CBS News Investigates

Yamaha Rhino Repair Data Still Under Wraps

By Michael Rey

October 19, 2010 / 7:26 PM EDT / CBS News

The investigative journalism website www.fairwarning.org reports today that the Consumer Product Safety Commission denied its FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request to reveal how many Yamaha Rhinoowners took advantage of a free-repair program offered by the company to improve vehicle stability.

Scroll down to watch the CBS News Report from August 2009.

That free-repair program is seen as a de-facto recall of the vehicles and knowing the numbers of customers who got the free repairs would be an indication of the extent of problems with the Rhino. "In a letter denying FairWarning's Freedom of Information request, the commission said it was withholding the data under a duty to protect "trade secrets and confidential commercial information...whose disclosure could give a substantial commercial advantage to a competitor."

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