▁firm ▁had ▁discovered ▁over ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁Toy ota ▁sudden ▁acceleration ▁cases ▁involving ▁ 1 6 ▁death s ▁and ▁ 2 4 3 ▁inj uries , ▁publishing ▁its ▁most ▁compreh ensive ▁report ▁on ▁the ▁issue ▁on ▁Feb ▁ 5 th , ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁K ane ▁alleg ed ▁that ▁the ▁problem ▁was ▁not ▁with ▁the ▁acceler ator ▁ped als , ▁but ▁with ▁the ▁electronic ▁thro tt le ▁control ▁systems ▁( ET C ). ▁ ▁An ▁electronic ▁thro tt le ▁control ▁system ▁is ▁a ▁drive - by - wire ▁system , ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁acceler ator ▁ped al ▁and ▁the ▁engine ▁are ▁indirect ly ▁linked ▁electron ically , ▁instead ▁of ▁directly ▁linked ▁mechan ically . ▁This ▁means ▁that ▁input ▁from ▁the ▁acceler ator ▁ped al ▁is ▁just ▁one ▁input ▁used ▁to ▁decide ▁how ▁wide ▁the ▁thro tt le ▁is ▁opened . ▁On ▁Feb ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁The ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal ▁reported ▁that ▁K ane ' s ▁company ▁was ▁" cont ro vers ial " ▁because ▁its ▁income ▁comes ▁from ▁law su its ▁against ▁auto ▁manufact ur ers , ▁which ▁was ▁not ▁dis closed ▁in ▁media ▁reports ; ▁auto ▁journal ists ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁firm ▁had ▁a ▁" v ested ▁interest " ▁in ▁bl aming ▁manufact urer ▁defect s ▁while ▁avoid ing ▁operator ▁error . ▁The ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁reported ▁that ▁since ▁Toy ota ▁and ▁Lex us ▁began ▁installing ▁electronic ▁thro tt le ▁control ▁systems ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 ,