Submitted by Aiken Jacobsen on
Several of our past posts have been dedicated to the Toyota recalls and how they have affected millions of lives. It seems as though Toyota's troubles are not yet over, as they have just recently announced an additional recall of 2.17 million vehicles.
The additional recall involves the same dangers as the previous 11 million recall notices. Additional vehicles have been discovered which have faulty floor mats, sticky accelerator pedals, and other factors which have been known to cause deadly car accidents. These newest recalls date back to 2003 model years and include six Toyota and Lexus models.
Prior to this recall, it really seemed as though Toyota's luck was beginning to turn around. In December we posted that the NHTSA had all but concluded its investigation into Toyota. Ray LaHood praised the automaker for its good-faith effort to pay the maximum fines and to cooperate with investigations.
Recently the results of a NASA study showed that the "unintended acceleration" which drivers experienced was not the result of electronic defects. Rather, the acceleration was caused only by faulty floor mats or by driver error.
Toyota was quick to share this news with the world, as the company still faces hundreds of pending product liability, personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. They hoped that the report from NASA would restore credibility and public confidence, and help them win or settle many of the lawsuits.
Unfortunately for Toyota, the newest round of recalls will further deplete public confidence and likely result in more lawsuits. Many view the recalls as long and drawn-out, which either means company incompetence or some measure of dishonesty and secrecy.
It remains to be seen just how this several-year fiasco will affect Toyota's future. The company has a long-standing record of quality and safety. Yet it is undeniable that their faulty products and their delayed recalls have caused thousands of personal injuries and deaths. The official investigation against Toyota has now come to an end, but only time will tell how far the company has yet to fall.
Source: The LA Times online, "Toyota to recall 2.17 million more vehicles," Ken Bensinger and Ralph Vartabedian, 25 February 2011
