Toyota electronics not to blame

• Source: Global Times
• [08:44 February 10 2011]
• Comments

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood holds a press conference in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 8, 2011. NASA engineers found no electronic flaws in Toyota vehicles capable of producing the large throttle openings required to create dangerous high-speed unintended acceleration incidents, showed a ten-month study released on Tuesday by the US Department of Transportation. Photo: Xinhua

Electronic flaws were not to blame for unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles that forced the Japanese automaker to recall eight million cars, a US government probe has found.

"Toyota's problems were mechanical, not electrical," Transport Secretary Ray LaHood said, announcing the results of a 10-month investigation that backed Toyota's claims.

The probe - which called on NASA scientists to examine whether the acceleration was due to faulty electronics - pointed to two previously known mechanical faults as the sole causes.

The accidents, which have been linked to at least 89 deaths, were blamed on a "sticking" accelerator pedal and jammed floor mats, as Toyota had originally found.

Toyota Motor said the investigation "confirms the reliability" of the company's electronic throttle control systems.

"From here on, we intend to listen to our customers even more closely and to offer not only safe vehicles but vehicles that provide peace of mind," the automaker said.

A lawyer leading a class action suit against Toyota in Santa Ana, California noted after the results were released, however,"I don't think this report ends this matter one bit."

"As far as we could tell there are thousands of complaints out there from very credible people. Some of our plaintiffs in the case are police officers who didn't have a sticky pedal or floor mat problem," Steven Berman said.

The probe analyzed 280,000 lines of computer code used to run Toyota's vehicles for electronics problems and examined whether electromagnetic radiation might have played a role.

Analysts warned that despite the US government ruling Tuesday, the world's biggest automaker has yet to outrun a crisis that has tarnished its image at a time when resurgent rivals, such as General Motors, are gaining ground.

"Although we now know the fault that triggered the recalls was not electronic, there was still a fault and Toyota's brand image has been damaged," said Tatsuya Mizuno, auto analyst at Mizuno Credit Advisory.

Previously lauded for its safety, Toyota became mired in crisis when it recalled nearly nine million vehicles between late 2009 and February last year due to brake and accelerator defects linked to deadly accidents.

Agencies