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US Lawmakers Chastise Toyota Over Recalls

   Jeff Seldin | Washington 23 February 2010
   James E. Lentz, president and chief operating officer for Toyota Motor
   Sales  USA,  arrives  on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23,
   2010,  to  testify  before  the  House  Oversight  and  Investigations
   subcommittee hearing regarding 'Response by Toyota an

Photo: AP

   James E. Lentz, president and chief operating officer for Toyota Motor
   Sales  USA,  arrives  on  Capitol  Hill in Washington, 23 Feb 2010, to
   testify  before  the  House  Oversight and Investigations subcommittee
   hearing

   Outraged  U.S.  lawmakers  are questioning top Toyota executives about
   the  recall of more than eight million vehicles over concerns the cars
   could  accelerate  suddenly, putting drivers and passengers in danger.
   Some  even accuse the Japanese auto giant of ignoring the pleas of its
   customers to investigate problems with runaway cars.
   Lawmakers  wasted no time, immediately criticizing Toyota for its slow
   response  to  fears  its vehicles could accelerate rapidly and without
   warning.
   Democratic  Congressman Bart Stupak told the House Energy and Commerce
   Committee  his  findings  are troubling. "Toyota all but ignored pleas
   from consumers to examine sudden, unintended acceleration events. They
   boast  in  a  briefing  of saving Toyota $100 million by negotiating a
   limited recall," he said.
   Lawmakers  also  accuse  Toyota  of  being aware of the problems years
   earlier.
   One Toyota owner, Rhonda Smith, says she and her husband tried to warn
   Toyota  in  October 2006, after her Toyota-made Lexus sedan sped up to
   160 kilometers  an hour despite her efforts to stop it. "I figured the
   car  was  going  to go at maximum speed and I was going to have to put
   the car into the upcoming guard rail to keep from killing anyone else.
   And I prayed to God to help me," she said.
   Then  she  called  her  husband.  "  I knew he could not help me but I
   wanted to hear his voice one more time," she said.
   Then,  just  as  suddenly as it sped up, she says the car slowed down.
   Smith  and  her husband say when they later complained to Toyota, they
   were called liars.
   James Lentz, the head of Toyota's U.S.-based sales division says he is
   sorry  for  Toyota's initial response but the car company did its best
   to  fix  the problem, focusing on floor mats and a sticky acceleration
   pedal.
   But  David Gilbert, an associate professor of automotive technology at
   Southern Illinois University, says it took him less than four hours to
   determine  the  problem is with the electronic system and the computer
   that  helps  control  the car. "If the circuit is defective, as far as
   the computer is concerned, it must be good," he said.
   Some  lawmakers  have  challenged the witness testimony but there will
   likely  be  more  tough  questions  for  Toyota  Wednesday,  when  the
   company's  president,  Akio  Toyoda,  is due to testify before another
   house committee.
   In  written  testimony released in advance, Toyoda tells lawmakers his
   name  is  on  every  car, and that they have his "personal commitment"
   that  Toyota  will  work  vigorously  to  restore  the  trust  of  its
   customers.

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