(Thumbnail image: Automotive Addicts)
As Toyota’s president prepares to appear on Capitol Hill this week, a damning 2007 internal memo titled “Wins for Toyota” has surfaced and has analysts asking: Does Toyota care more about their customers' money than their safety?
Author Phil Baker says that the memo shows Toyota ignored the safety of consumers.
“The evidence that’s coming to light shows that they’ve not put the safety of their customer number one. The safety has been subservient to other issues.”
A recent study shows Toyota may have known of acceleration pedal problems since 1999 through consumer complaints. On FOX News, Rich Hudson notes that the U.S. government also shares blame for ignoring such a dangerous problem for several years.
“Government officials knew about this issue back in late 2003-2004. The transportation secretary says 'That’s right, but we were on top of this back in 2003-2004.' The question then becomes, why wasn’t anything more done back then? Why weren’t there more in the way of investigations back then? And that’s what these guys are going to face when they get on Capitol Hill. It’s not just a company problem, its going to be a government problem and they’re going to ask, ‘Well if you didn’t have the money, if you didn’t have the funding or the people to do this job, did you request it or why didn’t you?'”
On MSNBC, Jessica Caldwell of Edmunds.com says this type of negligence is not new to the auto business -- just to Toyota.
“I think that’s why this whole news story just has been so shocking over the past few weeks is that it’s Toyota. I mean, we’ve kind of come to expect it from other automakers, but Toyota’s really set itself apart for the past few decades from the other automakers in this regard. So I think that’s why it’s so juicy."
Ray Wert, editor of automotive website Jalopnik, agrees with Caldwell. But he says the real surprise is Toyota's bumbling reaction.
“They're not looking to save the world, they're looking to make money for their shareholders. Surprised? You shouldn't be. What we are surprised by is Toyota's level of tone deafness to what kind of a negative story something like this would create for them.”
On The Big Money Blog Matthew DeBord says Toyota needs to correct its course -- and respond quickly to the memo.
“There’s now blood in the water, the voters are angry, and the government is ready to act—if only to dodge being blamed for its own complicity in failing to address the problems that have led to the Great Recall...Toyota has about a week to come completely clean or risk a loss in sales and status that may take years to reverse.”
So does Toyota care more about money than safety? And does the memo surprise you?
Writer: Victoria Uwumarogie
Producer: Grace Meiners
