Toyota Seems Exposed in Electronics Investigation Methods
By Michelle Krebs February 23, 2010With Congressional investigators saying Toyota Motor Corp. "failed its customers" and 
independent engineering experts testifying electronics and software programming for electronically controlled throttles perhaps are not as foolproof as Toyota believes, the first day of testimony in hearings about millions of recalled Toyota vehicles has Toyota and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration appearing incompetent, indifferent and perhaps even scoffing about potential dangers and consumer concerns.
Several members of the House of Representatves Committee on Energy and Commerce in a hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday are calling Toyota dismissive and NHTSA ill-responsive and blow-offish.
Committee chairman Henry Waxman (D- California) said, "there is no evidence Toyota or NHTSA took a serious look at the possibility that electronic defects could be causing the problem."
Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-Illinois ) said, "My concerns go beyond Toyota's safety practices and recall decisions. They extend to NHTSA's apparent sluggishness in reinventing itself. It appears as if NHTSA failed to assign an appropriate mixture of staff and resources to keep up with evolving changes in auto design technology, especially with respect to increased computerization."
And while the objectivity of potentially uncomfortable-for-Toyota technical testimony from third-party researchers Safety and Research was cast into doubt by explosive questioning from Representative Steve Buyer (R-Indiana), lawmakers and onlookers here appeared most effected by the emotional testimony of Rhonda Smith, a Tennessee social worker who was driving her low-mileage 2006 Lexus ES 350 when she says it hurtled down a freeway and was unstoppable for an extended period.
Smith, whose husband Eddie also testified, says her report of the event was essentially discredited by both Toyota and NHTSA, and her subsequent attempts seeking further action were minimized.
The tenor of Toyota and NHTSA's reactions to the Smith case are likely to become the recurring and strong theme as the hearings here proceed into tomorrow and March 2 for a hearing with the Senate. - Bill Visnic, Senior Editor
Photos by Bill Visnic
1 - The House Committee of Energy and Commerce hear testimony on Toyota recalls and safety.
2 - Toyota's U.S. sales chief Jim Lentz testifies before the committee.
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One thing you NEVER do is blame the victim, especially on TV. Attacking Ms. Smith won't win Toyota any points. You say that you will look into the case more deeply and you move on.
Also, I support the witch hunt against the NHTSA. While not alone, they do represent the epitome of government inefficiency.
The other thing I would suggest you don't do is appear to criticize someone who looks credible to the public and offers a potential explanation for your problems. After the nasty treatment Dr. Gilbert received from the jerk from Illinois, I was really surprised to see the Toyota COO piling on and questioning the Prof's integrity and credentials. That will come back to haunt them in spades.
Exactly johnaz -
Someone ask the one-sided Rep Buyer who else was going to pay for research if not the victims? Toyota denied any problem for years and wouldn't even consider electronics until today. And the inefficiency of government - here the NHTSA - was part of Bush's philosophy; ie, don't provide government agencies with adequate budget and appoint do-nothing incompetents to be sure the agencies can't regulate or accomplish anything........Heckuva job Brownie (FEMA), the Sequel
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