US judge approves Toyota's $1.34b acceleration deal

SAN FRANCISCO (REUTERS) - A United States (US) judge granted preliminary approval on Friday to Toyota Motor Corp's $1.1 billion (S$1.34 billion) settlement of a class-action lawsuit brought by consumers who lost value on their cars due to sudden, unintended acceleration.

The order on Friday came from US District Judge James Selna in Santa Ana, California, who scheduled a hearing for final approval of the deal in June. Representatives for the plaintiffs and Toyota could not immediately be reached for comment.

About 16 million Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles sold in the United States spanning the model years 1998 to 2010 are covered by the settlement. Company officials have maintained that the electronic throttle control system was not at fault, instead blaming ill-fitting floor mats and sticky gas pedals.

A study by federal safety officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) found no link between reports of unintended acceleration and Toyota's electronic throttle control system.