Are things going from bad to worse at Toyota? Not only has the automaker's reputation taken a hit with a massive recall of models representing 57 percent of its sales, but now at least 15 consumers who thought their cars' sudden acceleration problems were fixed, say they were not.
Stewart Stogel, a freelance journalist, filed a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) when finding problems with his 2009 Camry persisted after he brought the car in to be fixed.
"At first the brakes didn't engage at all," he told The Associated Press. "Just as I approached Terrace Avenue, the wheels were able to get some traction, and all of the sudden the engine did disengage."
The NHTSA has reported that as many as 52 people have died from injuries suffered in crashes resulting from sudden acceleration in Toyota models. The company has blamed the problem on sticky accelerator pedals, floor mat issues and driver error. It has been suggested that the real issue may be a result of software or electronic glitches in the vehicles.
"Anybody who has reviewed the complaints and reviewed what's going on here has to reach a conclusion that there's more going on than sticky pedals, floor mats and drivers," Sean Kane, president of Safety Research and Strategies Inc., told the AP.
A new USA Today/Gallup survey found 31 percent believe Toyota and Lexus vehicles are unsafe to drive while 55 percent believe the Japanese automaker dragged its heels in reacting to the problems with its cars and trucks.
"We aren't surprised by the poll results, given the intense focus on our recalls and speculation about causes," Mike Michels, a spokesperson for Toyota, told USA Today. "We are working hard to earn public trust, to complete the recalls as quickly and conveniently as possible."
Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), who was Agriculture Secretary in the Bush administration when Japan banned all imports of U.S. beef over concerns about mad cow disease, questioned whether a similar ban should be placed on Japanese-made cars "until the Japanese government can assure us that all of the defects are out of these vehicles."
Discussion Questions: What is your assessment of Toyota's response to the problems with its vehicles? What should it do now that cars that were supposed to be fixed appear as though they have not? Do you think the U.S. government should ban the import and sale of Japanese vehicles until they are proven safe?