The Toyota Motor Corporation has already had a rough start to 2010 as a result of two recalls that have already been issued.
- 2.3 million Toyota cars were recalled to fix a problem with the gas pedal with unintentional acceleration that has caused several fatal car accidents.
- 133,000 Prius Hybrids were recalled because of a problem with their brake systems.
On Wednesday, Toyota Motor Corp. said they are investigating complaints made regarding the power steering with its popular Corolla model. Last year, Toyota sold about 1.3 million Corollas. Because of an already low public opinion of the company, the Associated Press is reporting that Toyota has already considered recalling the Corolla.
Our auto accident attorneys in San Diego believe that all companies, big and small, need to issue recalls to prevent injuries or wrongful deaths caused by car accidents that could have been stopped by fixing defective products quickly instead of waiting for more problems to occur.
Power steering is designed to help a driver steer the car by moving power across the axles of the vehicle. As power is distributed equally across both sides of the vehicle, it moves the car from one position to another (like a lane change, for instance), making it less likely to tip the car over on one side when coming around a sharp turn on the road.
Toyota’s announcement of the investigation might restore some of the public’s trust in the auto maker. Executive in charge of quality control Shinichi Sasaki said it could show the company has learned from past mistakes by announcing this probe faster than before.
This could be another issue brought up at a February 24 hearing by the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on top of the two previous recalls already done. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and NHTSA Administrator David Strickland are supposed to testify, but Toyota president Akio Toyoda is not expected to. Toyota does plan a U.S. visit but mainly to talk to American workers and dealers.
The death toll of Toyota acceleration problems has reached 34 since 2000, and our automobile accident attorneys know that more consumer complaints against Toyota will only serve to worsen their already slipping reputation.
Call us now at 1-800-655-6585 or click here for a free consultation with an experienced San Diego auto accident attorney and find out how we can help you. We speak English and Spanish, and we look forward to providing advice for your case. No fee if no recovery.
YOUR TAKE
Will Americans ever have the confidence in Toyota they had before or will another auto maker be the new favorite of American car owners?
Related posts:
- Toyota Allegedly Stalls On ‘05 Product Liability Recall
- General Motors Announces Recall of Over 1 Million Cars
- Chrysler Learns from Toyota in Executing Their Recall
- Toyota Recalling Prius Hybrid Over Braking System
- Add Corollas To Toyota’s Car Accident Fears
Tags: Corolla, power steering, recalls, Toyota
