In an effort to calm down the automobile market, Toyota Motor Corp. conducted a study, carried by a third party engineering research firm Exponent, into the electronics in its vehicles. "Exponent has so far been unable to induce, through electrical disturbances to the system, either unintended acceleration or behavior that might be a precursor to such an event, despite concerted efforts toward this goal," according to the report obtained on Feb. 4.
Currently, the Congress is focusing on the root of the sudden acceleration problem in Toyota automobiles and their electronic components. According to one such group, Safety Research & Strategies Inc., Toyota and Lexus owners have reported 2,262 incidents of sudden acceleration since 1999 resulting in 815 crashes, 341 injuries and 19 deaths. Toyota claims the data to be impossible to confirm.
In December, Toyota retained Exponent "to understand customer reports and claims of unintended acceleration in vehicles" which use its electronic throttle-control system. Exponent says Toyota did not limit the scope or budget of its investigation.
"Imposing these perturbations resulted in a significant drop in power rather than an increase," Exponent says in the study. "In all cases, when a fault was imposed, the vehicle entered a fail-safe mode." In the event of any electronic failure, Toyota says its system is designed to default to the fail-safe, or limp-home, mode where the engine power is significantly reduced.
Special thanks to the WSJ
