Toyota’s president summoned to us congress

Toyota, the world’s giant car-maker is going through hard times. On the 24th of February its president Akio Toyoda is to be quizzed by the US Congress on events that led to 8.5 million vehicles being recalled worldwide. “Mr. Toyoda has already released opening remarks which admitted that the firm's expansion "may have been too quick", the BBC reports.

The Oversight and Government Reform Committee is investigating the situation whereby the multimillion recall of different makes of Toyota cars have caused the death of at least 34 people, with over 2,000 complaints of motorists in car accidents to boot. The US watchdog SEC has also shown interest in Toyota.

Earlier Akio Toyoda said he was "deeply sorry" for accidents that had occurred and made a personal apology to the family of Mark Saylor, a California highway patrol officer killed along with his wife, daughter and brother-in-law in a crash that led to renewed US government scrutiny of problems with acceleration in some models.

Japan’s Transport Minister Seiji Maehara said the government would launch a review of 38 cases in Japan over the past three years.

He said the investigation would focus on Toyota but would also include other carmakers.

Meanwhile, the company is looking for reliable devices to remedy the situation. The main issues have been faulty accelerator pedals, these pedals getting stuck in floor mats, and a problem with braking systems on its hybrid models.

All official Toyota dealers have received special metal plates they are installing under the brake pedals to avoid its sticking, says Leonid Golovanov, editor of the “Auto Review”.

“These plates are to be installed into the pedal mechanism to limit its movement. Without it the accelerator pedal sticks, and does not return to its initial position.Congress has already heard from Toyota Motor USA chief James Lentz, who they quizzed for more than two hours on Tuesday,” said Leonid Golovanov.

Under questioning, he agreed that about 70% of complaints about unintended acceleration remained unexplained.

"That is probably fair to say," he said. "There are many factors that lead to it."

“And what about those deaths and car accidents’ victims? Relations of all these people are going to sue Toyota,” says Oleg Osipov, Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper “AvtoIzvestiya”.

“Their claims would undoubtedly be rounded up, that’s dead cert for the United States alone. I think we can speak about many millions of dollars of compensation,” said Oleg Osipov.

By the way, given that Toyota cars sales in the United States have by now fallen by 16%, General Motors is not sitting on their palms. It has offered to give 1,000 dollars to everyone selling their Japanese car and buying a Ford.