Unintended Acceleration not Limited to Recalled Toyota Models
After Toyota expanded its use of electronic throttle controls, complaints about unintended acceleration climbed more than ten-fold, Reuters reports. More than half of the complaints involved autos Toyota has not recalled.
The data was compiled by Safety Research & Strategies, a Rehoboth, Mass. consumer research group. It found that more than half of the 2,262 complaints did not involve recalled Toyota vehicles. The group also linked 26 deaths to the problem of unintended acceleration
Toyota has recalled more than 8 million Toyota, Lexus and Pontiac Vibe vehicles worldwide, blaming floor mat entrapment and sticky pedals for sudden acceleration problems.
But as the Safety Research & Strategies analysis shows, there is a growing question about whether electronic throttle systems are to blame.
In early February, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that it has found no problems with electronic throttle systems. But the federal agency, which is overwhelmed with complaints and besieged by lobbyists, lawyers, engineers and analysts employed by automakers, may have misread or ignored the complaints.
Hearings have been scheduled for later this month on Capitol Hill which will examine both the government’s response and the reasons behind the unintended acceleration. Those scheduled to testify include Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, NHTSA Administrator David Strickland and Yoshi Inaba, Toyota’s top North American executive.
If you or someone you love has been involved in an accident involving sudden acceleration of a Toyota, Lexus or Pontiac auto, contact the sudden-acceleration recall attorneys at St. Louis-based Carey & Danis by filling out our online contact form or calling 800-721-2519 toll free.
