Product Liability Law Blog

Two years into serving his eight-year sentence for the 2006 motor vehicle deaths of three people, 32-year-old Koua Fong Lee is now a free man. Lee was convicted of vehicular manslaughter in 2007 because his 1996 Toyota Camry had accelerated suddenly and uncontrollably, causing the fatal crash.

While Lee has always maintained that he was stepping on the brakes at the time, prosecutors had argued that because his foot was actually on the accelerator his vehicle reached speeds of up to 90 mph when he hit the other cars. Lee's pregnant wife, daughter, niece, brother, and dad were in the car with him at the time. Killed in the Minnesota car crash were father and son, Javis Adams, 33, and Javis Adams, Jr., 10, as well as Devyn Bolton, 6, who at first survived the collision as a paraplegic before later dying from her car crash injuries.

Although the 1996 Toyota Camry isn’t one of the millions of vehicles that Toyota has recalled in the last year because of sudden unintended acceleration problems, Lee’s attorneys, who were pushing for another criminal trial, presented affidavits and testimony from 10 1996 Camry owners who said that they too had experienced Toyota sudden acceleration difficulties while driving their vehicles.

The judge called for a new trial due to evidence of mechanical failure and the possibility that Lee’s original lawyer failed to provide him with an adequate defense during the criminal trial. Prosecutors then decided to drop the criminal charges against Lee, which is why he was finally set free last Thursday.

Meantime, the victims’ families, who had been pressing for Lee's release from prison, are now suing Toyota for automotive products liability over their loved ones’ wrongful deaths.

Minnesota judge frees man convicted in acceleration crash of Toyota, CNN, August 6, 2010

Recalls cast new light on Toyota crash case, The Washington Post, August 5, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Toyota Recall Update

Unintended acceleration guide, Consumer Reports

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Posted In: Automotive Product Liability , Gas Pedals , Toyota Safety Issues

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General Motors announced today that it is recalling approximately 1.5 million autos because of a problem with the heated windshield wiper system that poses a possible fire hazard. The recall affects the following vehicles:

(2006 – 2009 models)
Buick Lucerne
Hummer H2
Cadillac DTS

(2008, 2009 models)
Buick Enclave
Cadillac CTS

(2007-2009 models)
Escalade ESV
Cadillac Escalade
Escalade EXT
Silverado
Tahoe
Chevrolet Avalanche
Suburban
Sierra
GMC Acadia
Yukon XL
Yukon
Saturn Outlook

(2009 model)
Chevrolet Traverse

GM says it knows of about five fires that have broken out because of the auto defect but that there are no reports of related car crash injuries or deaths.

This recall comes on the heels of Chrysler’s recall on Monday of nearly 600,000 Jeep Wranglers (2006 – 2010 models) and Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country (2008 and 2009 models) minivans. While the Jeeps may have a problem with the front inner fender liners, which can cause the brake fluid to leak, this can result in partial brake loss. Meantime, the Chrysler minivans have wiring that, due to their improper placement, could cause a fire inside to break out inside the sliding doors. Chrysler’s latest recall is separate from its recall last week of 71 Jeep Compasses and 35,000 Dodge Calibers over a sticky gas pedal defect.

GM to recall about 1.5 million vehicles because of fire hazard, Los Angeles Times, June 9, 2010

GM windshield wiper recall affects 1.5 million vehicles, USA Today, June 9, 2010

Chrysler to Recall More Than 683,000 Vehicles, Wall Street Journal, June 8, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Safercar.gov

General Motors

Continue reading "Auto Defects: Fire Hazards Prompt General Motors and Chrysler to Recall Vehicles" »

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Posted In: Auto Recalls , Automotive Product Liability , Brake Defects , Fires , Gas Pedals

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So what is this electronic throttle control system that people suspect is causing Toyotas to take off when nobody is stepping on the gas? I've seen a lot of technical and confusing drawings, but it really just comes down to this. It used to be that when you stepped on the gas pedal, it was attached to a cable. The cable ran to the throttle valve, and directly controlled engine acceleration. Back off on the gas pedal and the throttle closed down, reducing engine speed and the car’s speed. Pretty simple.

