December 21, 2010
Toyota cited again: failure to disclose auto-destruct problem with Prius
by Terri Firma
Toyota Motor Corp has been cited again, this time for a problem that led to a “blowing up” problem with the 2002 Prius. In a statement by the Transportation Safety Agency, it was revealed that the company knew about the problem since before the car was sold publicly, but chose to continue distributing the car till the problem could be solved internally.
It was a rarely used feature, basically for spies or high level DEA agents who purchased a government-issued brand of the car, but it was accidentally installed in a host of cars intended for consumer use.
“We are embarrassed, obviously,” a company spokesman said, “and the agents these cars were intended for found the feature very useful, but not once discussed publicly, and we apologize to them for that.”
A driver in Sawskatchewan was the first to have his car exploded in error in April, and many cars have exploded since. Toyota will recall the cars, and install an upgrade feature where needed, next spring. They will likely be in court to answer possible charges of negligence soon. They have paid out record sums over problems with the Prius in judgments over the last decade, for problems of faulty breaks, “sticky” accelerators, and inflammable gas tanks. The company’s Tokyo leadership office is reserving comment.
