2 8 ▁recall , ▁additional ▁N HT SA ▁compla ints ▁brought ▁the ▁alleg ed ▁total ▁to ▁ 3 7 . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁alleg ed ▁vict ims ▁and ▁reported ▁problems ▁sharp ly ▁increased ▁following ▁the ▁recall ▁announ c ements , ▁which ▁were ▁heavily ▁covered ▁by ▁U . S . ▁media , ▁although ▁the ▁causes ▁of ▁individual ▁reports ▁were ▁difficult ▁to ▁verify . ▁Government ▁officials , ▁autom ot ive ▁exper ts , ▁Toy ota , ▁and ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁general ▁public ▁cont ested ▁the ▁scope ▁of ▁the ▁sudden ▁acceleration ▁issue ▁and ▁the ▁ver acity ▁of ▁victim ▁and ▁problem ▁reports . ▁Vari ous ▁parties ▁attributed ▁sudden ▁un int ended ▁acceleration ▁reports ▁to ▁mechanical , ▁electric , ▁and ▁driver ▁error ▁causes . ▁Some ▁US ▁own ers ▁that ▁had ▁their ▁re called ▁vehicles ▁rep a ired ▁still ▁reported ▁acceler ator ▁ped al ▁issues , ▁leading ▁to ▁investig ations ▁and ▁the ▁finding ▁of ▁impro per ▁rep airs . ▁The ▁rec alls ▁further ▁led ▁to ▁additional ▁N HT SA ▁and ▁Toy ota ▁investig ations , ▁along ▁with ▁multiple ▁law su its . ▁ ▁On ▁February ▁ 8 , ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁N HT SA , ▁in ▁collaboration ▁with ▁NASA , ▁released ▁its ▁find ings ▁into ▁the ▁investigation ▁on ▁the ▁Toy ota ▁drive - by - wire ▁thro tt le ▁system . ▁After ▁a ▁ 1 0 - month ▁search , ▁NASA ▁and ▁N HT SA ▁scient ists ▁found ▁no ▁electronic ▁defect ▁in ▁Toy ota ▁vehicles . ▁Driver ▁error ▁or ▁ped al ▁mis application ▁was ▁found