Ray LaHood says that Toyota became safety deaf
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has said that Toyota has become a bit “˜safety-deaf”, and that Akio Toyoda”s visit to the U.S. has become a game changer. LaHood had mentioned what he perceived to be a lack of communication inside Toyota”s organization as the chief reason these concerns weren”t immediately addressed. He mentioned doubts that the news made it all the way to Japan.
In his testimony before Congress Toyoda said, “We pursued growth over the speed at which we were able to develop our people and our organization, and we should sincerely be mindful of that. I regret that this has resulted in the safety issues described in the recalls we face today.”
LaHood said that he personally had spoken with Toyoda in recent months and urged a recall, as had other NHTSA officials.
– By: Stephen Calogera
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
