Personal Injury Law

Reporter finds that Toyota keeps tight lid on product safety issues

A Los Angeles Times investigation recently showed that Toyota has delayed product recalls and attempted to blame human error in product liability cases where owners claimed vehicle defects. Toyota is the world?s largest automaker, so this finding could potentially affect many individuals. Toyotas are seen all over Chicago. One example that the article cited was Toyota?s test of its Sienna minivan in 2003. During a routine test, engineers found a product defect ? that a plastic panel could come loose and cause the gas pedal to stick. This was hazardous because it potentially make the vehicle accelerate out of control. While Toyota redesigned that part, Toyota did not notify the tens of thousands of people who had already bought vans with the old panel. It was not until U.S. safety officials opened an investigation last year that Toyota acknowledged in a letter to regulators that the part could come loose and lead to unwanted or sudden acceleration. Nearly six years after discovering the potential hazard, in January 2009, the automaker recalled over 25,000 vans with the old panel.

Full post as published by Illinois Injury Lawyer Blog on December 26, 2009 (boomark / email).