US Congressmen Darrell Issa and Brian Bilbray visited Toyota Carlsbad Parts and Service Center in Carlsbad, California. Congressman Issa addressed Toyota recalls and the Government’s role. Sudden uncontrolled acceleration of Toyota vehicles has been blamed for at least 34 fatal car accidents. Over 2000 additional complaints from Toyota owners about their cars lurching and speeding unintentionally have been filed with the NHTSA (US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.) As of January 28, 2010, Toyota had announced recalls of approximately 5.2?million vehicles for the pedal entrapment/floor mat problem, and an additional 2.3 million vehicles for the accelerator pedal problem. The next day, Toyota widened the recall to include 1.8 million vehicles in Europe and 75000 in China. By then, the worldwide total number of cars recalled by Toyota stood at 9 million. Congressman Issa is co-chair of the US House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The Committees Hearing to Examine Toyotas Sudden Acceleration Problem and the Federal Government’s Response is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2010. oversight.house.gov Congressman Issa, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives, has represents the 49th congressional district of California which includes portions of southern Riverside County and northern San Diego County. issa.house.gov Issa says, “As Congress continues to investigate and evaluate how both industry and regulators have responded to …
Following the congressional hearings in Washington, DC, Toyota President Akio Toyoda spoke to team members at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK), the largest Toyota assembly facility outside of Japan.
www.timesofearth.com Washington – The president of Japanese automaker Toyota has appeared before US politicians in Washington to answer questions and apologise for the recall of millions of cars deemed unsafe. “I’m deeply sorry for any accident that Toyota drivers have experienced,” Akio Toyoda told US congress members on Wednesday. The grandson of the company’s founder is expected to face tough questions at the House of Representatives oversight committee hearing over the company’s handling of customer safety concerns and its series of recalls over potentially faulty accelerators and braking systems. Toyota has recalled around 8.5 million vehicles worldwide and admits the company’s safety standards have slipped. “Toyota has, for the past few years, been expanding its business rapidly. Quite frankly, I fear the pace of which we have grown may have been too quick,” Toyoda said, reiterating a statement the company released on Tuesday. “I would like to point out here that Toyota’s priority has traditionally been the following: first – safety, second – quality, third – volume. These priorities became confused.” He offered his “personal committment” to restore customers’ trust in the company by working “vigorously and unceasingly” to correct problems with the recalled cars. His apology came after the head of Toyota’s US operations said he could not guarantee that fixes being applied to millions of cars would completely eliminate all potential problems. Speaking in Washington …
There was a lot of optimism and excitement in Detroit at this year’s North American International Auto Show, and Toyota was no exception. A new Prius, Akio Toyoda and an improving auto market made this year’s show a standout affair.
