Toyota still on sticky wicket
US authorities are reportedly seeking a massive fine for Toyota's failure to notify of safety-related recallThe blows keep on coming for Toyota.
Following the recent scandal involving problems with sticking accelerator pedals in Toyota vehicles, the latest advice to come from the US is that Federal Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is planning to impose a steep fine on the company for failing to advise authorities of the resultant recall.
According to reports, Toyota did not advise the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the recall, which affected approximately 2.3 million vehicles in the US.
US law says car-makers are legally required to notify NHTSA of any safety defects within five business days of determining that they exist.
Toyota failed to advise NHTSA of the recall, even though it had known of the defect since at least September 29, 2009, when it issued repair procedures to European and Canadian distributors.
The US website Auto Remarketing says the NHTSA is seeking to have the maximum civil penalty of US$16.375 million imposed on Toyota.
The sticky pedal fault is claimed to bring about sudden increases in engine revs and sudden vehicle acceleration.
Toyota Australia has advised that this country is not affected by the sticky pedal recall.
However Toyota has issued a formal recall for 2378 Australian Prius models to address "inconsistent" braking on certain surfaces when ABS is operative.
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