Toyota explains 'buy back' rumours

Allegations 'revealed' in the US District Court in Santa Ana, California, have forced Toyota to issue a press release in response.

Toyota is currently defending against a lawsuit filed by customers claiming their vehicles were subject to 'unintended acceleration'. As the Carsales Network has reported previously, the claimants need not have been injured or killed necessarily, they are also permitted to seek damages against Toyota for the loss of resale value arising out of the publicity. Under increasing scrutiny for their driving competence or veracity, the claimants -- through their legal advisers -- have now alleged that Toyota and some clients have colluded to keep the supposedly known technical faults a secret from the general public and the media.

According to on-line journal, autoremarketing.com, plaintiffs have issued revised statements of claim, alleging that Toyota had purchased cars known to be faulty from the vehicle owners after those owners complained of experiencing instances of 'unintended acceleration'. Furthermore, according to the statements of claim, the owners reimbursed for the acquisition of their faulty vehicles were required to sign a confidentiality agreement to ensure that the deal was not exposed in the media. Exacerbating the matter, according to the claimants, Toyota neglected to inform the governing body, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), of its actions.

Toyota flatly contradicted this interpretation of events in its press release.

"Field technical specialists and engineers were deployed in response to reports of two acceleration events that dealer technicians reportedly observed. At these dealerships, Toyota FTS and engineers were unable to duplicate the condition and the vehicles were repurchased from the customers for further engineering analysis."

So, Toyota was unable to reproduce the unintended acceleration events in two specific cars, which were purchased from the owners for further evaluation. That's a far cry from the allegations made in court. And there's more...

"After having thoroughly analysed these vehicles and driven them for thousands of miles, Toyota FTS and engineers have not been able to replicate the customers' acceleration concerns nor found any related issues or conditions in these vehicles. "In fact, test driving of these vehicles is ongoing and they are operating safely."

Finally, Toyota declared emphatically that the NHTSA had been kept fully informed -- on three separate occasions -- of the status of the two vehicles involved, a Corolla and a Tacoma pick-up (pictured).

"Toyota looks forward to defending against the allegations made in the plaintiffs' amended consolidated complaint that was recently filed in the ongoing multidistrict litigation class action."

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