According to automotive professor Gilbert, there is a flaw in Toyota’s design that allows particular short circuits that could be caused by corrosion, moisture or manufacturing imperfections. In order to recreate the issues for ABC News, however, Gilbert utilized an external bypass system that he says will recreate conditions otherwise possible without any outside devices.

“Other vehicle manufacturers have gone to great extremes [to prevent the problem he found on Toyotas],” he said. His tests on GM cars did not find a similar flaw, he said, ‘not even close.’