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Lawmakers to probe gov't safety agency's handling of Toyota

Star Tribune -- Toyota's massive recalls are bringing new scrutiny to the government's auto safety agency, prompting Congress to look at how federal safety officials have lived up to their mission of protecting motorists.

A House panel on Thursday planned to examine the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's oversight of the auto industry in the latest congressional hearing linked to Toyota's recall of more than 8 million vehicles worldwide. Safety groups have accused NHTSA of being too cozy with the Japanese automaker while lacking the resources to test for vehicle problems that could be electronic, not mechanical.

"NHTSA has been viewed by the motor vehicle industry for years as a lapdog, not a watchdog," Joan Claybrook, a former NHTSA administrator under President Jimmy Carter.


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Submitted Mar 11, 2010 By: dwgt.net
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Author Topic: Lawmakers to probe gov't safety agency's handling of Toyota Post a Reply Back to Topics
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Amplion
Champion Author Oregon

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Message Posted: Mar 12, 2010 9:47:17 PM

TOYOTA needs to go the same direction as MONTGOMERY WARD
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honda0105
Champion Author Tallahassee

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Message Posted: Mar 12, 2010 3:41:51 PM

And who is looking into General (Government) Motors' power steering problems which also have caused people to die...? Oh yea.. it's government owned. and it's #2 not #1 in the world...
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Bonanza
Champion Author Boston

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Message Posted: Mar 12, 2010 12:03:15 AM

Another case of a government agency asleep at the switch
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call911ok
All-Star Author Vancouver

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 7:54:56 AM

Government Motor da bomb. It'll do anything to make you buy their car.
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Timberline
All-Star Author West Virginia

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 6:15:17 AM

Kind of like the FAA's coziness with the airlines.
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GingoutMD
All-Star Author Maryland

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 3:44:44 AM

There is no way any gov't group will have the power to do squat with large automakers. Remember, now that the Supreme Court has allowed any company (including foreign companies) to spend unlimited money to get people elected (including judges) our gov't will be run by big business.
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MUSTANGSRUS
Champion Author Ontario

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:43:18 AM

Maybe they should have some real teeth when a situation occurs like the current ones that Toyota is experiencing. As in, we are receiving reports of unexpected acceleration with your cars. We are pulling your ticket to sell here until you have fixed the problems and explained to us how you are going to retroactively fix the problems with the cars that you have sold previously. And the fixes must be explained and repaired to our satisfaction. And if further problems occur, we will further extend the time period until you fix everything.
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traindude
Champion Author Virginia Beach

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:37:09 AM

seems big brother aint watchin the big boys
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gasman50
Champion Author Portland

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:27:14 AM

Let me guess, they will say we need more, bigger government with higher taxes and bigger deficits. Then we will all be safe and cozy.
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thedennis64
Champion Author Ohio

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:16:03 AM

The recall practices of all should be looked at, not just Toyota.
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must87searcher
Champion Author Maryland

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:15:04 AM

This thing can occure.

When there is a group which carries high dependecy and makes/sells a lot, people and groups begin give them so much reliability, that they take there attention off of them.

It is obveous that Toyota had a lot of reliabilty with them. Then this happens. Just another demenstration of overlooking people can be.
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Cruiser340
Champion Author Grand Rapids

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:14:48 AM

The house just needs to butt out and let NHTSA handle it, they are the experts.
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plbell627
All-Star Author Dayton

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:14:04 AM


The NHTSA should have had alot better oversight on all auto manufacturing companies. If they would do as their job as they are supposed to the Toyota mess might have been uncovered some of the people who died might still be alive. We need to vote out all the current Congress members and put in new people who will do the job.
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tomok
Champion Author Portland

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:13:13 AM

Things are happening too fast for Toyota, federal government, or the NHTSA to properly react or to provide a ‘fix.’ Seems like a good physical and reliable cable connection is much better than a fly by wire electronic module to control the throttle on the engine. Cables are not usually affected by bumps in the road.
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FuelOilOH
All-Star Author Cleveland

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:12:16 AM

Just make sure you treat all automakers the same.
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SpruceGuse2
Champion Author Michigan

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:10:26 AM

Keeping the focus on Toyota is taking the focus off of GM and their recall.
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TAT36
Champion Author Florida

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:09:37 AM

And well they should.
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Buck_on_Bass
Champion Author Tennessee

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:08:22 AM

Congress was not conducting oversight and was not adequately funding NHTSA. I see Congress grandstanding appear to have been doing something so the voters won't ask why they ignored NHTSA for years. Could it be NHTSA's lack of political contributions?

