Govt. to release findings today in Toyota investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is poised to announce the results of a 10-month investigation into whether faulty electronics played a role in Toyota vehicles' sudden, unintentional acceleration and other safety problems.

The Transportation Department said today it would issue the findings of its study, which has examined whether electronics or electromagnetic interference played a factor in the Japanese automaker's safety recalls.

Toyota has recalled more than 11 million vehicles globally since fall 2009 to address sticking accelerator pedals, gas pedals that became trapped in floor mats, and other safety issues.

he recalls have posed a major challenge for the world's No. 1 automaker, which has scrambled to protect its reputation for safety and reliability.

A preliminary part of the study, released last August, failed to find any electronic flaws based on a review of event data recorders, or vehicle black boxes. The study has been conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and NASA engineers with expertise in electronics.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood declined to comment Monday in advance of the report's release, saying the department would "talk in great detail about this" today.