Concern over the safety of Toyota vehicles veered in a new direction Wednesday after Japanese and U.S. authorities said they are investigating more than 100 complaints of brake malfunctions in the Prius, the world's top-selling hybrid and a model sold more in California than in any other state.
The reported Prius brake failures, which have caused several crashes and appear to predominantly involve the 2010 model, are another disturbing revelation for an automaker already reeling from the recall of more than 5 million cars and trucks.
On top of the Prius problem, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood testified Wednesday at a congressional hearing that owners of recalled Toyotas should "stop driving" their vehicle until they are fixed. He later called his remark "obviously a misstatement," but reiterated his concerns about Toyota and said owners should have their cars and trucks checked by a dealer.
Adding to Toyota's woes, LaHood said his department had received new complaints about Toyota electronics and would undertake a broad review, looking into whether automobile engines could be disrupted by electromagnetic interference caused by power lines or other sources.
Toyota has said it investigated its cars for electronic problems and failed to find a single case pointing that direction.
U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce investigative subcommittee, said Wednesday that Toyota officials
No comments:
Post a Comment