▁that ▁ABC ▁News ' ▁demo ▁was ▁un real istic ▁and ▁mis leading . ▁A ▁study ▁by ▁Ex ponent ▁Inc . ▁finding ▁that ▁the ▁short ▁circuit ▁" w ould ▁be ▁highly ▁unlikely ▁to ▁occur ▁naturally ” ▁and ▁could ▁“ only ▁be ▁cont riv ed ▁in ▁the ▁labor atory " ▁was ▁also ▁issued . ▁Toy ota ▁further ▁demonstrated ▁how ▁Gilbert ▁had ▁alleg edly ▁sh aved ▁away ▁w iring ▁ins ulation , ▁cut ▁w ires ▁in ▁the ▁E TC , ▁re - sp lic ed ▁them ▁in ▁a ▁particular ▁sequence , ▁and ▁added ▁a ▁control ▁switch . ▁Gilbert ' s ▁financial ▁mot ive , ▁being ▁paid ▁by ▁Se an ▁K ane , ▁was ▁also ▁question ed . ▁Auto Week , ▁Edmund s . com , ▁and ▁other ▁autom ot ive ▁sources ▁saw ▁the ▁conference ▁as ▁deb unk ing ▁ABC ▁News ' ▁claims . ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁ABC ▁News ▁further ▁admitted ▁to ▁f aking ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁report ▁after ▁t ach ometer ▁screens h ots ▁were ▁posted ▁online . ▁The ▁free ze - frames ▁showed ▁the ▁par king ▁bra ke , ▁open - door , ▁and ▁seat ▁bel t ▁warning ▁lights ▁on ▁while ▁the ▁car ▁was ▁alleg edly ▁" ac cel er ating " ▁to ▁ 6 , 0 0 0 ▁R PM , ▁indicating ▁that ▁the ▁car ▁was ▁actually ▁not ▁moving . ▁ ▁Media ▁blog ▁G aw ker . com ▁posted ▁the ▁photos ▁and ▁stated , ▁" the ▁t ach ometer ▁foot age ▁is ▁f aked ".