Toyota is not to blame for Dr. Sitafalwalla’s unintended acceleration problems in his 2005 Scion tC crash. After much deliberation, the U.S District Court in the Eastern District of New York released a defense verdict in favor of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A, Inc. on April 1. The acceleration problem was first thought to be caused by faulty floor mats, but later conclusions pinned the Electronic Throttle Control System (ETCS) as the cause. The court’s decision provides extra evidence that Toyota’s ETCS is far from problematic.
The system went through an extensive 10 month study performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) where its multiple fail safe systems proved to be effective. NHTSA investigated whether anything in the vehicle’s build caused the problem and NASA investigated a possible electronic cause. The NHTSA study did not find any vehicle causes and the NASA Engineering and Safety Center did not find the electronic system at fault for the large throttle openings.
Toyota issued a statement saying, “We believe that this case sets an important benchmark for unintended acceleration litigation against Toyota across this country, as it clearly demonstrates a plaintiff’s inability to identify, let alone prove the existence of, an alleged electronic defect in Toyota vehicles that could cause unintended acceleration.”
- Alternative method of connecting a vehicle’s accelerator pedal to the engine’s throttle body
- Determines throttle opening with sensors rather than a bowden wire mechanism
- Helps the emission management systems adjust to rapidly changing conditions
- Produces seamless interaction between the motors, engines, controllers and drivelines and motor/generators in electric vehicles
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