NPR analysis shows other automakers also suffer unintended acceleration

A new analysis by National Public Radio (NPR) shows Toyota is far from the only automaker with high rates of unintended acceleration. ( Consumer Reports analysis last year found that other automakers had received SUA complaints, though over 40 percent of sudden-acceleration complaints involve Toyotas for 2008--the focus of that analysis.)

Further, the NPR study shows Toyota's complaints spiked beginning with 2002 models, much earlier than the cars involved in Toyota's recalls to fix floor mats and modify accelerator pedals.

Other automakers with high complaint rates in the study include Fords, Hondas, and Volkswagens from various model years.
 
The NPR study provides a balanced picture of which automakers' cars and trucks are the most prone to unintended acceleration complaints. It tracks not only the complaints for each model year, but also each manufacturer's market share for that model year. By doing so, the report shows the overall complaint rate, in complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold for each automaker in each model year. You can look up the complaint rate for your own make, model, and model year, on the NPR.org Web site.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) analyzed the data for the NPR report, which NPR Producer Robert Benincasa says included "unintended acceleration and related complaints." Those related complaints include surging and even vehicles failing to accelerate even when the driver steps on the gas pedal. 

The data also shows that some automakers have dealt with the unintended acceleration issue better than others. For example, Honda had a high rate of complaints from about 1999 through 2003, but its complaints dropped off sharply, if quietly, beginning with 2004 models.

While Toyota has the highest rate of complaints averaged across the 20 model years in the study, in any given model year, another automaker usually has a higher rate, although in many of these cases it is a low-volume producer such as Jaguar, Land Rover, or Suzuki.

Our report on unintended acceleration rates, back in December, showed similar trends, but was based only on the 2008 model year. It excluded any event that we could determine by reading the complaints, didn't involve acceleration.

Another analysis of the NHTSA data, by USA Today, shows where confirmed and unconfirmed incidents of unintended acceleration have occurred across America. We don't know whether the location of these occurrences has any bearing on its causes, but the fact that it shows only 37 confirmed cases (and four unconfirmed), gives some idea just how rare these events are.

Be sure to follow Consumer Reports Cars blog (RSS) and Twitter (@CRcars) to keep up with the latest information and advice, also see our unintended acceleration guide.

—Eric Evarts

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