This week, the president of Toyota Motor Corp and other top Toyota executives will testify before U.S. lawmakers about quality and safety lapses of the world's largest automaker. Now, a newly surfaced document presented to Toyota officials last July says that the company saved millions of dollars by avoiding defect investigations, delaying safety regulations, and negotiating a limited recall of floor mats with the United States government.
In the internal presentation made last July at Toyota's Washington office, Toyota says it was able to save "$100 million or more" by negotiating an equipment recall of floor mats in September 2007 for 55,000 Toyota Camry and Lexus ES350 vehicles. Examples of other "savings" including phasing in new safety regulations for side airbags, which saved $124 million. Delaying a regulation for better door locks saved the company $11 million. Toyota also boasted that it "avoided investigation" on rusting Tacoma pickups.
Toyota issued a statement responding to the newly surfaced document, saying ""Our first priority is the safety of our customers and to conclude otherwise on the basis of one internal presentation is wrong. Our values have always been to put the customer first and ensure the highest levels of safety and quality."
Critics believe the documents, which have been turned over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, could raise eyebrows in Congress and raise the question whether Toyota put profits above customer safety by reducing the number of recalls.
Olivia Alair, spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Transportation, said the 10-page document was "very telling. And that's why Secretary (Ray) LaHood has been saying we're going to hold Toyota's feet to the fire and make sure they do what's necessary to make their cars safe for the driving public."
If you have been injured in an accident involving a defective Toyota vehicle, contact theToyota recall lawyers at (800)724-3817 for a free consultation of your legal rights.
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