Photo: Toyota
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced today that it has fined Japanese carmaker Toyota a record $17.35 million (about €13 million) for not reporting a safety issue with the 2010 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h in a timely fashion.
The safety body said that it took Toyota a full month to respond to their notifications about floor mats trapping the accelerator on the RX. The fine is not the first one of its kind given to Toyota, and it’s clearly meant as a warning to others who might delay recalls.
“Toyota is dedicated to the safety of our customers, and we continue to strengthen our data collection and evaluation process to ensure we are prepared to take swift action to meet customers' needs. We agreed to this settlement in order to avoid a time-consuming dispute and to focus fully on our shared commitment with NHTSA to keep drivers safe,” said Ray Tanguay, chief quality officer of Toyota North America.
“Toyota is dedicated to the safety of our customers, and we continue to strengthen our data collection and evaluation process to ensure we are prepared to take swift action to meet customers' needs. We agreed to this settlement in order to avoid a time-consuming dispute and to focus fully on our shared commitment with NHTSA to keep drivers safe,” said Ray Tanguay, chief quality officer of Toyota North America.
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