Toyota Withheld Relevant Documents, Broke the Law, Says Recall Committee Chairman
Toyota “withheld relevant electronic records” that it was required, by law, to produce said Rep. Ed Towns, Chairman of the committee looking into Toyota’s current recall woes. Towns, (D-N.Y.), made the comments today during the continuing House Oversight and Government Reform Committee meetings that earlier this week saw Toyota CEO Akia Toyoda grilled by lawmakers over his company’s numerous and far-reaching recalls and its slow response time in issuing those recalls.
Towns made the comments after reviewing documents subpoenaed from a former Toyota lawyer, which show that Toyota didn’t hand over its research data on some models, instead opting to engage in multi-million dollar settlements rather than divulge the information. The documents relate specifically to SUV rollovers, not to the current recall issues.
Toyota responded by saying it had done nothing wrong and that it stands by its decision to withhold certain information, “to maintain the confidentiality of competitive business information and trade secrets.”
In a press release issued in response to Rep. Towns statement, Toyota states that, “We are confident that we have acted appropriately with respect to product liability litigation and our discovery practices and look forward to addressing Chairman Towns’ concerns.
[Source: Automotive News]
With AutoGuide from its launch, Colum previously acted as Editor-in-Chief of Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine where he became a certifiable car snob driving supercars like the Koenigsegg CCX and racing down the autobahn in anything over 500 hp. He has won numerous automotive journalism awards including the Best Video Journalism Award in 2014 and 2015 from the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Colum founded Geared Content Studios, VerticalScope's in-house branded content division and works to find ways to integrate brands organically into content.
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