Feds To Probe Possible Sudden Acceleration With Toyota

Federal safety officials are investigating reports that the Toyota Camry and other models may have a defect that causes sudden acceleration surges.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has received reports of 30 crashes that injured at least five people, when some Toyota Camry, Camry Solara and Lexus ES300 vehicles suddenly and unexpectedly surged forward.

The 2002 and 2003 Toyota Camry, Camry Solara and Lexus ES300 vehicles all come equipped with an electronic throttle control system, which the NHTSA said uses sensors to determine how much throttle is being applied.

"One of the noted injuries was serious: it occurred when a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle which allegedly surged forward unexpectedly," the NHTSA said in a statement released on the Internet.

An estimated 1.01 million vehicles from the 2002 and 2003 model years could be affected, according to NHTSA.

Toyota told Baltimore television station WBAL that "This type of occurrence has been reported for virtually all car brands and, of course, goes back to the Audi 5000 unintended acceleration incidents in the mid-'80s. NHTSA finally vindicated Audi and determined there was no mechanical defect. That said, Toyota is not making any assumptions regarding the complaints being studied. We are working with NHTSA to determine the facts in each instance."