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Study Reveals No Electronic Issues For Toyotas

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A 10-month federal investigation into safety problems with Toyota vehicles has found no electronic flaws.

Consumers complained of unintended acceleration and some from our area even sued Toyota.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and experts from NASA made the government's findings official.

"Our conclusion is that Toyota's problems were mechanical, not electrical," he said.

Nasa's Michael Kirsch delivered the principal findings about Toyota's brakes and unintended acceleration.

"There were no failures found in the software that would unilaterally cause unintended acceleration, and there were no credible vulnerabilities identified from electro-magnetic interference testing that would cause unintended acceleration," he said.

Ed Short, manager at Day Toyota in Pleasant Hills, called it good news.

"We're definitely excited about that," he said.

Although some eight million Toyotas were recalled involving mechanical issues like floor pads that caught gas pedals and some otherwise sticky pedals, local Toyota dealers insist Toyotas are safe and reliable.

"Safety and reliability, and they are a fantastic automobile which they've shown over time and will continue to do so in the future," Short said.

Linda Geyer, a local victim of a stuck accelerator in a Toyota Camry, couldn't believe the government findings.

"Very skeptical," she said. "I don't understand how they can say there's no problem with all the things that have happened."

Geyer was driving through a Home Depot parking lot in Hampton when her car accelerated, jumped a curb and was stopped by trees from going down a steep hill.

Toyota denied responsibility.

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