House Committee Sends Toyota's President Formal Invitation to Appear

(AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

Akio Toyoda, the president of Toyota Motor Corporation, has said he would not attend a U.S. Congressional hearing regarding the recall of millions of vehicles over malfunctioning gas pedals, and that U.S. executives for the company would answer any questions or concerns.

However, the New York Times reported that after persistent questioning, "Mr. Toyoda said he 'would consider' appearing before Congress if he receives a formal invitation, which none of the committees have issued."

That invitation came today from the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, according to a press release issued.

Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.), the chairman of the committee, formally invited Toyoda to attend a hearing titled "Toyota Gas Pedals: Is the Public At Risk?" scheduled to take place next Wednesday.

"There appears to be growing public confusion regarding which vehicles may be affected and how people should respond. In short, the public is unsure as to what exactly the problem is, whether it is safe to drive their cars, or what they should do about it," Towns wrote in his invitation to Toyoda.

The committee stated in the press release that the "hearing will examine the Federal government's response to the recall, and to gain a better understanding of the nature of the sudden acceleration problem in Toyota vehicles and what should be done about it."

Whether Toyoda will show remains unclear.

At a news conference yesterday, Toyoda promised a brake-override system in all future models worldwide that will add a safety measure against acceleration problems that are behind the recent massive recalls.

At the same press conference, Shinichi Sasaki, who oversees quality at Toyota Motor Corp., said details of what may be wrong and the number of cars that could need repairs were still unclear.

Sasaki did allude that the wave of recalls may not have passed. He said that Toyota was looking into possible power-steering problems with the Corolla subcompact, the world's best-selling car, and is considering a recall.

[bankersvox]

Is this customary for auto recalls ? to be grilled in congress ? Was GM etc ever called up ? Just asking, seems a bit over the top. Toyota makes great cars and seems to be taking care of business in a responsible way. I could be wrong, but why make things worse for the people looking to sell cars here ? ISn't there anyting more important, like job creation, and lowering taxes on the agenda ??

[nopatriot]

Another problem why USA news writers and congress or Rep. s try not to see USA side problem so far.
Here is concern of USA problems on Toyota issue( My view)

1 Differences of USA parts between makers and tire makers AND Japanese ones.
The life environment is much different from japan, even if japanese excellent makers move into USA
they can not make same excellent products in USA. Because educate workers and let the workers make
same parts and tires that are not really easy. USA workers are under the stress than Japanese workers
because environment surrounding them that is dangerous than japan.
They can not relax but always live like gun man in the desert and have life like movies, shooting and they can not sleep well, they don't relax and can not go out at night, mentally staying hard than Japanese workers in Japan.

2 Language gap. Even if japanese technology is excellent but if the technicians can not communicate well with American workers and technicians, their knowledge is like spoiled apples, if one soiled apple in a box
other all apples soiled soon.

it is happening in the USA.

3 USA people's communication problems.

As you know USA is gun society but not in England , AU, Japan, and I guess China neither.

If leaders strictly educate and suggest to do right thing to make parts or products in USA,

they are going to get emotional revenge with fires, that's why USA managers don't do well.

So, parts and products became cheap junks and products broke often, and some still say

even TOYOTA is much better so far after HUGE recall and bashing.

I think Japanese car makers' mistake that was reside in USA.

USA is not other countries and USA is not really easy country to do any thing.

They should move out to the other countries and the fact, if workers conditions are stable and calm and live in peace and safe, they make much better products like Japanese did for long time.


Sorry for USA but it is not really good and not safe.

The incidents every year that is CRAZY.

How many people are ding from domestic shooting and out side Wars?

This country is not happy, every sunday people talk about mourning of solders.

But other countries are not like that.

they don't even talk about wars and death.

they are happier than USA people.

IF USA congress ignore to see those domestic problem but still keep saying " Let's USA style for free shooting, free wars outside."

USA can not be No.1 of economic world and technology world.

while some technicians are on the new projects but some of them died from shooting incidents,

and they loose brain to achieve many things often, that's why USA's products are not really nice.


If people satisfy in safe and happiness, and enjoy lives every day rather than mourning deaths surrounding them, they are not achieve anything.

Do you know why? Because people's vitality come from happiness and love and safe and peace.

USA is really like mafia society so far and that's why not going to be achieve many thing yet.


