It is expected that the Japanese automotive giant Toyota will agree to pay a $16.4 million fine in the U.S. related to allegations that it concealed information about a faulty gas pedal from American authorities.
The world’s largest automaker is not expected to admit guilt, according to reports from Sunday afternoon, which cite an unnamed official from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Toyota is facing numerous lawsuits related to the gas pedal issue, which led to the recall of 8.5 million vehicles and tarnished its once-untarnished reputation. The $16.4 million fine is the highest that the Department of Transportation can seek and would be the highest ever paid by an automaker.
The case is based on allegations that Toyota knew that some gas pedals could become stuck or return to their original position too slowly at least four weeks before it notified U.S. authorities. The notification deadline is five days. Toyota stated that the problems were only identified in January, but in Europe and Canada, the company issued statements about fixing faulty pedals as early as September of last year. (H)
