Toyota’s Prior Knowledge of Its Gas-Pedal Problem
Toyota knew about a sudden acceleration problem with its gas pedal for more than a year before informing U.S. regulators, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The article, “Toyota’s Secretive Culture Led Auto Maker Astray,” notes that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began receiving complaints that the Toyota Camry and Lexus ES sedan sometimes accelerated without the driver stepping on the gas pedal.
The first probe into unintended sudden acceleration was launched in 2004. The NHTSA looked at 37 complaints involving 30 accidents.
[NHTSA investigators] discussed the case several times over the next 20 days with Toyota, according to a deposition by a Toyota official filed in a Michigan lawsuit related to one of the fatal crashes. In that accident, a 2005 Camry allegedly raced out of control for a quarter-mile, and sped up to 80 miles an hour, from 25, before crashing and killing its driver.
Federal officials eventually decided to limit the investigation to brief bursts of acceleration rather than those of longer duration, reasoning that shorter incidents were more likely caused by engine surges rather than driver error.
Out of the 37 incidents, 27 were rules out because they were deemed long-duration surges. The NHTSA closed the investigation on the remaining 10 cases after concluding it could not find a pattern of safety problems.
Yet even after the investigation, federal officials continued receiving complaints. According to the WSJ Toyota auto recall timeline:
• March 29, 2007 – After receiving five complaints of pedal entrapment, the NHTSA opens an investigation into the 2007 Lexus ES350
• Sept. 13, 2007 – The NHTSA concludes floor-mat pedal entrapment caused a fatal crash. NHTSA tells Toyota a recall is needed.
• Sept. 26, 2007 – Toyota recalls all-weather floor mats.
• Sept. 25, 2009 – NHTSA tells Toyota a recall to address a defective pedal design is expected after the fatal crash of a 2009 Lexus ES350.
• Oct. 5, 2009 – Toyota issues a recall for 3.8 million vehicles for floor-mat pedal entrapment.
• Jan. 16, 2010 – Toyota informs the NHTSA that some vehicles have a defect that causes them to stick, a problem the company knew about for more than a year.
• Jan. 21, 2010 – Toyota recalls 2.3 million vehicles.
If you or someone you love has been involved in an accident involving sudden acceleration of a Toyota, Lexus or Pontiac auto, contact the sudden-acceleration recall attorneys at St. Louis-based Carey & Danis by filling out our online contact form or calling 800-721-2519 toll free.
