Covering the Toyota recalls
The latest Toyota recalls raise many questions. Among them are whether government officials did enough to investigate reports about sticking accelerator pedals. As recently as November Toyota blamed the problems on problematic floor mats and issued a recall. This happened after a frantic 911 call from a frantic passenger stuck in a runaway Lexus on a California highway. The call ended with a crash; all four members of the car were killed.
Toyota immediately issued a recall intended “to address problems with a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to get stuck and lead to a crash.” Ironically, the most recent recall is a separate recall in which Toyota now admits the actual pedal can get stuck in rare instances.
Reporters at both large and small media outlets have done a great job of covering the story. ABC News put together this excellent, “Recalls at a Glance” timeline for viewers. The timeline begins in September and ends with the current recall crisis. The New York Times has a detailed article expaining the pedal malfunction and Toyota’s decision to halt manufacturing of eight popular models.
Bloomberg news reports that the replacement pedals are already being shipped to dealers, and should be available to Toyota owners as early as this week. Toyota has also issued a public apology both in Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Forum, and through the media. The article also states that five assembly plants in the US have been closed until the parts are replaced.
The US House Energy and Commerce Committee has already scheduled a meeting for February 25th, partly to examine the response to reports of sudden acceleration by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, according to Bloomberg.
