Toyota Issues Yet Another Vehicle Recall, This One For Lexus GX 460

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Posted on 20th April 2010 by Gordon Johnson in Uncategorized

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 Another day, another Toyota recall.

 Toyota Monday recalled its Lexus GX 460, just a week after Consumer Reports magazine deemed the luxury SUV unsafe. The automaker will be fixing a problem with the SUV’s stability control system. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/business/global/21iht-toyota.html?ref=business

 The recall involves 9,400 2010 Model Year Lexus GX 460 to update software in the SUV’s Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system. http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/lexus/toyota-announces-voluntary-recall-157109.aspx

 The VSC system helps control a loss of traction in turns as a result of front or rear-wheel slippage during cornering.

 The Lexus GX 460 is the second Toyota recall in a week. Last Friday, it recalled its 600,000 Sienna minivans because of a problem with the vehicle’s spare tire carrier cable.

 Counting its prior recalls of Camrys for defective accelerator pedals, Toyota has recalled more than 9 million vehicles since November, according to The New York Times.

 Toyota issued a press release Monday on the voluntary recall of the Lexus GX 460.

  “Since it was launched more than 20 years ago, Lexus has built its reputation on customer respect and concern for safety,” Mark Templin, Lexus Group vice president and general manager, said in a statement. “With the news from Consumer Reports that our 2010 GX 460 did not pass its ‘Throttle Lift-Off’ test, we immediately stopped selling the vehicle and commenced vigorous testing to identify and correct the issue.”  http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/lexus/lexus-announces-plans-to-recall-157111.aspx

 Describing the recall, Templin said, “We have developed a remedy that will be quickly implemented to help address customer concerns….We will begin implementing this program in the next two weeks and our dealers will be reaching out to customers shortly to set up appointments to make this modification.

 Lexus dealers will have the VSC software update by the end of April. The updates should take about an hour for dealers to install.

 Starting in early May, Lexus will begin mailing letters to GX 460 owners included in the recall. Lexus will provide a courtesy vehicle to anyone who has purchased a 2010 GX 460 and has concerns about driving it until the recall work has been completed.

 Toyota made the announcement about its latest vehicle recall the same day it said that it would pay a $16.4 million fine, the largest government fine ever against an automaker, for hiding information about its sticking accelerator pedals.

 

 

Toyota Agrees To Pay $16.4 Million Fine For Hiding Safety Issues

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Posted on 19th April 2010 by Gordon Johnson in Uncategorized

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 Toyota has agreed to fork over $16.4 million to pay a fine, the largest government sanction against an automaker ever, for hiding information regarding its sudden-acceleration recall, federal officials said Monday. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/business/global/20toyota.html?hpw

 U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the news about Toyota, which has not admitted any wrongdoing. But the automaker merely paying the fine levied by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn’t clear Toyota if any civil or criminal actions, according to The New York Times.

 The $16.4 million fine is the largest permitted under the law.

 Toyota released its own statement Monday. http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota-motor-corporation-agrees-157093.aspx

 “We agreed to this settlement in order to avoid a protracted dispute and possible litigation, as well as to allow us to move forward fully-focused on the steps to strengthen our quality assurance operations,” the automaker said.

 “This will allow us to focus on delivering safe, reliable, high quality vehicles for our customers and responding to consumer feedback with honesty and integrity,” the statement said. “These have been core Toyota values for 70 years, and we pledge to make an even greater effort to adhere to this philosophy now and in the future.  We also welcome a new, more transparent chapter in our relationship with NHTSA, consistent with our commitments to Congress and the American people.”

 In a case of we-think-he-doeth-protest-too-much, Toyota went on.

  ”We regret that NHTSA tentatively concluded that they should seek a civil penalty. Toyota denies NHTSA’s allegation that it violated the Safety Act or its implementing regulations,” Toyota said in its statement.

 “We believe we made a good faith effort to investigate this condition and develop an appropriate counter-measure.  We have acknowledged that we could have done a better job of sharing relevant information within our global operations and outside the company, but we did not try to hide a defect to avoid dealing with a safety problem.

 Both the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating Toyota over the sudden-acceleration recall

 Toyota knew about the acceleration problem and defective gas pedals for several months before ordering a recall in January.

 Toyota’s problems seem endless. Last Friday the company halted sales of its Lexus GX 460 after Consumer Reports magazine deemed the vehicle unsafe.

 And the automaker Friday said it would recall 600,000 Sienna minivans regarding a problem with a cable that holds a spare tire.

$16.4 Million Fine Against Toyota Seems Far Too Puny

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Posted on 8th April 2010 by Gordon Johnson in Uncategorized

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The U.S. Transportation Department’s decision to fine Toyota $16.4 million, the largest penalty permitted, made front page news in a number of newspapers Tuesday, including The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/business/06toyota.html?ref=todayspaper

and The Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/05/AR2010040503200.html

 We understand that the government, namely the transportation department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), legally could not impose a stiffer fine. But it seems like a pretty tiny snap on the wrist to only penalize an auto giant like Toyota that amount. Its crumbs to a company like Toyota, over the foolish handling of a fatal problem that has lead to dozens of deaths and the recall of millions of vehicles.

 And we’re not the only ones to think that.

 Safety Research and Strategies (SRS) agreed with our “slap-in-the-wrist” assessment, but added “we’re glad to see any government agency get back their regulatory mojo after eight moribund years of the Bush administration.” http://www.safetyresearch.net/2010/04/06/16-4-million-reasons-why-it-ain%E2%80%99t-over-yet-for-toyota-sua/

 The government levied the penalty against Toyota for not promptly notifying government safety officials about mishaps involving it cars’ accelerator pedals. That problem has allegedly led to the sudden accelerations of cars, allegedly causing accidents that have killed dozens of people and prompted several hundred lawsuits. 

 “We now have proof that Toyota failed to live up to its legal obligations,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a prepared statement. “Worse yet, they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from U.S. officials and did not take action to protect millions of drivers and their families.”  

SRS raised some questions of its own.

“People need to remember: as NHTSA and Toyota have both acknowledged, sticking accelerator pedals have nothing to do with Sudden Unintended Acceleration,” SRS president Sean Kane said on the group’s Web site. “In fact, owners have complained to NHTSA about experiencing SUA incidents after getting the sticky accelerator pedal recall fix.”

The SRA also had this to say about the fine, which Toyota has two weeks to contest.

“We’re also very interested in seeing if NHTSA will take Toyota back to the woodshed for failing to initiate its floor mat recall in a timely fashion,” the SRS said on its site. “But let’s keep our eyes on the prize, folks: we need Toyota to identify the other root causes that can’t be explained by floor mats and driver error. Punishing Toyota doesn’t do much to resolve the financial woes and real safety concerns of drivers who are stuck with these vehicles.”