NHTSA: No evidence of Toyota electronics problems
David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Washington -- An initial review by federal investigators has turned up no evidence of electronic failures in Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles involved in suspected runaway acceleration cases.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told members of Congress in a briefing today that human error was to blame in more than half of the 58 cases it reviewed -- since drivers failed to apply the brakes.

Trapped or sticky gas pedals were to blame in the remainder of accidents for which a cause was identified.

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The Japanese automaker has repeatedly insisted that electronics aren't to blame, and that mechanical problems or driver error are responsible for thousands of reports of unintended acceleration. The findings may bolster the company's argument.

"Reviewing event data recorders is one small part of (NHTSA's) effort to get to the bottom of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles," Transportation spokeswoman Olivia Alair said. "At this early period in the investigation, engineers have not identified any new safety defects in Toyotas other than sticking gas pedals or pedal entrapment."

NHTSA has reviewed data from 58 vehicle black boxes, known formally as event data recorders.

The research "so far has not led to the identification of safety defects other than sticking gas pedals or pedal entrapment," according to NHTSA's report to Congress, obtained by The Detroit News.

But NHTSA emphasized that the probe is ongoing -- along with help from NASA -- and investigators "are continuing to study whether there are potential electronic or software defects in these vehicles."

Of the 58 cases studied, 35 event recorders showed no brake was applied -- a sign the driver hit the wrong pedal.

Partial braking was noted in 14 cases: Brakes were applied late in the crash sequence in nine cases; early in three; and mid-crash in two.

Pedal entrapment was involved in one incident; and in one case, the brakes and gas pedal both were depressed.

Data was inconclusive in one case; there was no data in five; and data from a separate incident was presented in one case.

Toyota said in a statement that NHTSA's results backed its findings.

Toyota's "own vehicle evaluations have confirmed that the remedies it developed for sticking accelerator pedal and potential accelerator pedal entrapment by an unsecured or incompatible floor mat are effective," the company said.

Toyota emphasized that after "more than 4,000 on-site vehicle inspections, in no case have we found electronic throttle controls to be a cause of unintended acceleration."

Toyota has recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles worldwide, including 6 million in the United States, for sudden acceleration issues. NHTSA has received more than 3,000 complaints since 2000 alleging more than 90 deaths linked to sudden acceleration complaints involving Toyotas.

The Japanese automaker paid a record $16.4 million fine over its delay in recalling 2.3 million vehicles for sticky pedal concerns. The problems have prompted Congress to consider legislation mandating sweeping reform of auto safety regulations.

The briefing of House Energy and Commerce Committee members was conducted by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and NHTSA Administrator David Strickland.

NHTSA also disclosed it is partnering with NASA in Auburn Hills in researching the issue. NHTSA and NASA are conducting vehicle tests at the Chrysler Group LLC Test Facility in Auburn Hills to determine whether electromagnetic interference may play a role in causing unintended acceleration.

NHTSA is using NASA engineers and experts in electromagnetic compatibility to study whether the electronic throttle control systems used in Toyota vehicles are susceptible to malfunctioning and can cause unintended acceleration. More than a dozen experts from NASA are assisting NHTSA.

As part of the research, vehicles are bombarded with electro-magnetic radiation at varying strengths within specially built chambers to determine whether that could produce unintended acceleration incidents.

NASA software experts in California are conducting a thorough examination of software in Toyota vehicles, looking for any flaws or vulnerabilities that can result in unintended acceleration.

In early April 2010, NHTSA obtained 10 event recorders from Toyota in order to allow agency investigators to review data.

NHTSA also noted that most Toyota models before 2007 were not equipped with recorders capable of storing pre-crash data.

Separately, NHTSA and the National Academy of Sciences are also conducting a broad review of unintended acceleration and its possible causes across the automotive industry.

NHTSA is also conducting tests on Toyota vehicles at its Vehicle Research and Test Center in Ohio to assess their braking, acceleration and other capabilities, and then looking at data from their electronic systems. This involves evaluating vehicles on a test track and in a laboratory environment.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20100810/...#ixzz0wG4HwdTs