Today, it is not so simple. There is no steel cable running between the gas pedal and the throttle in an electronic throttle controlled vehicle. Electronic sensors figure out how far the gas pedal is depressed, convert this to an electronic signal, and send it to a mini-computer (the electronic control module.) From there, the ECM does some calculations on optimal inputs to achieve the results it understands the driver desires with the greatest fuel efficiency, and sends another electric signal to a small electric motor that sits next to that throttle, which interprets the signal from the ECM computer, and opens and closes the throttle accordingly.

As you can see, there are a lot more places for something to go wrong with the electronic throttle system than with a simple steel cable. That does not mean we should go back to the "good old days" of 1960s technology. It appears there are real advantages to this system such as improved gas mileage and durability. I have been a big advocate of technology that makes our cars safer and more fuel efficient.

My understanding is that if that steel cable ever broke, and I don't know that it did very often, a spring would close down the throttle and return the car to idle speed. That is a very simple safeguard. It is apparently similar to the safeguard Toyota tried to program into its computer - returning the throttle to idle or reduced power if ever the electronic throttle control malfunctions. However, it appears that safeguard has not worked. Remember, it is controlled by a computer and electrical signals too.

That is why we advocate a very simple solution. If the driver steps on the brake, the throttle motor needs to shut off and return the car to idle, just as tapping the brake shuts off the cruise control.

- Stuart Ollanik

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Posted In: Auto Recalls , Automotive Product Liability , Gas Pedals , Toyota Safety Issues

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As explained in the Safety Research & Strategies detailed report on Toyota's speed control problem, past government investigations closed without reaching a conclusion because Toyota convinced the government to narrowly define the problem it was researching, thus excluding many incidents. If you saw the congressional hearings on the issue you saw congressmen, regulators, and company personnel hanging up on the definitions. Let's make it simple. The problem should be defined as any instance in which the engine does something the driver didn't tell it to do. If the throttle opens in response to any input other than the driver's foot on the gas pedal, that's the problem, whether due to floor mats, sticky pedals, glitchy computer programming, inadequate fail-safes, electromagnetic interference, or any other cause. Toyota and the government need to use a simple definition and simply figure out why Toyota's cars are doing things their drivers never told them to do.

- Stuart Ollanik

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Posted In: Auto Recalls , Automotive Product Liability , Floor Mats , Gas Pedals , Toyota Safety Issues

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I've been reading an interesting book, Doubt is Their Product - How Industry’s Assault on Science Threatens Your Health (Oxford University Press 2008). It is about the for-profit science companies that develop the "science" to defend their clients against claims that their products are unsafe, such as cigarettes and medicines that increase the incidence of heart attacks. One of the stars of the book is Exponent, the company Toyota has turned to for an "independent" analysis of its unintended acceleration problem. The book is by epidemiologist David Michaels who directs the Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. Dr. Michaels knows what he is talking about. He served as Assistant Secretary at the Department of Energy, with responsibility for the safety of workers and residents near nuclear weapons plants. He has seen first-hand industry trying to buffalo underfunded and beleaguered bureaucrats with baloney masquerading as science.

About Toyota’s choice of consultants for its “independent” analysis, Dr. Michaels writes: “Exponent’s scientists are prolific writers of scientific reports and papers. While some may exist, I have yet to see an Exponent study that does not support the conclusion needed by the corporation or trade association that is paying the bill.”

For example, he describes how Exponent was hired by the chrome industry to counter a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University researchers for the EPA regarding risks to workers at currently allowed exposure levels. In 2002, Exponent’s “re-analysis” of the EPA-Hopkins data minimized the risk to all but the most heavily exposed workers, disagreeing with the Hopkins scientists’ findings supporting stronger worker protections. And yet in 2004, working for a different trade association, “Exponent praised the same EPA-Hopkins study. Whatever serves the interests of a given client – that’s the rule for the product defense firms.” Id. at pp. 97-104.

There is nothing independent about Exponent, and nobody who has seen them in action over the years will be at all surprised when they conclude that there is no problem with Toyota’s cars, and when they criticize the work of the good, objective scientists who show the opposite.

- Stuart Ollanik

Related posts:

"Independent" Outside Consultant?, Product Liability Law Blog, April 6, 2010

Toyota's "Independent" Investigation Not So Independent, Product Liability Law Blog, April 2, 2010

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Toyota's choice of an "independent" company to investigate its acceleration problem was as interesting as it was predictable. Toyota turned to Exponent, the company the auto industry has turned to for decades for one purpose: To "prove" there is no problem, whether there is a problem or not. Let's look at Exponent's credits:

• Exponent has helped defend notoriously defective products for decades. While it jealously guards information about its benefactors, it has been forced to admit in lawsuits that it has been paid tens of millions of dollars by car companies alone. It likewise regularly defends polluters against claims their contaminants were injuring people.

