2010 March Archive

As Toyota battles a souring reputation, government and consumer groups are assessing company response timelines regarding safety issues in newer vehicles. Executives are facing tough criticism and questions about what they knew about sudden acceleration, and when.

Now, a new group is jumping into the fray: Toyota’s investors. They say they were given “false assurances” when the company indicated floor mats were behind the problems of faulty acceleration in a wide range of Toyota vehicles.
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As Toyota struggles with massive recalls of over six million vehicles for “sudden or unintended acceleration,” some media reports are showing that the company might have to add yet another recall for a problem that is, in some ways, the opposite.

The Detroit Free Press and other media venues are reporting that Toyota may have to deal with additional defects in up to 1.2 million Toyota Corolla and Toyota Matrix cars. Reports show that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened up an investigation in November of 2009 after 26 reports of spontaneous stalling in Corolla and Matrix engines. Analysts say the number of total claims for this problem has now reached 76.
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In addition to the enormous Toyota “floor mat” and “gas pedal” recalls that involve over six million vehicles, another major recall is a double whammy for Toyota’s Tundra truck model. Toyota recently announced it will be recalling all of the Tundra trucks in model years 2000-2003 for issues with possible rusting damage that could cause safety concerns.
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The Toyota Company currently has a lot on its plate, but even as government officials await a more detailed study of what is causing unintended or sudden acceleration in many Toyota vehicles, reports continue to surface from drivers whose Toyotas are acting strange. One of the latest ones concerns a Toyota Prius that got away from its driver on a southern California road.
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Executives at embattled auto giant Toyota say the company is working hard to fix problems in its North American market, but some United States legislators and consumer groups are asking whether Toyota is on the right path towards resolution of current safety recalls or just spinning its wheels.
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Today’s Toyota executives come bearing gifts to the American public. Amid a mammoth recall of several million late model Toyotas and increased scrutiny of the company’s track record on addressing safety issues, Toyota top brass are trying to revive trust and interest in their brand with new financial incentives for customers.
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America’s state governments are now getting help from the federal government agencies in cracking down on drivers who use cell phones while behind the wheel.

Recent reports indicate federal groups are lending support to a “distracted driving” campaign aimed at limiting the use of cell phones on the road and advertising strict policies about talking or texting while driving in many states.
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An egregious case of drunk driving in St. Cloud, FL, shows a need for aggressive prosecution for repeat offenders in DUI/DWI situations. The Florida driver was sentenced to 11 years in prison after a fifth DUI violation resulted in a fatality. This case draws the attention of those who know how devastating DUI behaviors can be for those who are sharing the road with drunk or impaired drivers.
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Those who watched Congressional hearings on Toyota’s recall and safety issues Tuesday saw Toyota executive James E. Lentz III do an about-face on his previous adamant assurance that fixing accelerator pedals would lead to successful repairs for Toyota vehicles that owners reported were vulnerable to sudden acceleration.
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As new data continues to surface about Toyota, and why many of its recalled cars tend to accelerate out of control, Toyota representatives went before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Wednesday, Feb. 24. The testimony of Akio Toyoda, the company’s president, and other staff, was the second in two days, as Toyota officials presented to other panels Tuesday, Feb. 23.
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