Dr. Michael Pecht, director of CALCE at the University of Maryland, with his co-author E. George, published a paper in 2013 documenting the laboratory growth of tin whiskers on tin-finished connectors in a Toyota Tundra ECU (Engine Control Unit, i.e. the car's computer). The paper takes a fascinating look at what can happen when tin is used to finish the connectors inside an automotive ECU. The whiskering creates unpredicability in the performance of the unit.
Link to Dr. Pecht's paper at Science Direct
Here are a few excerpts from this paper:
(partial)