• It reportedly awards its employees based on "success" defined as helping win lawsuits.

• It was hired to investigate Toyota speed control issues not by concerned engineers and managers, but by Toyota’s product defect defense lawyers. This will arguably allow Toyota to selectively disclose what it turns over to government investigators, and to hide anything it deems unhelpful by labeling it attorney work product.

We'll report back when Toyota provides information answering one congressman's question about how much money Toyota has paid Exponent over the years.

This is Toyota’s "independent" outside analysis? I do not think Toyota can point to a single company in the world less independent, or with less of a commitment to defending its client’s products, no matter what the facts.

- Stuart Ollanik

Related posting:

"Toyota's 'Independent' Investigation Not So Independent," Product Liability Blog Apr. 2, 2010

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More trouble for Toyota Motor Corporation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is seeking the maximum civil fine—$16.4 million—against the auto manufacturer for failing to notify the agency about the “sticky pedal” auto defect—per federal regulations—within five days of finding out that a safety problem existed.

Through documents obtained from Toyota, the NHTSA found out that the car manufacturer knew about the gas pedal defect as early as September 2009. US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says Toyota knowingly concealed the dangerous auto defect and failed to protect millions of motorists and their families.

Some 2.3 million vehicles have been recalled over the sticking gas pedal defect. Acceleration problems, ill-fitting floor mats, gas pedals that need to be redesigned, and brake defects have resulted in the recall of millions of other Toyota vehicles in recent months. The NHTSA is looking into whether Toyota committed additional violations and if more fines are warranted.

Auto Products Liability
Our auto products liability lawyers offer free consultation to victims of Toyota acceleration accidents. Already, more than 100 car accident deaths are now being blamed on Toyota’s acceleration problems with its vehicles. NHTSA records show that 102 police reports and auto products liability complaints have been filed against Toyota. The Los Angeles Times says that is nearly two times as many as what was reported in January.

While Toyota has blamed the gas pedal defect as a possible cause of the unintended acceleration crashes that resulted in personal injuries and wrongful deaths, federal investigators are not entirely convinced. Last month, LaHood announced that the NHTSA and the National Academy of Sciences will separately examine the issue of unintended vehicle acceleration involving motor vehicles in general. NASA’s investigation will take a look at all potential causes of unintended acceleration, including computer hardware design, mechanical failure, electronic vehicle controls, software, as well as electromagnetic compatibility and interference.

If a car accident resulting in wrongful death or serious personal injuries was caused by an auto defect, the negligent automaker can be held liable for auto products liability. That’s where we come in.

U.S. seeks $16.4 million fine against Toyota, CNN Money, April 5, 2010

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces Major Investigations to Resolve Issue of Sudden Acceleration, NHTSA, March 30, 2010

Toyotas' sudden acceleration blamed for more deaths, Los Angeles Times, March 26, 2010

Toyota recall: Are sticky gas pedals the real culprit?, The Christian Science Monitor, February 3, 2010

Related Web Resources:
National Academy of Sciences

NHTSA

Toyota Motor Corporation

Continue reading "NHTSA Seeks to Make Toyota Pay $16.4 Million Fine for Not Reporting “Sticky Pedal” Defect ASAP" »

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We do not know what Toyota did when the complaints of runaway vehicles began coming in. We know that now it has hired an “independent” outside company, Exponent, to do an “impartial” investigation of the sudden acceleration problem. Every auto defect litigator in the country knows Exponent. It has been paid at least tens and likely hundreds of millions of dollars by the auto industry to disprove defects.

For instance, Exponent statistically “proved” that weak, collapsing roofs do not increase injury risk to people in cars that roll over, several years before government researchers proved the opposite. Exponent is famous for conducting tests in which a failure does not occur, and claiming this proves the failure cannot occur. The company chooses the conditions of its testing to assure the failure will not occur.

As Professor David Michaels states in his exposé on how regulatory agencies are being undermined by unethical corporations and the scientists who work for them, “I have yet to see an Exponent study that does not support the conclusion needed by the corporation or trade association that is paying the bills.” David Michaels, Doubt Is Their Product: How Industry’s Assault On Science Threatens Your Health, 47 (Oxford University Press 2008).

