Toyota is making conflicting claims on runaways, U.S. lawmakers say

Neil Roland
Automotive News — February 3, 2010 – 9:43 am ET
UPDATED: 2/3/09 8:16 p.m. ET

Waxman asked Toyota to clarify statements "about the role of sticking accelerator pedals in unintended acceleration of Toyota vehicles."

WASHINGTON — Toyota Motor Corp. officials have made different statements publicly and privately about the causes of unintended acceleration, says the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Henry Waxman.

In a television appearance this week, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. President James Lentz said the problem was restricted to two causes: floor mat interference with the accelerator pedal and a sticky pedal, Waxman noted in a letter yesterday to Lentz.

But in a private Jan. 27 meeting with staff from Waxman’s committee, Toyota officials said the causes of unintended acceleration are “very, very hard to identify,” the letter said.

At this same meeting, Toyota officials said sticking accelerator pedals “are unlikely to be responsible for the sensational stories of drivers losing control over acceleration as their cars race to 60 miles per hour or higher,” said the letter from Waxman, a California Democrat, and Rep. Bart Stupak, head of the oversight subcommittee.

The two congressmen have begun an investigation of Toyota’s problems dating from 2000 and have scheduled a Feb. 25 hearing. Toyota Motors Sales USA CEO Yoshimi Inaba is scheduled to testify Feb. 10 before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

“We believe our statements have been consistent, and we will endeavor to explain this to the committees next week,” Toyota spokeswoman Cindy Knight said.

Previous reports

Stupak said he was aware of reports of unintended acceleration regarding Toyota vehicles as far back as 2004. Lentz has told congressional investigators that the company first discovered problems with sticky accelerator pedals in October.

The Michigan Democrat also cited an April 2008 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation of unintended acceleration in the 2007 Lexus ES-350. About 10 percent of the 600 Lexus owners responding to a NHTSA survey said they had experienced unintended acceleration, a copy of the investigation shows.

“There’s no doubt Mr. Lentz is putting his best foot forward,” Stupak said in an interview. “But when it comes to safety we can’t have contradictory statements. It’s not clear how far back this goes.”

Additionally, John Dingell, D-Mich., a committee member, wrote to Toyota executives yesterday asking for information dating to 2001 about complaints of unintended acceleration and other matters.

He cited accidents as far back as 2007 that were attributable to unintended acceleration.

“Toyota’s delay in announcing recalls perplexes and frankly rather perturbs me,” his letter said.

Dingell asked Toyota to provide responses by Feb. 22.

Looking into electronics

The Waxman letter also asked Lentz to provide any evidence related to his televised assertions that electronic defects were not to blame for Toyota’s accelerator problems.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is looking into whether cases of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles can be traced to defects in the electronic controls rather than just the mechanical problems cited by the automaker, a Transportation official said yesterday.

The lawmakers’ letter asked Lentz to clarify his statement about the role of sticky accelerator pedals. He also should provide any new information that had surfaced since the Jan. 27 meeting that led Toyota to think that sticky pedals may have caused high-speed accelerations, the letter said.

Waxman and Stupak gave Lentz until Friday, Feb. 5, to respond.

You can reach Neil Roland at nroland@crain.com.

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