Head of House investigative panel says Toyota misled owners on acceleration issue

Lawmaker says documents show Toyota deception

WASHINGTON — House investigators believe Toyota intentionally resisted the possibility that electronic defects caused unintended acceleration, and then misled the public into thinking its recall would fix all the problems.

Rep. Bart Stupak, who will conduct a hearing Tuesday, also said documents and interviews demonstrate the company relied on a flawed engineering report in its statements to reassure the public.

In a letter to the company, the Michigan Democrat said a review of consumer complaints produced by Toyota shows that company personnel identified sticking pedals or floor mats as the cause of only 16 percent of the unintended acceleration reports.

Stupak said Monday that roughly 70 percent of the acceleration incidents in Toyota’s customer call database involved vehicles that are not subject to the 2009 and 2010 floor mat and “sticky pedal” recalls.

Stupak also wrote to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, saying the agency lacked the necessary expertise to review defects in vehicle electronics.