Toyota President and CEO Akio Toyoda arrives on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
| Associated Press | Toyota chief executive Akio Toyoda raised his hand and took an oath to tell the truth, then speaking in English apologized to Congress–and millions of American Toyota owners–for safety lapses that led to deaths and widespread recalls for accelerator and braking failures. “I’m deeply sorry for any accident that Toyota drivers have |
See also • Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda’s speech to a House committee |
Amid a phalanx of cameras, Toyoda, dressed in a dark suit, came into the committee room briskly.
Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns welcomed Toyoda and thanked him for volunteering to testify.
“We’re very impressed with that. It shows your commitment to safety as well,” Towns said.
Toyoda pledged his company would change the way it handles consumer complaints, including seeking greater input from drivers and outside safety experts when considering recalls. Toyota managers will also drive cars under investigation to experience potential problems first hand, he said.
He suggested his company’s “priorities became confused” in its quest for growth over the past decade at the expense of safety concerns.
Toyoda read from prepared remarks, remarks that had been released the day before.
“My name is on every car. You have my personal commitment that Toyota will work vigorously and unceasingly to restore the trust of our customers,” Toyoda said. He delivered his short remarks clearly in somewhat accented English. However, when the questioning session began, he switched to Japanese with the help of a translator.
Asked by Towns if Toyota has divulged all safety information it has to U.S. officials, Toyoda said through the interpreter, “We fully share the information we have with the authorities.”
Appearing with him was Yoshimi Inaba, head of Toyota Motor North America. “We are committed not only to fixing vehicles on the road and ensuring they are safe, but to making our new vehicles better and even more reliable through a redoubled focus on putting our customers first,” Inaba said.
Moments before Toyoda’s arrival, dozens of photographers sat on the floor in front of the witness table, waiting for the automotive scion. About a dozen TV cameramen were ushered in by an aide, their cameras almost colliding with each other as they rushed to get good spots. “Easy, easy! Slow it down,” someone called out.
At 2:20 p.m., a stonefaced Toyoda entered the committee room from a side doorway, trailed by the female interpreter and Inaba. He walked down two steps, past the desks of two congressmen and into the swarm of photographers amid a cascading sound of clicking camera shutters.
Some early communication problems emerged when Towns asked whether the automaker would install a brake override system on all vehicles as an additional safety mechanism.
Toyoda, through his translator, explained that there were four factors that contributed to the problems and the company was installing the override system on some vehicles.
“Is that a yes or no?” asked a puzzled Towns. “I’m trying to find out, is that a yes or no?”
Inaba stepped in and told the committee the automaker would install the brake override system on all new models by the end of the year, reiterating a previously made pledge.
Rep. Paul Kanjorksi, a Democrat, asked Toyoda whether the company treated Japanese and American consumers differently, saying he wanted “to hear in my own mind that there hasn’t been this difference between the home market and the American market.”
Toyoda said the automakers provided “the same degree of care to customers in the United States and the world over.”
Let’s beat up on Toyota (Can Ford be far behind?) and hope sombody will buy a Yugo, oh, sorry, I meant Chevy. Plus, it’s a great chance for Dem Michigan congressmen to tighten up with their UAW voters; while spitting in everyone eles’s eye.
November, 2010 will shovel a lot of the crap off Capital Hill.
That’s great, but will he cut off a finger?
i think he should do the same that American CEO’s do when they fail miserably .. Give themselves BILLIONS in bonuses !!
This differs from the Pinto scandal in that while Toyota knows there is a problem does not know how to fix it. Perhaps they choose the least expensive repair routes and if the outcome of a few high speed wrecks come back to problems they will just pay them out in future lawsuits. There is little data if any being shared about the problem. It seems like the auto makers are relying on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to view a car safe or not. I feel in Toyota’s view ; If they can’t prove it is unsafe then there are no problems. White Nemo’s view that this is being done to sell more GM vehicles is a load of Fox.
Toyota has been selling junk for a few years just as every American automaker was doing from 1980 into the 90’s. Public transportation is the way to go.
It’s beginning to look like executives who earn big bucks really don’t ‘earn’ them.
There’s going to be a lot of congressional chest-thumping on these hearings. When does congress investigate itself or the government agencies roles in this mess? Where have all the government agencies that were supposed to overlook these matters been? The Feds are so big on regulation and oversight, but where was DOT in this? Why did it take private industry, i.e., State Farm to say, “we may have a problem here”. These hearings are a joke. Toyota knows it has a big problem and they don’t need congressional grandstanding to tell them how to fix it. The brain trust of Toyota will prove to be smarter than the combined IQ of congress.
Has anyone thought about the devalue owners of Toyota vehicles, whether recalled or not, will experience when they want to trade-in or sell their vehicles. surely blue book values on Toyotas will, or perhaps already are, lower. who would want to buy a used Toyota after all this. Also, one of our three Toyotas is a 2004 matrix that is not part of the recall, I experienced an acceleration issue one time when parking vehicle and prior to all the recalling and the public becoming aware. We called dealer at the time and they responded that there was no issue with that vehicle. So am i suppose to wait and see if it happens again and cause harm? We have three toyotas — 2007 Rav 4, 2004 Matrix and a Yaris — in our family…Is Toyota going to be compensating owners for their loss in investment/resale value???? Our daughter is the primary driver of the 2004 Matrix and has a 5 hour compute between home and college … her safety is of great concern to me.
three toyota family | February 24, 2010 4:20 PM | Reply
Has anyone thought about the devalue owners of Toyota vehicles, whether recalled or not, will experience when they want to trade-in or sell their vehicles. surely blue book values on Toyotas will, or perhaps already are, lower. who would want to buy a used Toyota after all this. Also, one of our three Toyotas is a 2004 matrix that is not part of the recall, I experienced an acceleration issue one time when parking vehicle and prior to all the recalling and the public becoming aware. We called dealer at the time and they responded that there was no issue with that vehicle. So am i suppose to wait and see if it happens again and cause harm? We have three toyotas — 2007 Rav 4, 2004 Matrix and a Yaris — in our family…Is Toyota going to be compensating owners for their loss in investment/resale value???? Our daughter is the primary driver of the 2004 Matrix and has a 5 hour commute between home and college … her safety is of great concern to me.
Does this change anything? No!
How about Toyota writing checks to all those affected by their incompetence? How about lowering the prices of their new vehicles?
Toyota is being railroaded by these liberals (in both parties.) They’re an easy target and it makes the liberals feel better that they are attacking success.
The reality is Toyota makes good cars. All cars – and all products – have problems.
How come they’re not going after government? They spend far more than they take in and the job they do is pretty poor. How is that okay?