Shame on you Toyota for being so greedy\': tearful victim of runaway Lexus testifies
Shame on you Toyota for being so greedy, the tearful survivor of a runaway Lexus incident testified Tuesday, as the world\'s biggest car manufacturer denied a major design flaw that could cost the company billions more to fix and devastate sales for years to come.
And shame on you NHTSA (National Highway Traffic and Safety Commission) for not doing your job in overseeing Toyota, Rhonda Smith, of Sevierville, Tenn., told a House Energy and Commerce hearing.
Smith told of a 2006 incident where her Lexus, with 3,000 miles on it, took off at more than 100 mph despite her desperate attempts to brake with both feet, put it in neutral and turn off the engine. I prayed for God to help me and after six terrifying miles the car shut down on its own, Smith said.
The account of Smith and her husband, Eddie, was similar to those of more than 2,600 incidents of sudden unintended acceleration reported to Toyota in the U.S. that allegedly may have caused more than 30 deaths.
We were furious that Toyota called us liars in the aftermath of the incident and blamed the runaway Lexus on floppy floormats and a sticky gas pedal, Smith said. We never wavered from our belief that the problem was electronic and not wandering floormats.
But James E. Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., said in prepared remarks that We are confident that no problems exist with the electronic throttle control system, which could lead to more recalls and costlier fixes.
Since the runaway problem began grabbing headlines last year, Toyota has recalled 8.5 million cars worldwide - six million in the U.S.
Several committee members said they also drove Toyotas and had not experienced problems, but are concerned that the company might be involved in a coverup.
At least two members with big Toyota plants in their states also urged the committee not to rush to judgment.
This is too big an issue to play around with or play politics with, said Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.).
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) also said the federal government, which invested in bailouts of U.S. car manufacturers, might have an ulterior motive in exposing Toyota\'s problems.
The government may have some incentive in highlighting the flaws of a competing manufacturer, Gingrey said, but I do not believe that to be the case.
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