- Stuart Ollanik

Continue reading "Toyota's "Independent" Investigation Not So Independent" »

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Posted In: Auto Recalls , Automotive Product Liability , Floor Mats , Gas Pedals , Toyota Safety Issues

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I would not want to give up the advances the electronic revolution has allowed in automobiles. Electronics including computers help our cars run efficiently, decide when to fire front and side airbags, and even prevent loss of control through use of highly effective Electronic Stability Control systems.

But we all know that computers have glitches. love my PC. But now and then it crashes. If something goes wrong in my car’s electronics, I don’t want the same thing to happen.

When I was a kid my dad showed me how stepping on the gas pedal physically pulled a cable that opened the throttle valve and made the engine rev. In the last decade many cars have done away with that physical cable and replaced it with an electrical system that senses movement of the gas pedal and sends an electronic signal to a computer that in turn sends a signal to the throttle valve to open and close. Like a computer, this works great when it works. But what about when it doesn’t?

Electronic throttle systems in many cars have a fail safe mechanism to protect us from just that. If your throttle mistakenly thinks your foot is on the accelerator, all you need to do is touch the brake – the natural instinctive reaction to runaway acceleration – and the throttle is cut off. This doesn’t require anything fancy. For decades cruise control systems have known to cut off as soon as the brake is applied.

As Toyota is recalling and stopping sales of millions of vehicles due to reports of runaway unintended acceleration, we need to think about the computerization of our cars. Toyota attributes the problem to human error, or floor mats, or accelerator pedal wear. But could the problem be in the software? Why should we think our car’s computer systems would be that much more stable than the computers on our desks? Isn’t it logical that this software and hardware can cause glitches without anyone really understanding how or why, just like it does in our PCs?

And shouldn’t we design cars to make sure that when the electronics screw up, as we know they will from time to time, the result is an inconvenience, not a tragedy?

- Stuart Ollanik

Continue reading "What Happens When Cars Become Computers?" »

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Posted In: Automotive Product Liability , Gas Pedals , Toyota Safety Issues

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What was Toyota doing about unintended acceleration five years ago? Congress subpoenaed tens of thousands of pages of documents for its hearing on runaway Toyotas and has begun to sift through them. New York Congressman Towns has come across some memos he finds alarming. Towns has sent a letter to the president of Toyota asking him to explain the memos which seem to suggest that in 2005, about five years ago, Toyota settled some lawsuits to avoid having to provide information about unintended acceleration in discovery (the process where parties in lawsuits get to see each other's papers).

There's also some suggestion in the memos that at least some people in the U.S. Toyota operations were hoping that the class action lawsuits would encourage Toyota to fix the problem. Towns quotes one Toyota memo as saying: “the possibility of a class action lawsuit was used as one way to try to get TMC [Toyota Motor Company] to work on a series of proposed countermeasures.” That was five years ago, before the so many deaths and injuries attributed to unintended acceleration took place.

Toyota has apparently requested that these memos and others like them be kept confidential.

Toyota has been talking a great deal about openness on this issue. Time will tell if they are now truly interested in answers, rather than cover-up.

-Stuart Ollanik

Continue reading "What was Toyota Doing About Unintended Acceleration Five Years Ago? " »

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Posted In: Automotive Product Liability , Gas Pedals , Motor Vehicle Safety , Toyota Safety Issues

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Even as Toyota dealers are repairing most of their new cars that were recalled over a gas pedal defect so they are ready to be sold, now there is more bad news for the automaker. According to data gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there has been an increase in the number of consumer complaints over Toyota’s vehicles in the wake of its recall of 8.5 million vehicles over problems with the brakes, floor mats, and gas pedals.

Since January 27, NHTSA says it has received new complaints of Toyota acceleration accidents that allegedly happened between 2005 and 2010 and resulting in 10 injuries and 13 deaths. These figures are in addition to reports of another 21 fatalities that are being linked to Toyota cars.

According to the New York Times, one deadly accident involved a Harvard University professor, 63, who lost control of his 2005 Toyota Highlander and crashed into another vehicle. The New Hampshire car crash claimed the lives of both drivers and two of the professor’s family members. Police were not able to determine what caused the motor vehicle collision and the 2005 Toyota Highlander is not among the vehicles recalled. Another fatal crash involves a man who was killed in a single Texas car crash when his 2008 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck struck a pole last January.