The other word, not really smart.

And some people believe Japanese products made in japan that is wrong.

But I don't think so. Japanese brands are not made in Japan any more,

sonny's failed batteries were made in China. ( could not educate workers well on lack of communication)

USA toyota's toyota cars are more than half made in USA.( lack of communication and environment issue)


You must to see the fact here, japanese is not perfect but they have a good environment to achieve many thing so far.

Safe, freedom, make people happy.

And they don't have American dreams like make a law suit and get extra money from someone else.

It is morally wrong and crime at all.

But USA has many lawyers and some work for taking money from somebody with wrong reasons.

Or they try to do and they call this as " American dreams"

It is crime and mafia style.


USA, USA, that is enough to not be right.

Can you change like many countries changed over decades?

[nopatriot]

I and my family drove Toyota cars in japan over 20 years and we did not have ANY PROBLEMS.
We change the car to new one in every ten years, some Japanese change every 3 years.


"There appears to be growing public confusion regarding which vehicles may be affected and how people should respond. - Toyota has announced recall to let users fix the cars without cost.

In short, the public is unsure as to what exactly the problem is, whether it is safe to drive their cars, or what they should do about it," Towns wrote in his invitation to Toyoda.
- Not only Toyota but which car makers can tell us which care is safe or not.

These questions seem to be not fair at all and lack of consideration to ask.
Safe or not relate to driver's skill and driver's knowledge to drive particular cars, driver's condition of mental and physical.

Weather condition, road condition many thing relate to the accident.

I can tell you what I know about American road conditions are mostly terrible.
Using concrete and many potholes, those bad conditions are not in Japan.

Also Driver's speed limit is higher than Japanese traffic law, USA people driver faster than japanese.

Toyota had to think of the those all differences and I don't know how much they made it.

And other car makers do this or not, you should ask for all car makers existing in USA if you really concern about drivers safety.

Asking Toyota about your question but using house committee and making foolish questions that is unacceptable.

If you want to really care about people's safe issue do every thing ask every body even other car makers.

And show us all car makers' accident problems, and talk generally.

Anyway, if you want to talk to japanese president Toyoda of TOYOTA, do it until you get satisfaction,

but he does not speak English well and he does not understand English well.

If you really want to do, set the helper to translate but not bad translator.

[timabaldwin]

nopatriot, You yourself need to realise you are not nearly proficient with written English to be easily understood. Eigo wa muzukashi ne. I suggest you find a helper to edit your posts because they are rubbish now. But from what I can understand of your posts it seems you are trying to blame the states for Toyota's problems. You clearly don't understand the deep rooted problems in leadership at Toyota whereas even the most loyal Toyota customers and workers in Japan realise this after the Japanese made Prius, the Japanese only Toyota Sai, and Lexus HS 250h were added to the recall list with the dangerous brake issue.

The Japanese should actually thank the American DOT (department of transportation) and our media for putting the pressure on Toyota to stop covering up all these problems that are KILLING people. This is why these recalls are more important and bigger news than other recalls not your simple-minded idea that is is American bashing Japanese. We in the UK and US have a very open society and free media as compared to Japan. That is why you see stories about bad things in our countries and we talk freely about all issues including this issue Toyota created. Your sterotypes and statements about how we aren't happy and bad things in the states are based on the stories you see on CNN or in our papers and you make generalizations and sterotypes based on the incidents you see. What you don't realize is that many people like my family happily live in cities and towns with very little crime which have high standards of living but you will never read a news story about this since it is not interesting to report on. On the other side of the coin alot of people outside of Japan don't realise that there are thousands of homeless people in Tokyo and near homeless poor people living permanently in tiny capsule hotels there that are designed only for a few hours stay. Also, the shocking treatment of women there is a hidden secret. Dozens of exchange students from europe and the usa are assalted and raped there every year and the police only cover up these crimes and the japanese media are expected to not report on these crimes or the problems in the society there that cause people like the Toyota slasher to suddenly attack because of this unheathy attitude to hold everything that is bad inside, hidden until many times it erupts in crime from an indivdual or in this case a international company. The Japanese media also was reluctant to report on Toyota's trobles since Toyota holds such a proud place in Japan's image of sucessful international business. I suggest on top of editing your posts for English grammer and syntax errors you also do some research before making all your ignorant statements based on your hurt pride.