Regulators slam Toyota over ‘no defect’ claim
The Los Angeles Times reports that federal safety regulators have sharply rebuked Toyota Motor Corp. for issuing “inaccurate and misleading” statements asserting that no defect exists in the 3.8 million vehicles it recalled after a Lexus sedan accelerated out of control in San Diego County, killing four people. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a statement Wednesday that the recalled Toyota and Lexus vehicles do have an “underlying defect” that involves the design of the accelerator pedal and the driver’s foot well.
Toyota officials have said they believe the Aug. 28 accident, and other uncontrolled-acceleration incidents across the country, occurred after the gas pedal became entrapped in an improperly installed floor mat. In formal recall notices being mailed out this week, Toyota asks customers to remove the driver’s-side mats. Separately, the company issued a statement Monday saying its recall letter “confirms that no defect exists in vehicles in which the driver’s floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly secured.”
Read the full article on the LA Times website.
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