Federal regulators have launched an inquiry into whether engine electronics caused vehicles to accelerate unexpectedly as legislators and experts cast doubt on Toyota's explanation of its "runaway cars." The new probe reopened a controversy that seemed to be waning earlier this week, after a Toyota Motor executive went on national television to say a fix was on the way. Several congressmen questioned the company's assurances Tuesday, and new data showed the Japanese auto giant's sales in January falling to their lowest level in 11 years. "We're not finished with Toyota," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHoodhttp://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Raymond_H._LaHood warned. The latest examination by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration could address years of complaints regarding electronic throttle control, the computerized gas pedal systems that now operate in most cars. The government's review will look at the electronics systems across all manufacturers as well as the possibility that engine operation could be disrupted by electromagnetic interference caused by power lines or other sources. "It really appears that there is a problem in the electronics," said former NHTSA administrator Joan Claybrook. "There have been incidents of acceleration when the floor mats were already taken out." The NHTSA's decision to examine the electronics comes as Toyota and regulators prepare for the first of two congressional hearings next week. Members of the committees have already suggested that they are skeptical of Toyota's claims that it has solved the problem. As electronic throttles have become common in new cars, several automakers have received complaints about unintended acceleration. But much of the focus has fallen on Toyota because, some industry watchers say, the company's cars have suffered so many such problems. Industry researcher Safety Research and Strategies has documented more than 2,000 instances of unintended acceleration involving Toyotas, leading to more than 800 crashes and 19 deaths, since 1999.
