What Will Toyota’s New Reputation Be?
Soon after Toyota Motor Corp.’s Sudden Acceleration Recalls, Toyota Motor Corp. now is under for braking concerns for the Toyota Prius, Toyotas favorite hybrid auto. According to Ray LaHood, Transportation Secretary, Transportation agents will start an investigation after written reports were acquired that the Japanese administration has broached an investigation concerning brake error complaints, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.
According to a charge lodged 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 ongoing issue is in addition to Toyotas recall of 3.8 million automobiles in November ‘09 to restore throttle pedals and software system to treat what was reported as abrupt acceleration problems, which was succeeded by the latest sudden acceleration recall on January 21, 2010 when Toyota asserted a recall for 2.3 million automobiles. Contained in a USA article titled “100 Toyota drivers filed complaints before recall”, there were more than 100 complaints filed prior to Toyota filing the recall.
Lately, Ray LaHood provided statements which call into question Toyotas follow through on the sudden acceleration topic. According to 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 articulated that drivers of recalled Toyotas should stop driving the Toyotas until the cars are mended.
And now Toyota documents, which the company is seeking to retain from the populace may suggest a potential cover up. A one-time Toyota attorney, Dimitrios Biller, as a section of his legal action against Toyota has proclaimed that Toyota has obscured safety evidence involving rollover hearings. In Dec., Biller sent word to Toyota that he was determined to render a complete copy of the documents he possessed to the LA Times. Toyota reacted by requesting a California arbitrator to prevent Mr. Biller from sending the written documents to anyone. If Toyota holds naught to hide in the rollover suits and has shown another attorney the same papers that Biller has, as Toyota has evoked, what does Toyota have to obscure?
These on-going series of events, the Prius stopping issue as well as the past attorney intimating that the car maker obscured written documents, coupled with the Transportation Secretarys statements concerning the car makers treatment of the sudden acceleration recall are bringing a lot of heat on Toyota, questioning the car manufacturers credibility. Can the auto maker be able to rectify it?