After the car manufacturer recalled its 2010 Prius hybrid autos last week, NHTSA says that from February 3 – 11 it received 996 consumer complaints alleging 34 Toyota car crashes that resulted in six injuries. Prior to launching its investigation, NHTSA had 124 consumer complaints on record.

Already, Newsoxy.com reports that a widow has filed a Nebraska auto products liability lawsuit suing Toyota for her husband’s wrongful death. He died when their Prius accelerated and crashed.

Meantime, new safety issues continue to arise. On Friday, Toyota announced that it was voluntarily recalling 8,000 2010 Tacoma four-wheel drive pickup trucks because possible cracks on the front drive shaft might cause the joint portion and the shaft to separate from one another. If this happens, the driver can lose control of the vehicle.

Number of Toyota complaints keeps climbing, CNN Money, February 15, 2010

Toyota Tacoma Recall Announced, MyFox, February 13, 2010

Toyota Recall News Reveals Tacoma and Prius Lawsuit, NewsOxy, February 16, 2010

U.S. Gets Additional Complaints of Crashes of Toyotas, New York Times, February 15, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Toyota Motor Corp.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Continue reading "Toyota Acceleration Defects Now Allegedly Linked to 34 Car Accident Deaths" »

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Posted In: Auto Recalls , Brake Defects , Gas Pedals , Toyota Safety Issues

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The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has received over 100 complaints involving brake problems related to the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid. Brake-related complaints have also been filed in Japan.

The Prius is the world’s bestselling gas-electric hybrid, with about 1.6 million sold around the world. According to Japan’s Kyodo new agency, the brakes may temporarily stop working when the vehicle is on slippery or bumpy roads.

In Japan last July, two people were injured when a Prius drove head-on into another vehicle at an intersection. The driver of the Prius said that the car’s brakes were not working. One 2010 Prius owner in the US reported that over a 6-month period, there were 10 instances when the vehicle would accelerate forward for a second as the driver attempted to activate the brakes over a bump or pothole in the road.

Toyota Recalls
This latest news is doing nothing to rehabilitate Toyota’s image as an automaker of safe, reliable cars. In the last two weeks, Toyota has recalled millions of vehicles in the US, Europe, and China over what the auto manufacturer is calling two unrelated accelerator defects. Our auto products liability law firm has been closely following these developments, and you can view our previews posts by clicking on the links below.

Earlier today, US Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood urged owners the Toyota vehicles that were recalled over a sticking accelerator pad to stop driving the cars and get them fixed immediately. However, LaHood later retracted what he is now calling a “misstatement’ and says that vehicle owners can still drive their cars unless there are signs of problems with the gas pedal. Or, he said, “if you are in doubt, take it to the dealership today." On Monday, Toyota announced that it has figured out how to fix the accelerator problem and is shipping new parts to its dealers.

Meantime, federal regulators are also trying to determine whether vehicle electronics are causing the Toyotas to accelerate without warning. USA Today reports that electromagnetic interference may be coming from numerous sources, such cell phones and radar. The Los Angeles Times says that Toyota acceleration-related complaints increased dramatically when electronic throttles were introduced.

Toyota hit by more than 100 Prius brake complaints, The Washington Times, February 3, 2010

Toyota recall: DOT Secretary Ray LaHood pulls back from telling owners not to drive their cars, USA Today, February 3, 2010

Toyota Recalls Another 1.1 Million Autos Over Floor Mat – Gas Pedal Defect, Product Liability Law Blog, January 29, 2010

Gas Pedal Defect Prompts Toyota Recall of Another 2.3 Million Vehicles in US, Product Liability Law Blog, January 25, 2010

Related Web Resources:
3rd Generation Toyota Prius Hybrid, Toyota

Toyota Recall List

Secretary LaHood Statement on Toyota Recalls, US Department of Transportation, February 3, 2010

Continue reading "Toyota Prius is at Center of More than 100 Brake Complaints " »

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Expanding upon its auto recall from last November of 4.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles, the automaker announced that it is including another 1.1 million vehicles to the recall list. The recall was issued because of the possibility that the gas pedal could get caught on the removable floor mat, causing the vehicle to accelerate to the highest speeds and making it impossible to stop the car even when stepping on the brakes.

