34 Deaths Alleged in Toyotas Since 2000

(AP)  The government has received new complaints that bring to 34 the total number of alleged deaths in Toyota vehicles due to sudden acceleration since 2000, according to government data posted Monday.

The government has received complaints during the past three weeks alleging 13 deaths. The deaths allegedly tied to this problem happened in nine crashes between 2005 and 2010.

From 2000 to 2009, complaints alleging 21 deaths in Toyota vehicles had been filed with the government.

Toyota Motor Corp. has recalled 8.5 million vehicles globally during the past four months because of problems with gas pedals, floor mats and brakes, threatening the safety and quality reputation of the world's No. 1 automaker. The government typically receives a surge in complaints following a recall. None has yet been verified.

The new complaints reflect the heightened awareness of the massive recall among the public and underscore a flurry of lawsuits on behalf of drivers alleging deaths and injuries in Toyota crashes. Three congressional hearings are planned on the Toyota recalls.

The database also shows new complaints filed over the 2010 Prius gas-electric hybrid, which was recalled last week to replace braking software.

When the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened its investigation of Prius on Feb. 3, the government had received 124 consumer complaints. Through Feb. 11, the government has received nearly 1,000 new complaints for a total of 1,120 complaints alleging 34 crashes, six injuries and no deaths.

Transportation Department spokeswoman Olivia Alair said in a statement it was "normal for NHTSA to receive an increase in consumer complaints after a recall is announced and the public learns of a safety defect."

Alair said NHTSA takes every complaint seriously and is quickly gathering data on additional complaints "to help guide our examination of sudden acceleration, the Prius braking system, as well as other safety issues."

Toyota officials did not immediately respond to the death allegations.

Meanwhile, Toyota has still not decided whether its president will appear before the U.S. Congress, the automaker said Monday, but it promised to look again into possible electronic problems with its vehicles.

[Chaoticamusic.com]

It is typical for Toyota and other car companies to try to blame innocent (dead) victims for accidents that were actually caused by design defects, as the dead cannot usually defend themselves. However, when you have a recorded 911 call from people struck in a speeding Lexus - a car with no 'OFF' switch, and which does NOT allow neutral gear to be selected at high speeds, and combine that with possible electronic throttle defect - WHOA! Can you say 'Death Trap'?

[JayAdlerMusic]

When I was 22 years old and had graduated from NYU I was hired by a company named Smith Corona Marchant Corporation on Park Avenue. That summer I took my girlfriend up to the Bronx to a local Ford Dealer and purchased my first car, a Pinto Runabout with the rear as a huge window and it also was a stick. The Chevy Corvair was also the bees knees in those days but both were soon deleted from their respective line I think because of fire hazards. I have the utmost sympathy for those who were injured or killed in this Toyota mess. I owned Toyotas for 15 years and I feel strongly that this is a Sony or Panasonic company in an inherent sense. Toyota customers trust the company and one day when the President tells us it is okay, things will be back to normal. Signs on Wall Street reflect this. Sirius is rising and Toyota is not plummeting. Buy on the rumor, sell on the news.

[oldpilot954]

I don't know if we will ever know how many of those accidents were the result of the failure of the car, the use of the cell phone, the tuning of the radio, suicide, or just plain old fashion road rage. I do know that it is a lawyer's dream job because in many cases the evidence is smashed beyond determining the truth. With the floor mat issues, even pulling the on-board computer data for the vehicle will only show an acceleration command unless it also records a brake action simultaniously.

[Ordflyer]

I'm excited about having a new word for "I'm out of here", "Audi 5000" is simply too dated now...I'm thinking something new like, "Lexus GS".

[Ordflyer]

Isn't that ore deaths than the exploding Ford Pintos??

The only difference is that, this time, there is no American made alternative...

[robbyr2]

"So what if some are? Does that invalidate the ones who aren't?"

Do you really believe there are any of these folks or their insurers who aren't pursuing lawsuits? Or planning to.

In the late 80s Audi had a similar issue. Out of hundreds of lawsuits, not one was a winner.

[pragmatist1]

If it can be proven that Toyota knew of the sudden acceleration problem at the time these deaths began to occur and they essentially covered up disclosing the problem, then Toyota should be charged with negligent homicide and for contributing to these deaths. Further, if our government had known of these deaths and the suspected cause and did nothing about forcing Toyota to recall their cars, then the government is also complicit with these deaths.

[Dreadnut]

Here we were, blaming the old farts who own Toyotas for driving them into walls all the time. Who knew they really DIDN'T get the accelerator and brake pedals confused after all?

[tmittelstaed]

Toyota still does not seem to understand the seriousness of this issue. The automotive industry has been making vehicles for consumer consumption for a century and one of the first safety issues to be identified was the possibility of a binding in the accellerator linkage causing the accellerator to stick on, this was important even before brakes were. Henry Ford was even concerned with this issue with the Model T that's why it used a throttle lever, fewer parts to go wrong.

[timdgrim]

A real honorable Japanese CEO would take reponsibility and commit Hara Kiri for his shame. Or, at least cut their car prices in half with the samurai sword...Banzai!!!