The head of the world’s No. 1 automaker apologized to U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday for quality control lapses that led to several deaths and the eventual recall of 8.5 million of Toyota vehicles globally. But he disputed claims faulty computer systems are the underlying cause of the automaker’s problems.
Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda’s voluntary testimony before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee marks a climax in the flurry of investigations aimed at pinpointing the root causes of sudden acceleration in eight models linked to 39 deaths as well as braking issues in three others models.
Yoshimi Inaba, head of Toyota Motor North America, and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood were also grilled on their role in the crisis.
In his opening remarks Toyoda, grandson of the company’s founder, again apologized to the family of a San Diego man, his wife and kids who died last August when their loaner Toyota Lexus sped to up to more 200 kilometres per hour.
Toyoda then quashed criticism that the company was aware about defective accelerators in the U.S. before the initial recall.
“We never run away from our problems or pretend we don’t notice them,” he said.
Inaba told the panel Toyota has been aware of similar problems in Europe for more than a year, but that the company wrongly assumed it was limited to select right-handed models.
“There was no deliberate delay in the process,” he said.
Toyoda said he was never advised by legal counsel not disclose safety concerns.
But the 53-year-old heir to the Japanese company conceded the company’s rapid expansion in recent years weakened quality controls at the automaker that once enjoyed an unrivalled reputation for safety.
“I regret that this has resulted in the safety issues described in the recalls we face today, and I am deeply sorry for any accidents that Toyota drivers have experienced.”
Toyoda added he is “absolutely confident” there is no problem with the computers, or electronic throttle control systems, in Toyota cars and trucks.
Toyoda also vowed to adopt a “safety first” approach going forward. He said a special committee for global quality, headed by both Japanese and American executives, has been established to improve cross-regional sharing of safety information.
Panelists pressed the executives on numerous issues including what one congresswoman called a “culture of secrecy” at Toyota, a profit-over-safety mentality, inferior standards for North America-bound cars and inaccessible black box data.
LaHood also faced a fierce line of question on how he and other government officials handled their knowledge of safety concerns involving Toyota vehicles.
He said the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) pushed Toyota “every step of the way” after authorities identified troubling patterns in complaints citing unwanted acceleration in several Toyota models.
Unhappy with Toyota’s lack of action, the NHTSA sent an official to Japan in December 2009, LaHood said. Toyota’s first recall related to sticky gas pedals came just days later in January.
But LaHood conceded some changes are needed to make safety concerns more readily available to consumers.
He said NHTSA is now investigating how and when Toyota was first made aware of the problem within the company. It’s also reviewing the possibility that electromagnetic interference and other computer glitches caused some of the malfunctions.
LaHood dismissed comments the organization has used the recall to damage the reputation of a foreign automaker and said his response has been in the interest of drivers. The U.S. government owns a sizable stakes in both General Motors and Chrysler.
“We will not sleep until we make sure every Toyota is safe to drive,” he said.
Also on Wednesday, Japan’s transport minister announced an official probe into complaints of dangerous acceleration in Toyota vehicles. Transport Minister Seiji Maehara said his department is investigating 38 domestic complaints of unintended acceleration in Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles dating back to 2007, marking the first instance of government intervention in Toyota’s home market.
source: money.canoe.ca
