Akio Toyoda is set to stand before Congress tomorrow, at which he time he intends to shoulder the responsibility for the company having let down its consumers. Toyoda plans to address customers’ growing uncertainty with regard to quality and safety in Toyota products, and assert to the House Oversight Committee that Toyota has never run from problems, nor do they pretend to not notice problems.

The third-generation Toyoda to be running the company, he is also expected to attribute the company’s recent problems to the hyped-up pace of Toyota’s growth. “We were not able to stop, think and make improvements as much as we were able to before, and our basic stance to listen to customers’ voices to make better products has weakened somewhat.” Toyoda said.

Toyota expects the recalls to cost $2 billion in repair costs and lost sales. The NHTSA has received 2,600 complaints, 34 of which involve fatalities, since 2000 for runaway vehicles.

- By: Stephen Calogera

Source: Detroit News