Toyota Motor Corporation is dishing out close to $17.5 million (the highest allowable fine) because the company didn’t report safety defect on some of its cars in a timely manner, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Not only is this the highest allowable fine by the federal government, but it’s also the highest amount that the NHTSA has ever received in connection with violations regarding recalls.
“Safety is our highest priority,” said Ray LaHood, Secretary with the U.S. Transportation. “With today’s announcement, I expect Toyota to rigorously reinforce its commitment to adhering to United States safety regulations.”
Our Palm City accident lawyers understand that car makers have five business days after discovering a defect to report it to federal officials. This law is in place to help to conduct a product recall in a timely manner and to help to keep consumers safe! Each and every second that a defective vehicle is on our roadways creates higher risks for a potentially fatal accident.
Back at the beginning of the year, officials with the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation started to notice that there was a trend regarding the floor mat and the pedals in some of Toyota’s vehicles. It was causing pedal entrapment in some of its 2010 vehicles. Back in May, officials with the NHTSA got in touch with Toyota about this problem. Just a month later, Toyota was told by the NHTSA that it knew of close to 65 of these incidents. Technicians and dealers with Toyota said that the floor mat was causing unwanted acceleration in these vehicles.
Later in June, Toyota told the NHTSA that it would get publicly recall the more than 154,000 affected vehicles to fix the problem.
As a part of the most recent settlement for this problem, Toyota agrees to make changes to their quality review and assurance program.
A safety recall involving a motor vehicle or an item of motor vehicle equipment can be independently conducted by a manufacturer or ordered by the NHTSA. In either of these cases, the manufacturer must file a public report describing the safety-related defect or noncompliance with a federal motor vehicle safety standard, the involved vehicle/equipment population, the major events that resulted in the recall determination, a description of the remedy and a schedule for the recall.
It’s important for consumers to keep an eye on the latest vehicle recalls and safety defects. You can do this easily by visiting the NHTSA’s Safecar.gov page. On this page, you can get information regarding the latest vehicle recalls and also information regarding child safety seat recalls, tires and more. The recall information on this page includes vehicle and equipment campaigns from 1966 to today. The campaigns include motor vehicle products which contained a safety-related defect or did not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Staying safe on our roadways means staying up to date with this kind of information!
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car accident, contact the injury attorneys of Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your case. Call 1-800-561-7777 today!
More Blog Entries:
Consider Vehicle Safety Ratings to Reduce Injuries in a Car Accident in Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, October 27, 2011
Recalled Vehicles That Remain Unfixed Increase Dangers of Palm Beach Car Accidents, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, June 25, 2011