Toyota May Not Have Handled Complaints Correctly
Following Toyota Motor Corp.’s Sudden Acceleration Recalls, Toyota is now under pressure for braking concerns for the Toyota Prius, Toyotas popular hybrid car. According to Ray LaHood, Transportation Secretary, Transportation officials will begin an inquiry after reports were incurred that the Japanese government has started an investigation regarding brake misfunction charges, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.
According to a charge registered with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): My 2010 Toyota Prius has a serious braking problem, the car lunges forward after (I) apply my brakes over a bumpy surface. This is very unexpected and luckily no one was in front of me otherwise I would have hit them. This already happened several times, took my car to the dealer and no solution, I dont know what to do with a brand new (car) like this. There are many complaints with similar descriptions around problems when encountering even minor bumps and potholes with the 2010 Prius.
This current problem is in addition to Toyotas recall of 3.8 million cars in Nov. ‘09 to restore gas pedals plus computer software to treat what was reported as abrupt acceleration problems, which was followed by the latest sudden acceleration recall on Jan. 21, ‘10 when Toyota proclaimed a recall for 2.3 million automobiles. Reported by a USA article titled “100 Toyota drivers filed complaints before recall”, there were over 100 complaints filed prior to Toyota taking action.
Lately, Ray LaHood provided statements which question Toyotas process on the sudden acceleration issue. According to Secretary LaHood, “Today, Toyota is apparently taking the right steps to address these safety issues. Unfortunately it took much effort to get to this point.” In the midst of a Congressional hearing on Feb. 3rd, the Transportation Secretary stated that drivers of recalled Toyotas should cease operating using the cars until the cars are remedied.
And recently Toyota papers, which Toyota is trying to preserve from the public may bespeak a possible cover up. A one-time Toyota lawyer, Dimitrios Biller, as portion of his legal charge against Toyota has asserted that Toyota has hidden safety evidence during rollover hearings. During Dec., Biller notified Toyota that he intended to render a thorough copy of the written documents he controlled to the Los Angeles Times. Toyota responded by calling for a CA arbitrator to block Biller from rendering the papers to anyone. If Toyota has nil to hide in the rollover lawsuits and has presented another attorney the same documents that Biller has, as it has evoked, what does Toyota have to conceal?
These on-going series of events, the Prius stopping problem in addition to the onetime lawyer intimating that Toyota concealed written documents, in addition to the Transportation Secretarys notices regarding the auto makers treatment of the sudden acceleration recall are bringing a ton of heat on Toyota, questioning the car makers believability. Can the auto maker be able to reclaim it?
