Toyota Motor Corp.'s accelerator flaws and electronic vehicle controls will be examined by NASA as the U.S. expands its probe into incidents linked to at least 51 deaths.
The government also recruited the National Research Council, part of the congressionally chartered National Academy of Sciences, to investigate unintended acceleration and electronics in vehicles from all automakers, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in an interview. The studies will cost a total of $3 million, he said.
Toyota, the world's largest automaker, has recalled more than 8 million cars and trucks worldwide for defects that may trigger sudden bursts of speed. The Japanese automaker has focused on modifying accelerator pedals and installing new floor mats. Toyota has said there is no evidence that electronic controls are at fault, a conclusion questioned by consumer advocates and lawmakers.
Congress "thought there was more to these issues, more to these problems with automobiles than just floor mats and sticky pedals," LaHood said in the interview yesterday. "They felt electronics were a part of it. Even though our review does not show that and Toyota's review does not show that, we felt we needed to address what Congress's concerns are."
Results from the National Research Council will take about 18 months, while findings from NASA, the U.S. space agency, will be out "probably sooner," LaHood said.
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