Asia-Pacific
Toyota chief blasted by lawmakers despite apology
(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-02-25 09:36
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 President and CEO of Toyota Motors Akio Toyoda (C) looks at notes while testifying on Toyota's car safety recalls in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 24, 2010. [Agencies] |
At the hearing, Rep. Paul Kanjorski, D-Pa., spoke of "injuries and the damages suffered by innocent Americans ... who like myself have grown up in an atmosphere that we had a great deal of faith in something that was stamped 'Made in Japan.'"
"It was of the highest reliability. You injured that thought process in the American public, and you will be called upon in our system to pay compensation for that," Kanjorski said.
And Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., told the Toyota chief, "It's one thing to say you're sorry. It's another when it seems as if time after time there are pronouncements that problems are being addressed and over and over again it seems like they're not being addressed."
He asked why Americans "should pay hard-earned money on a Toyota in hard economic times."
"I sincerely regret that some people actually encountered accidents in their vehicles," said Toyoda.
In one pointed exchange, Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif., asked Toyoda whether US regulators should require automakers to report all defects throughout the globe. When Toyoda gave a lengthy response through his translator, promising to "minimize those troubles," Bilbray became flustered.
"In all fairness, I'd just like a yes or no," Bilbray said, pointing his finger at Toyoda. Toyoda quickly said through the translator that the company would "extend full cooperation." Bilbray shot back, "We'll take that as a yes."
Committee members did not spare federal safety regulators from their withering criticism.
Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., the committee chairman, said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration failed to follow through aggressively on thousands of complaints dating back a decade about sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles.
NHTSA , which is part of the Transportation Department, "failed the taxpayers and Toyota failed their customers," Towns declared.
Towns asked Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who preceded Toyoda in the witness chair, a question on behalf all of Toyota owners and drivers: Are the cars safe to drive?
"We have listed every Toyota that's up for recall," LaHood said. "I want anybody who has one of those cars to take it to the dealer and make sure it gets fixed."
LaHood said the recalled vehicles posted on his department's Web site, http://www.dot.gov, "are not safe."
Rep. Darrell Issa of California, the leading Republican on the panel, waved a gas pedal before LaHood and complained that Toyota knew about problems of sticking gas pedals and improperly placed floor mats years ago and made some fixes on models sold in Japan but delayed addressing the problems on other cars, including some of its most popular models sold in the US, until just recently.
