Sudden Acceleration May Go Industry-Wide

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said yesterday that, after a long period of skepticism, it would take a "fresh look" at the possibility that America's epidemic of dangerous sudden acceleration incidents is caused by the clash of electronic systems deep within the bowels of modern cars and trucks.

By taking that simple action, NHTSA opened the door to what could be a dramatic expansion of the unintended acceleration problem. Because if an electronic cause is found, then all cars are ultimately susceptible--and it won't stop with the Toyota recalls.

The electronic theory is beginning to be embraced by the mainstream. The Los Angeles Times opined recently, "Accounts from motorists...interviews with auto safety experts and a Times review of thousands of federal traffic safety incident reports all point to another potential cause: the electronic throttles that have replaced mechanical systems in recent years."

Congress seems determined to get to the bottom of this blossoming crisis. In a letter to Toyota Motor Sales President Jim Lentz February 2, Congressmen Henry A. Waxman--a well-known bulldog when it comes to corporate America--and Burt Stupak challenged Lentz' version of the facts, indeed accusing him of having one version for the public and another for investigators behind closed doors.

Lentz went on all three broadcast networks to reassure the American people and proclaim that, as he said on CNBC, Toyota is "very confident that the fix in place is going to stop what is going on." But according to the Congressmen, the Toyota officials that met with the House committee January 27 said that sticking pedals are unlikely to be responsible for "the sensational stories of drivers losing control over acceleration as their cars race to 60 miles per hour or higher."

A sticking pedal, as the Congressmen pointed out, is a sticking pedal. Condensation could cause it "to become lodged in a slightly depressed position," but the Toyota officials said this would not lead to full-throttle acceleration. And full-throttle acceleration is exactly what many, many victims are reporting.

Toyota was given until Friday to provide documents and analyses proving Lentz' assertions on TV--that sudden acceleration will be contained by the company's current recalls. It doesn't seem to be a request he can satisfy.