Auto website offers $1 million prize for the cause of Toyota’s accelerator problems

With the congressional hearings concerning Toyota‘s safety recalls now completed, an automotive website has issued a challenge to car junkies and auto mechanics everywhere: Decipher the cause of the Japanese automaker’s unintended acceleration problem and win $1 million.

On Tuesday, Edmunds.com identified unintended acceleration as a chronic issue that has been “festering” for 20 years. They believe that the error may not necessarily be related to the recent recalls.

According to officials with the website, the $1 million cash prize will go to a person who can “demonstrate in a controlled environment a repeatable factor that will cause an unmodified new vehicle to accelerate suddenly and unexpectedly.”

Edmunds is hoping to attract the brightest minds in the automotive world to help figure out what is really causing sudden unexpected acceleration in brand-new vehicles.

Meanwhile, the auto website also blasted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for not accomplishing what Edmunds hopes to.

“Many incidents are not fully addressed by recalls,” said the website. “NHTSA is responding to the challenge with more of what they have already done: additional investigations. Isn’t it time to try a different approach?”

Edmunds is currently drafting rules for the prize, and will announce them later this month.