Under-fire Japanese car manufacturer Toyota has presented a letter to a US television network, demanding it apologise for falsifying a report on its vehicles.

Toyota has requested that ABC retract a report that implied that the company’s vehicles could speed out of control due to an electronics flaw related to their accelerator pedals.

“Toyota deserves a public retraction and formal apology from ABC News for your irresponsible broadcast,” Christopher Reynolds, Toyota vice president wrote in the letter.

But the broadcaster hit back, maintaining that its report was unbiased, legitimate and newsworthy.

“(Whether the tests) identified a significant problem in the design of the Toyota electronic throttle control system, or Toyota is correct in asserting that (the Southern Illinois University professor’s) tests are flawed… it was legitimate and newsworthy for ABC to report on the tests and claims,” explained a statement released by ABC.

The stoush follows a rough period for Toyota, which is continuing to face accusations that its vehicles have electrical problems that could cause danger to its occupants.

However the carmaker has increasingly fought against the claims, reiterating that it has found no problems with its electronics, its mechanical fixes are sufficient and criticised the media and other critics of rushing to judge before hearing the whole story.