Currently, the manufacturer is being attacked from multiple sides in multi-party suits. That would not be a problem in itself for the carmaker, but some of the questions raised by a claim in an action filed in the US District Court in Santa Ana has prompted the intervention of the manufacturer.
The papers claim that Toyota, while investigating the now infamous unintended acceleration issue, was able, contrary to the official claims, to duplicate the problem. Yet, instead of notifying the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the carmaker did the unthinkable.
The court papers claim that the carmaker had the owner of the vehicle swear it will keep the findings a secret and, what's worse, repurchased the vehicles to keep them from reaching the wrong hands.
Toyota denies all allegations, claiming it managed to find no evidence of unintended acceleration and that the process of testing the cars is still ongoing.
“After having thoroughly analyzed these vehicles and driven them for thousands of miles, Toyota FTS and engineers have not been able to replicate the customers’ acceleration concerns nor found any related issues or conditions in these vehicles,” the carmaker says in a statement. "In fact, test driving of these vehicles is ongoing and they are operating safely.“
“Toyota looks forward to defending against the allegations made in the plaintiffs’ amended consolidated complaint that was recently filed in the ongoing multidistrict litigation class action.”
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