been no complaints or injuries tied to the seat belts.

The vehicles under the recall were built between May 2007 and March 2008. .... says owners will be notified of the recall in June, and dealers will install a newly designed seat belt component.

MORE RECALL INFO:    Toyota Highlander

NEWS:   Toyota and GM recall 662,000 cars in U.S.

DETROIT (Reuters) - April 10, 2008 - Toyota Motor Corp and General Motors Corp are recalling more than 662,000 vehicles sold in the United States due to defects in power windows, the two companies said on Wednesday.

Toyota will recall 539,500 Corolla and Matrix vehicles for the 2003 and 2004 model years, it said in a statement.

GM said it would recall 122,598 Pontiac Vibe hatchbacks, which share the same platform with Toyota's Matrix and are built by GM in a joint venture with the Japanese automaker.

On vehicles equipped with power windows, the driver and front passenger glass bolts may loosen and cause the door glass to separate from the window regulator, Toyota said. Vehicles equipped with manual windows are not subject to the recall.

Toyota will notify vehicle owners by mail, beginning in late April. It advised owners to contact their local Toyota dealer for inspection and repairs.

Replacement of the driver and front passenger door glass bolts will be done at no charge, Toyota said.

MORE RECALL INFO:    Pontiac Vibe    Toyota Matrix    Toyota Corolla

NEWS:   Toyota recalling 15,600 Tundra pickups

DETROIT (Reuters) -- December 14, 2007 -- Toyota Motor Corp said on Friday that it is recalling 15,600 Tundra pickup trucks in the United States because a rear propeller shaft may separate at the joint.

The recall involves 2007 model-year Tundra four-wheel-drive pickup trucks.

"There is a possibility that a joint in the rear propeller shaft may have been improperly heat treated, resulting in insufficient hardness," Toyota said in a statement.

This may cause a section of the rear propeller shaft to separate at the joint, it added.

No injuries or accidents have been connected to the recall.