James Sikes is now at the center of the Toyota sudden acceleration crisis.

Toyota is casting further doubt on the claims of a Prius hybrid owner who last week claimed his vehicle suddenly accelerated to 94 mph on a California freeway, racing out of control until he was assisted by a highway patrol officer.

The automaker said it was unable to find a cause for the sudden acceleration incident motorist James Sikes claims occurred on March 8^th.  The automaker’s position is lent support by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, whose investigators joined Toyota to analyze Sikes’ Prius last week. (Click Here: Another Report of a Prius With a Stuck Pedal?)

“While a final report is not yet complete, there are strong indications that the driver’s account of the event is inconsistent with the findings of the preliminary analysis,” the maker announced during a news conference Monday afternoon.

A statement from NHTSA did leave open the possibility that the claim was valid and a cause might never be found, however.

“We would caution people that our work continues and that we may never know exactly what happened with this car,” the safety agency noted in a statement.

The so-called “runaway Prius” has been dominating headlines since last Monday, and underscores the nation’s concern with a series of safety problems involving millions of vehicles sold by Toyota, a company traditionally known for its products’ quality and reliability.

Sikes claims that his car started accelerating uncontrollably and, despite his efforts to brake it to a stop, continued to pick up speed, reaching 94 mph before a police officer intervened.

In the company’s news conference Bob Waltz, the vice president overseeing quality and service for Toyota, indicated that “the rear brakes looked fine,” meaning there was none of the wear that would be expected if a driver were trying to overcome the force of a runaway engine.

Meanwhile, Gary Kaminsky Co-Owner of Toyota of El Cajon, denied initial claims by Sykes that the dealership had turned him away shortly before the March 8 incident.

“Contrary to what has been reported, we never turned Mr. Sikes away,” insisted Kaminsky, adding that the dealership’s computer system shows that the Prius had been “inspected and serviced,” and even checked to make sure there weren’t any other recalls or service bulletins affecting it.

A separate memo. prepared by an observer for the Congressional House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform, also downplayed claims made by the 61-year-old Sikes, contending, “It does not appear to be feasibly possible, both electronically and mechanically that his gas pedal was stuck to the floor and he was slamming on the brake at the same time.”

The Prius model Sikes drove, investigators noted, is equipped with a system designed to cut off engine power when the brakes are applied to prevent the possibility a motorist might inadvertently press both pedals simultaneously.

The committee’s leading Republican, Cong. Darrell Issa, said, “It doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, but let’s understand, it doesn’t mean it did happen,” during an appearance on CBS’ “The Early Show,” Monday morning.

Sikes attorney, meanwhile, defended the motorist, noting that there have been hundreds of complaints lodged against Toyota alleging incidents of sudden acceleration, and many of them have yet to be explained.

Meanwhile, police authorities have so far declined to pursue Sikes’ claims as a hoax.  The officer at the scene notably stated he saw the motorist’s brake lights come on when Sikes claimed he was trying to stop.  The officer also noted smelling the odor of burning brakes.

The mounting debate over the Sikes incident further complicates efforts to understand what is happening with Toyota vehicles.  Since the automaker announced the first recall for the problem last October – that on to address loose floor mats that can become entangled with accelerator pedals – the total number of vehicles requiring repair has jumped to more than 8 million.

Toyota dealers across the country are reportedly fixing about 50,000 vehicles a day for the floor mat problem and for potentially sticky accelerators, an issue that touched off a second recall, in January.

But at least 60 motorists have claimed they’ve experienced sudden acceleration problems since having their vehicles repaired.  Critics of the automaker contend that reveals an as yet-unidentified problem with Toyota electronic control systems, a charge the maker vehemently denies.