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Toyota Safety Issues Likely to Keep California Product Liability Lawyers Busy in 2010

In what could be the latest in the series of safety issues at Toyota, numerous complaints of brake failure linked to Toyota’s best selling Prius hybrid are starting to catch the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

It hasn’t been a great year for Toyota.  The company started off 2009 having tipped General Motors to become the number one automaker in the country. Toyota vehicles had solid reputations for safety that could have been the envy of other problem-plagued  automakers. However, the year has also been wracked with safety issues and scandals.

First, there was a highly published accident involving a Toyota Lexus in California, caused apparently by a jammed gas pedal on the Lexus. The accident which occurred in San Diego in August this year killed the driver, off duty California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor, his daughter, his wife and brother-in-law. The accident led to a rare public apology by the president of Toyota Motor Corporation. The apology was followed by a recall of 3.5 million Toyota vehicles for what the company claimed was a floor mat issue.  The automaker insisted that floor mats caused the accelerator to jam, and the car to reach high speeds. Then the company admitted that there could be other issues that have not been addressed in connection with the acceleration problem. Meanwhile, an LA Times report linked the acceleration problem to the automaker’s electronic throttle control system.

The company this year also issued recalls for Toyota Tundra pickups due to rust issues. As the year ends, there have been several reports of brake failure involving Toyota Prius cars. Several owners have raised concerns about braking issues.  At least 33 people have lodged complaints about these safety issues with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation.  The Prius has been a bestseller, and these new safety concerns could mar the car’s safety record.

The NHTSA has confirmed that it has received complaints about the Toyota Prius braking system. Toyota has also confirmed that it is aware of such complaints. However, the NHTSA has not yet confirmed if it will launch an investigation into these complaints.

However, investigations by the agency are not launched that easily. Typically, it can take months for the agency to decide if an investigation is necessary. Once the investigation is over, the agency could then work with the automaker to decide if any repairs will be needed.  Finally if necessary, the automaker may announce a recall. However, Toyota Prius owners have complained that dealers don’t seem to take the problem seriously. The company seems to blame the anti lock systems for the problem. Mechanical experts however believe that the problem could be linked to the malfunctioning of the sensors that control the braking system. So far, there is no consensus about the problem.

At the rate at which Toyota seems to be unraveling, it seems the automaker will keep California product liability lawyers very busy indeed.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of product liability. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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