House panel presses Toyota officers
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There are two basic questions that representatives are seeking to have Toyota chief executive Akio Toyoda answer: What did you know and when did you know about Toyota’s safety problems?
Top Toyota officials Wednesday were careful in answering the pointed questions from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Rep. Gerald Connolly (D- Va.) pressed Toyoda on when he learned of the safety issues connected to sudden acceleration problems. Toyoda said it was at the end of 2009.
But there were complaints prior to that time, Connolly said.
Toyoda acknowledged knowing of those complaints, but “not with the same awareness.”
Earlier, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said a team of U.S. regulators met with company officials to discuss the problems before December 2009.
Toyoda said he knew his quality staff had met with regulators, but “I did not know the specific content of the discussion,” Toyoda said.
“This is indeed an embarrassing day for” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) said. “It’s equally an embarrassing day for Toyota.”
Mica questioned a 2009 memorandum that said that Toyota had managed to limit the effects and the cost of a floor mat recall. The document called the savings a “win” for the company.
“This is absolutely appalling,” Mica said of the memo. “How could you possibly put this in writing.... This discredits everyone.”
Toyoda replied that the document didn’t reflect the entire company, and Yoshimi Inaba, Toyota’s top North American official, said the memo was addressed to him after he took office and was designed as orientation material.
Will this be the approach of Toyota in the future? Mica asked.
Inaba said it would be rectified.
--Michael Muskal
