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July 13, 2006
STEERING DEFECT PROMPTS CRIMINAL PROBE OF TOYOTA IN JAPAN
Toyota quality-control managers are the focus of a criminal investigation in Japan into whether they downplayed reports of steering problems at the automaker in the mid-1990s, ConsumerAffairs.com reports. "The steering flaw was cited as the possible cause of a serious accident in Japan that eventually led to a recall by Toyota of more than 1 million vehicles last year. Five people were injured, one of them seriously, in Kumamoto in August 2004 when the steering of a Toyota Hilux Surf SUV failed and it hit another vehicle. The SUV was built in 1993."
Toyota earlier announced the recall of 1.2 million vehicles sold all over the world. The automaker said there were 18 reports of problems with the vehicles overseas but no injuries. Police investigators are looking into whether the quality control managers were negligent in dismissing early reports of steering problems with Toyota vehicles.
Posted by MVHAP at July 13, 2006 02:37 PM