TOYOTA / LEXUS unintended sudden acceleration risk – NHTSA says 15 fatalities

NATIONAL – According to The Detroit News (11/20, Tierney) reports, “After a highly publicized crash in August that killed four people when the driver lost control of a Lexus sedan, Toyota has come under intense pressure to reduce the risk of unintended acceleration. The Japanese automaker and U.S. safety regulators are discussing changes to the gas pedal, as well as adjustments that would make it easier to stop a car that’s accelerating, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 15 fatalities, including the four in August, are linked to hundreds of reports of unintended acceleration of Toyotas it has received since 2002.” George Peterson, president of AutoPacific Inc. in Tustin, CA, said that “the issue could be costly…if the company is found to be at fault — and if juries are convinced Toyota knew about the problem.”