Toyota involved in another settlement connected to unintended acceleration recalls

On behalf of Terence Gross of Gross & Schuster, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Saturday, March 16, 2013.

Car manufacturing giant Toyota is reportedly set to pay $29 million and make vehicle information more available through an agreement announced last month with attorneys general in 29 states. That agreement concerned the way the company has conducted recalls for vehicle defects.

The agreement stems from separate actions brought by the states after recalls in 2010, particularly those involving allegations of defects that were causing cars to go through bouts of unintended acceleration that caused various car accidents.

The agreement calls for Toyota to pay $5 million in restitution for customers who paid for replacement transportation because of recalls in 2009 and 2010. The settlement will create a database that will allow owners to look up their Vehicle Identification Numbers to see if they’re vehicle is subject to a recall.

The state attorneys general say that the agreement also requires other consumer-protection measures. Toyota will be unable to resell vehicles with alleged safety defects without informing prospective buyers and assuring them the problem has been fixed. The will also not be allowed to misrepresent the reasons why it’s requesting owners to bring in their vehicle for repair. In addition, car manufacturers will not be able to resell their vehicles acquired through states’ “lemon laws.” These “Toyota Certified Used Vehicles” usually sell for higher prices than other used vehicles.

Florida is among the states participating in the settlement. Readers who are interested in the settlement can find more information on Toyota’s website.

Source: USA Today, “Toyota recall nightmare results in deal with 29 states,” Chris Woodyard, February 1, 2013