In early 2010, Toyota issued a recall for over 8,000,000 vehicles because there were increasing complaints about a sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) issue. There had been 24,000 consumer complaints about the SUA issue to dealers, to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and via lawsuits filed against the company between 2001 through 2009. Initially, Toyota responded by claiming that the acceleration was caused by faulty floor mats and/or driver error. Causes then shifted to worn pedals, overheated pedals, condensation, and even software issues. However, the full recall was not made until January of 2010 following increasingly vocal Toyota in holding off on the recalls.
What if drivers made a mistake, or were just confused, and stepped on the wrong pedal?
Is there product liability then?