Toyota's recent troubles with sudden acceleration recalls similar difficulties Audi had in the late 1980s. A lot of people seem to recall that Audi was exonerated of any design defects associated with the problem. However, that is not exactly true. There was a long tangled tale associated with the whole mess. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration eventually produced a report that identified poor pedal design and placement as one thing that could lead to accidental misapplication of the throttle.
You can find a pretty good summary of what went on back then here:
