Toyota Recall Could Result in Fines

February 17, 2010, 10:30AM. By Heidi Turner

Washington, DCThe highly publicized Toyota safety recall could result in fines for the automaker if regulators feel that it moved too slowly in announcing the recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has told Toyota that it wants documents specifying how and when the Toyota accelerator pedal defect was discovered.

Approximately six million Toyota vehicles in the US have been recalled over troubles with the accelerator pedals. Toyota initially blamed the problem on floor mats that were allegedly entrapping the gas pedals, but experts and consumers have argued the problem lies with the accelerator pedal itself.

Senior executives from Toyota will likely testify before Congress in February.

Federal law requires that the NHTSA be notified within five days of discovering a safety defect and that a recall be immediately announced.

According to the 2/16/10 edition of BusinessWeek, both the NHTSA and Toyota face criticism for not moving quickly enough when they learned about problems with the accelerator pedals. If regulators find that Toyota was slow to announce the recall, the carmaker could face fines of approximately $16 million.

Meanwhile, The Detroit News reported on 2/15/10 that the NHTSA has received complaints of 13 more deaths and 10 more injuries related to Toyota-accelerator crashes since January 27, 2010. The total number of deaths reported in the US since 2000 now stands at 34, although it is possible that a greater number of deaths and injuries went unreported. Of those deaths, six were reported at the end of 2009.

According to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, there are more deaths related to unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles than in all other vehicles combined.

The Detroit Free Press noted that of the 13 deaths reported, 11 were corroborated either by eyewitnesses or physical evidence such as trapped floor mats. Other reports come from people whose loved ones died in accidents they think may have been caused by sudden unintended acceleration.

The Free Press reported that the NHTSA has received approximately 2,750 complaints about unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles in total, 750 of which came in after the recall was announced.