NHTSA Complaint #10466184 — 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY

LETTER TO THE ADMINISTRATOR FROM SENATOR GRASSLEY TRANSMITTING QUESTIONS RE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION *TGW INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED TO THE SENATORS OFFICE, WITH SUPPORTED DOCUMENTATION, WHICH RAISED CONCERNS THAT THE SCOPE OF THE NHTSA AND NASA INVESTIGATIONS MAY HAVE BEEN TOO NARROW. A PHENOMENON KNOWN AS "TIN WHISKERS" WITHIN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND POSSIBLY OTHER VEHICLE ELECTRONICS MAY BE A CAUSE FOR CONCERN. THE NASA REPORT DEFINED "TIN WHISKERS" AS ELECTRONICALLY CONDUCTIVE, CRYSTALLINE STRUCTURES OF TIN THAT SOMETIMES GREW FROM SURFACES WHERE TIN; ESPECIALLY ELECTROPLATED WAS USED AS A FINAL FINISH. IN A SEPARATE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION VEHICLE STUDY OF A 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY CONDUCTED LAST FALL, A NASA EXPERT EXAMINED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY AND FOUND TWO "TIN WHISKERS" INSIDE. HE CONCLUDED THAT, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE OPERATED, IT WAS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE DRIVABLE. *JB