Redlands, CA: A national class action has been filed against Toyota Motor Corporation on behalf of Toyota and Lexus owners, alleging that the cars are prone to 'sudden unintended acceleration' (SUA).
The lawsuit follows a recent Toyota recall, which was prompted by a fatal car accident in which an accelerator pedal of a Lexus ES 350 became stuck in the full open position. This resulted in the vehicle traveling at more than 100 miles per hour before crashing and bursting into open flames, killing the California highway patrol officer, Mark Saylor, and three of his family members.
The class is represented by Los Angeles County residents Seong Bae Choi, the owner of a 2004 Camry and Chris Chan Park, who owns a 2008 FJ Cruiser. Both claim to have experienced SUA in their own cars, on numerous occasions.
The legal council for the class action believe that there is evidence to suggest that the SUA people are experiencing does not necessarily result from ill-fitting floor mats, but in fact is more complex.
According to an article in JustAuto, (Nov 9, 2009), more than 1,000 Toyota owners have reported incidents of SUA since 2001. And, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 15 people have died in crashes possibly related to SUA from 2002 on.