Added to the original list of vehicles that were recalled are the:

• Pontiac Vibe: 2009, 2010 models
• Matrix: 2009, 2010 models
• Venza: 2009, 2010 models
• Corolla: 2009, 2010 models
• Highlander: 2009, 2010 models

A floor mat that jammed a gas pedal was the cause of a deadly car crash last August that left one motorist unable to stop the vehicle he was driving. The driver, his wife, daughter, and brother-in-law all died in the Toyota runaway car crash.

The expansion of last November’s recall comes one week after Toyota announced a separate recall, this one involving 2.3 million vehicles because of a problem that can cause the accelerator pedal to stick after its mechanisms become worn (a deterioration that usually occurs gradually). In the event that it does happen, however, the gas pedal may become harder to step on and it may take longer to return to its original position when released. There is also the possibility that it can get stuck in a partially depressed position. Following the recall, the automaker called on its dealers to temporarily stop selling and making 8 of its models until a solution is found.

Bob Carter, Toyota USA group vice president, issued a statement declaring that it was important to the car manufacturer that customers are kept safe and their confidence in the company is restored. Meantime, Toyota has extended its recalls to include vehicles in Europe and China.

Gas pedal and accelerator defects can cause serious personal injury and wrongful death. When a motorist cannot stop a vehicle that accelerates out of control, the chances the auto will drive into oncoming traffic, off the road, or into the vehicle in front of it goes up dramatically.

With Recall Expanding, Toyota Gives an Apology, The New York Times, January 29, 2010

Toyota recalls top 5.3 million vehicle, CNN Money, January 28, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Toyota Motor Corp.

Safecar.gov

Continue reading "Toyota Recalls Another 1.1 Million Autos Over Floor Mat – Gas Pedal Defect " »

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A faulty gas pedal that can get stuck has prompted another large auto recall by Toyota in the US. Last Thursday, the car manufacturer announced it was recalling about 2.3 million autos in the US. Toyota will likely recall another 2 million autos in Europe over the same auto defect.

The massive recalls come at a bad time for the automaker, whose reputation for making safe, reliable cars has taken a beating. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that Toyota recalled more than 4.8 million motor vehicles last year. 4.26 Lexus and Toyota autos were recalled because of acceleration problems that were linked to faulty floor mats and gas pedals that needed to be replaced. Four family members died last August in a California car accident because the driver’s floor mat had jammed the gas pedal, making it impossible for the motorist to stop the car when he stepped on the brakes.

Over 60 incidents involving runaway Toyotas have been reported since last year’s recalls were announced. According to ABC News, many Toyota owners have reported electronic problems that are not connected to their floor mats. On December 26, four people were killed in a Texas car accident when their Toyota sped off the road, hit a fence, and landed upside down. The floor mats had already been removed from inside the vehicles and were found in the trunk.

A USA Today article reports that although Toyota knew as early as last year that there were “sticky-throttle” issues related to the gas pedal, the car maker did not think that the problems were serious enough to warrant a recall. Toyota finally announced a recall last week because the gas pedal defect trend had increased.

Vehicles included in last week’s recall include the:

• Matrix: 2009, 2010 models
• RAV 4: 2009, 2010 models
• Corolla: 2009, 2010 models
• Avalon: 2005 – 2010 models
• Sequoia: 2008 – 2010 models
• Camry: 2007 – 2010 models
• Tundra: 2007 – 2010 models
• Highlander: 2010 model
• Pontiac Vibe: 2009 model

Toyota is still figuring out how to fix the problem. The gas pedal defect appears to involve premature wear on certain parts in the CTS throttle assemblies.

Our auto products liability lawyers would like to offer you a free consultation to discuss your Toyota gas pedal defect case.

Toyota knew of sticky-throttle problem late last year, USA Today, January 25, 2010

TOYOTA RECALL: Reports of Runaway Cars, ABC News, January 21, 2010

Toyota To Recall About 2M Vehicles In Europe Due To Pedal Defect-Source, The Wall Street Journal, January 25, 2010

Toyota issues recall for 2.3 million vehicles, MSNBC, January 22, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Unintended Acceleration: Toyota Addresses the Issues, Toyota, November 6, 2009

Toyota Says Cars to Get Smart Gas Pedals, NY Times, November 25, 2009

Continue reading "Gas Pedal Defect Prompts Toyota Recall of Another 2.3 Million Vehicles in US " »

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