Toyota Pays Record Fine
Toyota will pay a $16.375 million civil penalty brought by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the case of the recent ”sticky accelerator pedal” recall. Toyota said in a statement that “it agreed to the settlement in order to avoid a protracted dispute and possible litigation.” Toyota denies allegations that it failed to notify the NHTSA in a timely manner of a potentially lethal defect in some 2.3 million vehicles. The company also denies that it waited almost four months before bringing the issue to the attention of the authority. Toyota's decision to accept the NHTSA fine could bolster claims made in other lawsuits which allege that Toyota did conspire to mislead consumers about the extent and severity of the problem.
