Drivers should check the floor mats in their vehicles to make sure they are properly installed, a government official said Wednesday, citing 16 reports of problems over a decade.
The warning was issued Tuesday by the Consumer Affairs Agency in a report to consumers about the floor mat problem in Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles in the U.S.
The world's biggest automaker announced a massive recall last month in the U.S. affecting more than 4 million vehicles to replace gas pedals that can get stuck in floor mats and cause sudden acceleration.
Toyota initially told owners to remove the floor mat until a replacement was issued but after a public uproar decided to replace the gas pedal to address the floor mat fault. Other reports, however, faulted the design of the pedals, saying the carmaker would redesign them and have dealers shorten existing ones as a temporary measure.
Toyota has said the problem floor mats in the U.S. are not used in its vehicles sold in Japan.
Makoto Nakajima, a government official, said there have been about 10 reports of floor mats getting jammed in accelerators and brakes from 1999 through the end of last month, including Toyota models.
None of the accidents were fatal, and there were six other reports of different kinds of problems with floor mats, he said, while declining to elaborate.
Toyota declined comment on the Japanese warning, noting it was calling for the proper use and installation of floor mats generally, and not singling out Toyota.
Toyota has repeatedly said the floor mats in the U.S. aren't faulty if used properly, and in September asked people to remove the mats.