NPR has aired some steller coverage of the toyota hearings and the recalls and incidents leading up to these. There reports cover the drama from a lot of different angles, and I’d like to say that they’re among the best available (it probably is but I can’t say that for a fact). Here are some examples of some of the quality reporting I have in mind.
NPR analyzes impact of Toyota trouble on Japanese foreign policy
As we approached the Tuesday opening of Toyota hearings regarding instances of sudden acceleration and related recalls, I wondered what kind of history or relationships the congresspeople who formed the committees had with the brand. As it turns out, the Associated Press was wondering the very same thing.
Apparently Colorado Congresswoman Dianna DeGette owns three Toyotas and the automaker also has an office in the district she represents. This makes me tempted to take a good look at the questions she posed to US Sales chief, Jim Lentz. Please, don’t take this as an accusation of a pro-Toyota bias. I’m not sure what specific models she owns, but there’s a good chance that at least one has been affected by one of the three (possibly more, who can keep up anymore?) Toyota recalls. If anything, as a Toyota owner she could identify with people directly impacted by the defects and would probably want to see a thorough and effective investigation take place as much as anyone else (besides the poor folks who actually experienced unintended acceleration or tragically lost loved ones as a result of it).
Even if DeGette wasn’t the most zealous panelist among members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (can someone shorten this title please) I doubt she was as kind to Toyota as the 4 governors who understandably wrote to committee leaders asking that Toyota, who owns factories in their states, be treated fairly. This letter also stated that the federal government has an “obvious conflict of interest” in this matter being that it is a substantial shareholder in both GM and Chrysler.
Read the Associated Press’ articles in full:
The following passage was meant to be posted yesterday, but due to a combination of human error and connectivity problems, it was not. So, I was obviously not happy to have to dump the post on account of it being a day late. But, then I thought being that it was intended to forecast how yesterday’s Toyota Recall hearing would unfold, it might still be relevant. Sure enough, news coverage of the proceedings were pretty much saying what I (and probably most of you) had expected. Read for yourself and tell me if I was on point, and also let me know if you were surprised by anything said yesterday or later today too.
Besides the announcement that Toyota will be installing Brake overides in millions of new vehicles and in compatitible models already on the road, nothing that wasn’t already in the open came out of the session. Was anyone surprised that electronic throttle controls were of main concern or that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the man held accountable for the NHSTA, seems to have Toyota’s back? I doubt many of you were, but there’s still time for new revelations, as Akio Toyoda is set to be questioned today. Being that he basically tried to duck this interrogation, committee members may try to make things particularly difficult for Toyoda.
