Page 156 - Toyota Under Fire
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THE RECALL CRISIS
action now, it unfortunately took an enormous effort to get to
this point.”
FEBRUARY 3, 2010: LaHood warns Americans not to drive re-
called cars, but later says that this was a misstatement.
The NHTSA says that it has received more than 100 complaints
about brake problems from Prius owners.
FEBRUARY 9, 2010: Recall of 437,000 Prius and other hybrid ve-
hicles worldwide to resolve complaints about braking. The an-
nouncement raises the number of vehicles recalled by Toyota to
more than 8.5 million.
FEBRUARY 12, 2010: Toyota recalls about 8,000 Tacoma pickup
trucks from the 2010 model year to fix a problem with the front
propeller shaft that could cause the vehicle to lose control.
FEBRUARY 22, 2010: On the eve of congressional hearings, ABC
News broadcasts a report that purports to show evidence of the
possibility of electronic defects in Toyotas based on Professor
Gilbert’s device.
FEBRUARY 23 AND 24, 2010: Hearings of various committees
of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Akio Toyoda.
Toyoda publicly apologizes and pledges renewed commitment
to quality and safety from Toyota.
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