Toyota may widen safety upgrade to older vehicles

WASHINGTON – Toyota said today it will consider upgrading more of its older vehicles with software designed to override the accelerator pedal if the brake is pushed at the same time, and will also review complaints of sudden acceleration in its Tacoma pickups. In a letter to the U.S. House Oversight committee, Toyota also said it knew of no electronics problems in its vehicles that could account for sudden acceleration. It said it had hired an outside engineering firm to test its systems, and found no problems.

The news came just as Toyota announced yet another recall, this time for drive shafts in 8,000 Tacoma pickups.

The pledges from the Japanese automaker came in response to questions from the committee, which is scheduled to hold the first congressional hearing on the automaker’s recent recalls on Feb. 24.

Toyota has been under fire after issuing three new recalls and expanding a fourth in the space of a few weeks, affecting some 9 million vehicles worldwide. U.S. regulators have said the automaker had to be goaded into action repeatedly on several safety issues, and Toyota chief executive Akio Toyoda has apologized three times, vowing a full review.

Federal regulators have received some 2,000 complaints of such problems in Toyota and Lexus models going back several model years.

As part of the recall for floor mats that could trap accelerator pedals, Toyota is upgrading the software in five models with a “smart pedal” system that causes the brake to override the accelerator. The automaker has said the system will be standard in all its new models by the end of this year.

“Toyota will consider expanding brake override capability to additional models,” the company said in its letter.

Among the eight probes by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into sudden acceleration and Toyotas was a 2008 investigation involving Tacoma pickups. The agency closed the probe saying it could not find proof of a defect despite 400 complaints.

Toyota said many of the problems in the Tacoma case appeared minor. At the time of the probe, Toyota said many of the complaints, linked to 51 crashes and 12 injuries, were “inspired by publicity.”

“While these reports are related to customer satisfaction with the vehicle, they do not suggest the presence of a safety defect,” Toyota said.

“Nevertheless, in the spirit of the recent commitment made by Mr. Toyoda that our company will review all safety issues and potential safety issues with renewed vigor, we will be reexamining these complaints.”

Toyoda has said he would travel to the United States to explain his company’s changes in person. U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., asked the House Oversight committee to call Toyoda to testify, using a subpoena if necessary.