(Detroit Free Press) – New court filings accuse Toyota of secretly repurchasing vehicles whose owners reported unintended acceleration and forcing owners to sign confidentiality agreements promising not to discuss their complaints.
In addition, attorneys representing thousands of Toyota owners charged that the automaker’s technicians were able to replicate the sudden acceleration and failed to notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the problem.
NHTSA spokeswoman Olivia Alair said the agency first received Toyota technicians’ reports earlier this year “as part of our ongoing investigation of unintended acceleration, but we didn’t receive complaints directly from the consumers.â€
The new charges are part of a 1,056-page document filed Wednesday as part of a class action case against the Japanese automaker.
Toyota said in a statement that it repurchased two vehicles for further engineering analysis. However, it said that technical specialists and engineers were unable to duplicate the condition.
“As part of our commitment to investigate acceleration concerns, we have voluntarily repurchased other vehicles,†said Brian Lyons, a Toyota spokesman. “The repurchase was not mandatory or directed through an arbitration or court process.â€
Toyota technicians confirmed cases in which vehicles accelerated out of control.
More than 200 lawsuits filed against Toyota after the automaker recalled millions of vehicles because of acceleration problems have been consolidated before U.S. District Judge James Selna in Santa Ana, Calif.
Last month, Toyota settled a lawsuit over a fatal crash near San Diego. Off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor, his wife, daughter and brother-in-law died in August 2009 when their 2009 Lexus ES350 crashed. The accident prompted Toyota to recall more than 6 million cars to replace floor mats that it said could cause the accelerator to stick or replace accelerator pedals it said could stick.
