NhtsaRecall

The carmaker hoped findings from two federal studies would put to rest speculation about its electronics system as a source for unintended acceleration. But the results may not prove enough to give Toyota a leg up in its ongoing legal battles.

In an affirmation of Toyota's claims, an exhaustive 10-month federal investigation has found no evidence of an electronic source for sudden unintended acceleration in companpy's vehicles. Indeed, human error was cited as the cause in many cases.

Faulty interior door handles may allow the doors to pop open during a crash. The recall involves F-150 pickups from the 2009-10 model years equipped with chrome interior door handles.

Last year's massive recalls -- and the resulting legal fallout -- have given Toyota's reputation a beating, cutting into its sales. But the company can't blame all of its problems on the recalls. Analysts also point to another issue: A lack of compelling new models.

Automakers recalled more vehicles last year than in any of the last six years. And while Toyota Motors accounted for much of the growth, with problems including unintended acceleration and glitchy brakes, many other car manufacturers also saw their recalls increase.

2010 may be the year of the car recall, with the U.S.'s six-largest suppliers recalling more than 19 million vehicles over the last 12 months. Toyota, which recalled about 7 million cars this year, tops the list. General Motors, at about 4 million, came in second.

The federal government is investigating whether some 384,000 Saturn Ion compact cars should have been included in a recall earlier this year. The recall was for more than one million General Motors models to repair power steering units that could fail.

Honda Motor (HMC) is recalling 10,823 vehicles in the U.S. to fix loose suspension components that could possibly result in a loss of steering. The action affects 2010-11 Honda Accord V6 and 2011 Honda Pilot models, according to a notice posted on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration...

Topping off a week in which Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, VW, Chrysler and Ford between them recalled hundreds of thousands of vehicles, General Motors today announced it is recalling 100,000 SUVs to repair front row seat belts that may come loose in a crash.

Volkswagen and Chrysler are recalling about 745,000 cars in separate actions to fix problems related to passenger side air bags and possible fuel leaks, according to federal safety officials.