Toyota Official Statement On NHTSA Preliminary Investigations

Toyota's Aki Toyoda

Torrence CA August 11, 2011; Yesterday, representatives from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) told members of Congress that preliminary investigations have not identified any new safety defects in Toyota products, other than sticking gas pedals or pedal entrapment. Below is Toyota's official statement on the matter:

"Toyota's own vehicle evaluations have confirmed that the remedies it developed for sticking accelerator pedal and potential accelerator pedal entrapment by an unsecured or incompatible floor mat are effective. We have also confirmed several different causes for unintended acceleration reports, including pedal entrapment by floor mats, pedal misapplication and vehicle functions where a slight increase in engine speed is normal, such as engine idle up from a cold start or air conditioning loads."

"Having conducted more than 4,000 on-site vehicle inspections, in no case have we found electronic throttle controls to be a cause of unintended acceleration. Toyota is committed to listening more attentively to our customers and continuing to investigate unintended acceleration concerns."