Agencies to probe Toyota

Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES

The National Academy of Sciences will lead a broad investigation into unintended acceleration and electronic vehicle controls under a 15-month study made public Tuesday.

In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will conduct a separate inquiry into sudden acceleration by Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles. Toyota has issued nearly 10 million recall notices worldwide to correct floor mat and gas-pedal defects that it says can lead to runaway vehicles.

The two investigations follow pressure from Congress on federal safety regulators to address persistent questions about the causes of unintended acceleration and whether the problems stem from faulty computer- controlled electronic throttle systems.

At a time when cars are increasingly controlled through complex computer systems, the studies represent the most far-reaching effort yet to assess the causes of sudden acceleration.

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