It appears that Toyota has had a history of covering up recalls and other defects that go as far back as 2003. In 2003 there was an issue with a panel that could become dislodged and cause unintended acceleration in some Toyota Sienna minivans. The part was fixed after 26,000 units were produced though a there was not a recall until six years later. In 2004 there was a steering issue with the Toyota 4Runner. The car was recalled in Japan, though a recall in the U.S. did not occur until 2005.
Toyota's current issues is with cars accelerating out of control. Toyota has been known to pay off owners who filed complaints about unintended acceleration issues after they signed a non-disclosure act. Some dealerships have been reported buying back cars from customers who complained about the unintended acceleration only to sell them to other customers.
In January, Jeff Pepski had his car examined by a Toyota expert. The Toyota employee downloaded data from the vehicle computers. When Pepski asked for a copy he was denied. Pepski later traded the car in after filing a complaint with the NHTSA. According to records the car was later resold in Minnesota.
Currently the NHTSA is looking into a braking issue with the third generation Toyota Prius. Owners have filed multiple complaints about difficulty braking when going over pot holes and other road obstacles.
-Anthony Alaniz
[Source: LA Time and Left Lane News]
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