Toyota Gets Tested
Toyota president Akio Toyoda is set to be grilled today by the House Government Oversight Committee. He will likely undergo a fierce round of questioning from members of Congress much like the one Jim Lentz (left), Toyota's president and COO of motor sales in the U.S., endured on Feb. 23. Lawmakers called Toyota's fix to the recalled vehicles a "sham," with which Lentz at least partially agreed, saying the fixes may "not totally" solve the automaker's misfortunes.
In January, Toyota recalled more than 8 million cars around the world for problems like sudden acceleration and unresponsive brake pedals. Committee members say thousands of pages of subpoenaed documents point to Toyota's troubling desire to place profits before customer safety. In a prepared statement released Tuesday, Toyoda blamed the issues on an eagerness for the company to expand. And while Toyoda has apologized on multiple occasions for the recalls, his worst groveling yet may come before Congress.