Toyota Faces Cost of Repairs, Lawsuits
While Toyota may be facing a daunting mechanical problem, it is also facing a mounting legal one. In Los Angeles Thursday, Peter Uno talked about losing his wife Noriko this past August when he says her Camry suddenly accelerated, crashing into a telephone pole.
"Bring back my wife," Uno said.
His lawsuit joins more than a dozen others across the United States and Canada, many seeking class action status for victims of sudden acceleration accidents, reports CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy.
Meanwhile, fallout at dealerships continues.
Service centers are packed with customers looking for replacement parts, yet car shoppers are hard to find. It is estimated Toyota dealerships nationwide could lose as much as $2.5 billion dollars per month because 60 percent of their inventory is affected by the recall.
Cities are now caught in the middle. Longo Toyota is not only the largest Toyota dealership in the country, it is also the largest sales tax generator for the cash-strapped city of El Monte, Calif.
"We're estimating anywhere from $80,000 to $120,000 per month in lost sales tax revenue," said Rene Bobadilla, the El Monte city manager.
Toyota's troubles come as sales tax revenues across the country are plummeting due to the economy - down 9 percent, or $6.9 billion in the past year.
At Longo Toyota, they say they're focused on fixing faulty parts and hope to be adding to El Monte's bottom line again soon.
Bu the lingering question is how much long-term damage may be done to Toyota's reputation. Once cars are fixed, will buyers be back - or beware?
Read more about the Toyota recall at CBSNews.com
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