Toyota accused of 'pattern of' coverups

[Omaha Steve]

Source: UPI

WASHINGTON, Conn., (UPI) -- The head of an automobile industry watchdog group said Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. had repeatedly delayed announcements of product defects.

"There is a pattern of covering up defects at Toyota," said Clarence Ditlow, head of the Center for Auto Safety, USA Today reported Monday.

Court papers filed in a California lawsuit show Toyota, which paid a record $16 .4 million National Highway Traffic Safety Administration fine this year for delaying recalls of millions of vehicles for problems with speed control, also knew about a problem with cracking steering relay rods for at least 11 years before issuing a recall on the issue.

Toyota recalled compact pickup trucks, 4Runner SUVs and other vehicles in Japan in 2004 to replace the steering relay rods. It waited another year before issuing a U.S. recall.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2010/06/14/Toyota-accused-of-pattern-of-coverups/UPI-39051276534494/

[awoke_in_2003]

1. oh what a feeling...

:sarcasm:

[jgraz]

2. Soon to be followed by a 'pattern' of politicians sweeping it under the rug.

:banghead:

[Omaha Steve]

3. Toyota fixed steering rods for over a decade before recall

Source: USA Today

By James R. Healey, USA TODAY Toyota paid a record fine recently for dragging its feet on disclosing a safety defect blamed for potentially fatal unintended acceleration. Now, documents have come to light in a California lawsuit that point to possible delays involving an earlier safety issue, one that could result in loss of steering control.

Records of Toyota warranty repairs and customer complaints that are part of the lawsuit show that the car company was dealing with cracking and breaking steering relay rods in the U.S. for at least 11 years before it recalled 330,000 pickups and SUVs in Japan to replace the rods — and 12 years before its 2005 recall of nearly a million similar trucks in the U.S. for the problem.

The steering rod records that are part of the lawsuit again call into question whether Toyota promptly reports safety problems in the U.S. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration earlier this year fined Toyota the maximum $16.4 million for delaying a recall of 2.3 million vehicles for gas pedals that could stick, causing unintended acceleration. An ongoing investigation is looking at whether Toyota improperly delayed a separate recall of 5.4 million vehicles for floor mats that could trap poorly designed gas pedals.

Now NHTSA — which accepted Toyota's assertion after the 2004 steering rod recall in Japan that U.S. action was not needed— has opened a probe demanding that Toyota explain why it waited nearly a year to recall the trucks in the U.S. to fix the rods. The 2005 U.S. recall covered 1989-1995 Toyota 4Runners, 1989-1995 compact pickups, and 1993-1998 T100s.


Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2010-06-14-toyotasteering14_CV_N.htm

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Michael "Levi" Stewart was 18 at the time of his death in a fatal crash.


Michael "Levi" Stewart was killed Sept. 15, 2007 when his 1991 Toyota compact pickup veered off the road at night about 1 mile from Fairfield, Idaho.