Toyota executive Irv Miller urged the Japanese automaker to ‘come clean’
By Andrew C., 26 Aug, 2010. 0 Comments
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More details are coming out about how Toyota Motor Corp. failed to take immediate action after knowing about the defects in its accelerator pedals. The latest evidence is an e-mail written on Jan. 16 by Irv Miller, a former vice president for communications at Toyota's US sales unit. He told other officials in US and Japan that the company should "come clean" about mechanical failures in its cars in response to suggestions from executives for a more cautious approach. He wrote, "We are not protecting our customers by keeping this quiet." A week after sending the e-mail, Toyota issued the recall for about 2.3 million vehicles in the US. Earlier this week, the US Department of Transportation imposed a $16.4 million fine on Toyota, saying that it "knowingly hid a dangerous defect" that caused its vehicles to accelerate unintentionally. Last April 5, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said that Toyota waited for at least four months before informing US regulators last January about the risk of its gas pedals getting stuck. Miller, who announced his retirement on Dec. 16, retired last January.
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