Toyota Recall – Reports of Deaths and Injury Increase
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced last week that the estimated number of fatalities and injuries allegedly involving unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles had risen to 52. The figures, which were released prior to hearing in the Senate (Tuesday March 2, 2010), represented a significant increase on previous estimates of up to 34 deaths. NHTSA also reported that of the 43 complaints it had received, regarding alleged accelerator defects with Toyota models, almost 75% had been received in the last four months – no doubt as a result of increased public awareness of the potential safety issues. Despite recalling more than six million vehicles in the United States since September 2009, Toyota is still under intense pressure to provide a better explanation for its slow response to the “crisis”, as well as robust assurances to consumers and law makers that design flaws leading to instances of involuntary acceleration have been fixed. With February 2010 sales figures falling almost 9% for the month, there seems no let up in the bad news facing Toyota.
