Toyota Recalls: Congress Demands Safety Complaints Memo From Toyota Workers
- Congress wants to review a memo that details some concerns of Toyota workers.
- The memo was written in 2006 by the company’s union workers in Japan.
- The complaints included reduced testing of vehicles for safety and quality.
WASHINGTON — Congress wants Toyota to hand over a memo written by the company’s union workers in Japan in the fall of 2006 that raises concerns about the safety of Toyota vehicles.
The existence of the memo was first reported by the Los Angeles Times over the weekend. The newspaper says Toyota workers wrote a document to senior management listing concerns that the company was taking dangerous shortcuts to boost production. The complaints included reduced testing of vehicles for safety and quality. Toyota apparently never responded to the memo.
“If senior Toyota officials ignored important safety concerns raised by their own employees, it calls into question Toyota’s corporate priorities and its commitment to safety,” wrote Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, in a letter to Toyota North America president Yoshimi Inaba.
Towns wants Inaba to turn over the memo by Wednesday, March 10.
The committee is investigating the recent recall of millions of Toyotas due to sudden unintended acceleration. “As part of this inquiry, the committee is looking into whether Toyota ignored important warnings, such as the reported safety memo, regarding the safety of its vehicles,” Towns wrote.
Inside Line says: Congress continues to turn up the heat on Toyota. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent