Source:
Detroit NewsDocuments show agency had history of questioning safety
David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau
Washington -- Federal regulators raised serious questions about Toyota Motor Corp.'s handling of safety matters far earlier than has been disclosed.
New documents obtained by The Detroit News under the Freedom of Information Act reveal the urgency of federal regulators to meet with senior officials of the Japanese automaker.
"The problem is (Toyota's) repeated failure to respond quickly and properly to a host of problems that have occurred on U.S. highways," Ezana Wondimneh, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's international division, said in a November memo outlining why top NHTSA officials needed to go to Japan. The memo was sent to Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari.
NHTSA acting chief Ron Medford's mission "is to communicate the gravity of the situation" to Toyota, Wondimneh wrote.
From The Detroit News:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100715/AUTO01/7150345/1148/auto01/Toyota--NHTSA-clashed-early#ixzz0tkMsrEKeRead more:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100715/AUTO01/7150345/1148/auto01/Toyota--NHTSA-clashed-early
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From The Detroit News:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100715/AUTO01/7150345/1148/auto01/Toyota--NHTSA-clashed-early#ixzz0tkNJ4XGP