Toyota's troubles too long ignored

Toyota's reputation for safety and reliability suffered a major hit recently when it issued recall notices for close to 4 million vehicles susceptible to sudden acceleration.

But the automaker's actions aren't the only ones that warrant scrutiny.

Since 2001, more than 1,000 owners of certain models of Toyota and Lexus vehicles have reported problems with over-acceleration, according to a review of federal data by the Los Angeles Times.

Many of the incidents ended in crashes, and at least 19 people have been killed. The number of deaths is higher than the 11 linked to similar problems in vehicles produced by all other automakers combined.

Despite the number of complaints about Toyota and Lexus vehicles, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration failed to detect a trend in a half-dozen investigations.

Two probes did raise enough concerns to prompt a recall of fewer than 100,000 vehicles by Toyota.

But it wasn't until late August, when an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer and three family members died in a crash, that the automaker and federal officials took more decisive action.

A family member was on the phone with a police dispatcher, reporting that the car was out of control, when the collision occurred.

Investigators determined that the officer's Lexus ES 350 accelerated to more than 100 mph before the fatal collision.

Within days, Toyota issued recalls for 4 million cars that were outfitted with floor mats that can jam the accelerator pedal if they're improperly installed.

The recalls covered the 2007-2010 Camry, the 2004-2009 Prius, the 2005-2010 Avalon, the 2005-2010 Tacoma and 2007-2010 Tundra. Also recalled were the 2007-2010 Lexus ES 350 and 2006-2010 Lexus IS 250 and IS 350.

Federal officials say they haven't ruled out the possibility that other factors may have played a role in the sudden acceleration, or in the drivers' inability to stop their runaway vehicles.

As the investigations continue, both the federal agency and the automaker need to explain how so many complaints about unintended acceleration, over such a long period, could be dismissed or downplayed.

While drivers were losing control of their cars, it appears that too many people with the power to solve the problem were tapping the brakes on inquiries into what was going on.