LaHood Announces NHTSA Seeking Fine for Toyota

April 6, 2010.  The announcement that NHTSA will seek the maximum possible penalty from Toyota (over $16 million) in its faulty accelerator case generated significant media coverage.   ABC World News (4/5, story 2, 2:20, Sawyer) reported that the government “accused Toyota of, in essence, a cover up, proposing to hit the company with a $16 million fine. The announcement said Toyota had five days to report problems with sticking gas pedals but instead waited months to take action.” ABC quoted former NHTSA administrator Joan Claybrook calling the announcement a “black eye” for the automaker, and added that Secretary LaHood “blasted” Toyota “for knowingly hiding a dangerous defect. He accused Toyota of failing to ‘take action to protect millions of drivers and their families.’”

The Washington Post (4/6, Whoriskey, Kindy) reported that if the fine were approved, it “would represent the largest financial penalty imposed by the U.S. government on an automaker. The fine could rise” should the government find other related violations on Toyota’s part. ” if the government’s ongoing investigation into runaway Toyotas turns up violations related to other defects, officials said.”