Toyota 'saved $100m On Us Recall'

[Raistlin]

Claims by Toyota contained in internal documents that it saved money by obtaining a limited recall from regulators in 2007 have created an even bigger challenge for the carmaker's president when he testifies before US lawmakers this week over quality and safety lapses.

Toyota officials said they saved $100 million by successfully negotiating with the US government on a limited recall of floor mats in some Toyota and Lexus vehicles, according to new documents shared with congressional investigators.

Toyota, in an internal presentation in July 2009 at its Washington office, said it saved $100 million or more by negotiating an "equipment recall" of floor mats involving 55,000 Toyota Camry and Lexus ES350 vehicles in September 2007.

The savings are listed under the title, "Wins for Toyota - Safety Group." The document cites millions of dollars in other savings by delaying safety regulations, avoiding defect investigations and slowing down other industry requirements.

The documents could set off alarms in Congress over whether Toyota put profits ahead of customer safety and pushed regulators to narrow the scope of recalls.

Two House committees are holding hearings this week on the Japanese automaker's recall of 8.5 million vehicles in recent months to deal with safety problems involving gas pedals, floor mats and brakes.

The world's largest automaker has been criticized for responding too slowly to complaints of sudden acceleration in its vehicles, threatening to undermine its reputation for quality and safety.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda is scheduled to testify at a separate House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday.

"This is any executive's worst nightmare -- a damning document comes out and exposes your company as having basically gone slow and tried to delay addressing significant safety problems with their product," said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University Japan.

Toyota said in a statement: "Our first priority is the safety of our customers and to conclude otherwise on the basis of one internal presentation is wrong. Our values have always been to put the customer first and ensure the highest levels of safety and quality."

[Bizarra]

Ahhhhh The joys of having a 19 y.o. car, on which I'm about to spend a considerable amount of dosh, coz I don't want a newer one

[Raistlin]

There's some logic in that last statement but I will be buggered if I can find it. :)

[Bizarra]

There's some logic in that last statement but I will be buggered if I can find it. :)

Buggered if I can find it, either, when/if I stop & think about it.

I know it is daft, being sentimental about a lump of metal, but they are very scarce now. & I don't want to send another [this is my 2nd] to the Scrappies.

I've said before, if I still had all my old cars, I'd be sitting on a fortune With a bit of luck & some dosh spent, this one will see my motoring days out

Slightly like the case of a neighbour who is waiting for a new knee. They won't give him one till he is 60 . Why ? Coz it will last him for 10 years & then they will give him another. That will be the last they can give him

[Raistlin]

In ten years medical science may have a completely different solution. :crutchy:

It's smalled minded penny pinching without caring for the patient.

Rant Over

:ffs: :ffs: :ffs:

[Bizarra]

In ten years medical science may have a completely different solution. :crutchy:

It's smalled minded penny pinching without caring for the patient.

Rant Over

:ffs: :ffs: :ffs:

Very, very true

I used to be on pills & had to take another type to counteract the side effects of the 1st one. They have now got a new pill which I'm on & no side effects

[Raistlin]

In ten years medical science may have a completely different solution. :crutchy:

It's smalled minded penny pinching without caring for the patient.

Rant Over

:ffs: :ffs: :ffs:

Very, very true

I used to be on pills & had to take another type to counteract the side effects of the 1st one. They have now got a new pill which I'm on & no side effects

There's a smack for that :)

[Carquestions]

Claims by Toyota contained in internal documents that it saved money by obtaining a limited recall from regulators in 2007 have created an even bigger challenge for the carmaker's president when he testifies before US lawmakers this week over quality and safety lapses.

Toyota officials said they saved $100 million by successfully negotiating with the US government on a limited recall of floor mats in some Toyota and Lexus vehicles, according to new documents shared with congressional investigators.

Toyota, in an internal presentation in July 2009 at its Washington office, said it saved $100 million or more by negotiating an "equipment recall" of floor mats involving 55,000 Toyota Camry and Lexus ES350 vehicles in September 2007.

The savings are listed under the title, "Wins for Toyota - Safety Group." The document cites millions of dollars in other savings by delaying safety regulations, avoiding defect investigations and slowing down other industry requirements.

The documents could set off alarms in Congress over whether Toyota put profits ahead of customer safety and pushed regulators to narrow the scope of recalls.

Two House committees are holding hearings this week on the Japanese automaker's recall of 8.5 million vehicles in recent months to deal with safety problems involving gas pedals, floor mats and brakes.

The world's largest automaker has been criticized for responding too slowly to complaints of sudden acceleration in its vehicles, threatening to undermine its reputation for quality and safety.

Toyota President Akio Toyoda is scheduled to testify at a separate House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday.

"This is any executive's worst nightmare -- a damning document comes out and exposes your company as having basically gone slow and tried to delay addressing significant safety problems with their product," said Jeff Kingston, director of Asian studies at Temple University Japan.

Toyota said in a statement: "Our first priority is the safety of our customers and to conclude otherwise on the basis of one internal presentation is wrong. Our values have always been to put the customer first and ensure the highest levels of safety and quality."

I think you'll find Mr. Toyoda will not be testifying - this has been known for days. What you will find is that Toyota has a very good defense in that there are actually no known investigated complaints that show a defective part (I'm speaking of the gas pedal here) - that GM has faced an investigation on the same issue for 60 million vehicles and they got off the hook, that of the 1.2 billion cars that have ever been produced in the world, there are no known examples of a car accelerating out of control by iteslf and the brakes failing at the same time. - What will come out of it ? hopefully a call for a national study on SUA, but most likley it will just be used by politicians to appear to be supporting their xenophobic constituents.

[Raistlin]

But Toyota is not an American company, a little protectionism goes a long way. :)