State Farm says it warned NHTSA on Toyota in 2007

[BeatleBoot]

Source: Associated Press


WASHINGTON – The nation's largest auto insurer said Tuesday it alerted federal safety regulators in late 2007 about a rise in reports of unexpected acceleration in Toyota vehicles, the latest warning sign to emerge about the massive recall.

State Farm insurance said it noticed an uptick in reports of unwanted acceleration in Toyotas from its large customer database and warned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in late 2007. NHTSA officials said the report was reviewed and the agency issued a recall later that month.

NHTSA received complaints about acceleration problems in Toyota vehicles as early as 2003, and congressional investigators are looking into whether the government missed warning signs of the problems. A congressional hearing into the Toyota recalls planned for Wednesday was postponed because of a snowstorm expected to hit the capital.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said it will hold the Toyota hearing on Feb. 24, the first of three congressional hearings expected to review the Japanese automaker's recall of about 8.5 million vehicles globally over floor mats which can trap gas pedals, sticking gas pedals and brake problems.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100209/ap_on_bi_ge/us_toyota_recall_us;_ylt=AopgR38AV9NDIEugJaWiE3.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNqOG5vYWFuBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMjA5L3VzX3RveW90YV9yZWNhbGxfdXMEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwMyBHBvcwM3BHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N

[aquart]

1. They "warned" them? Did they follow up? Or just pay endless claims?

Why would they let Toyota neglect something that would cost the insurance companies money?

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

3. we need some evil trial lawyers to get after them

[DURHAM D]

5. Are you assuming that State Farm had some sort of authority over Toyota.

If so, you have a truly goofy notion of who needed to call Toyota to account.

[Go2Peace]

7. I also think this can't be accurate. What about other countries that had toyota's?

No other country in the world caught this.
This us just PR for State Farm. They indeed likely noticed somethng was up, but they probably did not have hard enough evidence. Hindsight is always 20/20.

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

2. was there any one there to answerer the phone

[PSPS]

4. Doubtful. This was during the bush junta.

Bush packed all the regulatory agencies with unqualified cronies (remember the attempt to install a horse show judge as head of FEMA?)

Obama's appointee, David L. Strickland, has been at the helm only a month. He seems to be somewhat qualified in that he has at least some experience as a senate staffer sharing oversight of NHTSA and other agencies and senior counsel for the Consumer Protection subcommittee. While his background is a far cry from, say, Joan Claybrook's (president of Public Citizen, a Naderite in the 60's devoted to auto safety issues, and headed NHTSA for Carter,) I'm sure he's far more qualified than anyone bush would have installed.

[Loudmxr]

9. 2003, 2007, Bush. regulatory agencies.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: wait........:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[TexasObserver]

6. State Farm should sue Toyota for fraud.

Toyota has been hiding these defects and blaming the drivers and the owners of the vehicles for years. Of course they knew about it. The manufacturer always knows first.

[davepc]

8. The regulatory system in this country is beyond broken.

NHTSA is broken. The FAA is broken. They're all broken.

Just tonight I watched a Frontline episode about the commuter airline industry and the conditions that led to the Buffalo crash that killed 50+ last year. Their are good people in the FAA and NHTSA and the rest trying to do their jobs but they're kept in check by management and the system to hide problems and protect companies.

[sabra]

10. Insurer State Farm says it warned gov't about Toyota acceleration in 2007

Source: Chicago Trib/AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's largest auto insurer said Tuesday it alerted federal safety regulators in late 2007 about a rise in reports of unexpected acceleration in Toyota vehicles, the latest warning sign to emerge about the massive recall.

State Farm insurance said it noticed an uptick in reports of unwanted acceleration in Toyotas from its large customer database and warned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in late 2007. NHTSA officials said the report was reviewed and the agency issued a recall later that month.

NHTSA received complaints about acceleration problems in Toyota vehicles as early as 2003, and congressional investigators are looking into whether the government missed warning signs of the problems. A congressional hearing into the Toyota recalls planned for Wednesday was postponed because of a snowstorm expected to hit the capital.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said it will hold the Toyota hearing on Feb. 24, the first of three congressional hearings expected to review the Japanese automaker's recall of about 8.5 million vehicles globally over floor mats which can trap gas pedals, sticking gas pedals and brake problems.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-ap-us-toyota-recall-us,0,3117331.story

[Wapsie B]

11. So what caused Toyota's nosedive?

Seems to me they're doing what the Big Three did here in the 70's; put cars on the road, quality be damned. Maybe they've got too many of these MBA/Six-Sigma folks at the top gumming up the works.

[MicaelS]

13. Blaming drivers solely for the problem.

They could not accept the fact their cars were at fault until it was too late. It was much easier to blame it on "operator error".

[Skink]

12. If you own a Toyota and you have State Farm don't drive.

[emilyg]

15. Right. I'll rollerscate.

[ingac70]

18. Since this is all out in the open...

Insurers could refuse to pay off on an accident if you knowingly drive a dangerous vehicle.

[ingac70]

20. kicking

[emilyg]

22. Unfortunately - you are right.

[avaistheone1]

14. Shame on the Bush administration for sitting on this

and not protecting Americans safety. Disgusting.

[Kingofalldems]

17. Toyotagate---->

Special Prosecutor needed immediately.

[Nihil]

23. Nice one!

You should really put a "sarcasm" smiley on it though
as some people around here might think you were serious!

:thumbsup:

[Kingofalldems]

25. I was serious

This is involves injuries and maybe even deaths.

[Nihil]

26. Ah ... that's sad then ... your sense of perspective needs recalibrating ...

>> Toyotagate---->
>> Special Prosecutor needed immediately.

Join the queue behind the real issues that have been
calling for ANY prosecutor for years.

> I was serious
> This is involves injuries and maybe even deaths.

Absolute trivia compared to the other sources (and numbers)
of avoidable deaths & injuries that happen every single day.

Bread & circuses.
Don't look at the big problems, don't look at the frauds, murders,
treason & proven conspiracies of the last 8 years, don't look at
the critical issues that will affect every single person (ok, everyone
outside of the top 2%), just focus on a scapegoat for the wasteful
failures of automobile society and rely on the great unwashed being
unable to tell the difference between real life and the plot of
a Tom Clancy novel.

[BumRushDaShow]

24. +1000

[Xenotime]

27. Killing americans at home and over seas

[gmoney]

16. This guy was sent in to investigate the matter...

[ingac70]

19. The Bush admin didn't give a shit....

Their hope was the US auto companies would be long gone before anyone realized Toyota was purposefully churning out shit.

[avaistheone1]

21. All the while Bush was endangering the lives of thousands of Americans.

The guy didn't give a s***.

Good riddance.