Not backing down from a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Southern California on Monday, Toyota released a statement on Tuesday defending the company and its Electronic Throttle Control System.
Nearly 40 consumers and businesses filed a lawsuit in California on Monday against Toyota seeking monetary compensation for economic losses. The lawsuit claims Toyota knew about its unintended acceleration problems as early as 2003 and that the company failed to correctly diagnose the problem as a defect in its throttle control system.
However, Toyota says it has found no evidence of any problems with its Electronic Throttle Control System and that any claims of unintended acceleration can be linked to a mechanical cause.
“Importantly, to date, plaintiffs have not cited a specific cause that would support their claim of a defect in Toyota’s Electronic Throttle Control System, and no credible scientific theory or proof has been advanced to support this allegation,” Toyota said in a statement. “Toyota firmly believes that the system is completely safe and that reliable scientific evidence will demonstrate the safety of our vehicles in the investigations currently underway and, ultimately, to the court.”
Despite the early drama, it’s going to take quite a while for this one to play out. Trial preparation for the lawsuit could take up to two years and the case isn’t likely to be cleared for a class action designation until 2011.