On safety, like most subjects, Congress is not knowledgable. Congress is swayed by those with big checkbooks and not those that are truly authorities in the appropriate fields.
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Spetsnaz
Champion Author Dayton

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:06:40 AM

Toyota is having issues. And there was a guy who had this issue and turned his car over to a university engineering group to see if they can find the problem.
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DustyHorse
Champion Author Virginia

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:06:31 AM

Congress needs to stay out of this and let the professionals do their job. Does Congress do an investigation into a plane crash? Should they?
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reb4
Champion Author Chicago

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:04:30 AM

don't know about coverup but this whole think does smell!
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FunkyPMonkey
Champion Author Detroit

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:04:00 AM

Something should have been done long ago...
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Cuzilla
Champion Author Indianapolis

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:59:31 AM

Just how did the NHTSA "prevent" anything?
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torch347
All-Star Author Indianapolis

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:55:35 AM

I smell coverup.
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zornave
Champion Author Louisville

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:53:11 AM

This government investigation is nothing more that misdirection to deceie us on their true agenda of socialistic control of the country.
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goalie1950
Champion Author Phoenix

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:52:31 AM

It's called accountability.
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heysailor
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:51:56 AM

Toyota hired enough of the former regulators. Gotta stop the revolving door.
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TomT2Lee
Champion Author Cincinnati

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:50:23 AM

And the real joke here is that the lawmakers are even more screwed up than the government.
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mk9999
Champion Author Rochester

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:49:09 AM

All areas of the govt. do not do what they are supposed to do. This is why govt. is the problem. They can't get anything right.
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Joeski1
Champion Author New Jersey

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:47:31 AM

gov't workers operate within the kaos of gov't regulation....

when the laws and rules make sense...

perhap gov't workers will be able to make sense too....
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rsm315
All-Star Author Detroit

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:47:29 AM

Buy american
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Skipper52
Champion Author Massachusetts

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:47:19 AM

We need less government because what we have is just sitting on it's hands and collecting money. Our tax dollars wasted....
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BM4225
Champion Author Atlanta

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:46:50 AM

Maybe is they spend a lot of time on this, they will forget about the health reform bill, and then start that over again, or better yet pass what it peace meal.
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sdhuper
Sophomore Author Toronto

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:44:01 AM

You can't expect Govt. workers to do their job properly. They are no longer public service but now they are called "authorities".
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Marson
Champion Author Scranton

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:43:38 AM

I will never own a Toyota.
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rjoeh
Champion Author Michigan

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:42:04 AM

With everything else being done wrong in Washington, I would not be surprised if there are some very weak links in this program too.
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danny999
Champion Author Florida

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:41:30 AM

HEY THEY SIT THERE AND DRINK COFFEE/TEA LIKE MOST GOVERNMENT WORKERS.THEY GET BUSY WHEN THE HORSE GET'S OUT THE GATE.
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rvn4me
Champion Author Texas

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:41:27 AM

It looks like the government made another mistake.
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matman01
Champion Author Detroit

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:38:11 AM

Oh what a feeling, Toyota
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arinkrat17
Champion Author Twin Cities

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:38:01 AM

sick of hearing about Toyota
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no_monkey2002
Champion Author Tallahassee

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:37:49 AM

i say fire them all
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ky_commuter75
Champion Author Cincinnati

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:36:47 AM

the blame game has now started.
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LilRedWagonIN
Champion Author Indiana

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:35:12 AM

The government administration being too "cozy" with the regulated industry? Is that news? Everyone knows that there is a revolving door between government employees and the private sector. They know that in a few years the likelihood of trading jobs and paychecks.
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turbosaab
Champion Author Cleveland

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:33:25 AM

I'm sure that if anyone looked deeply enough they'd find all kinds of payoffs and bribes. There's just too much at stake for the auto companies.
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Rick01
Champion Author Utah

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:33:22 AM

If I remember correctly, it was the Bush / Chaney team that gutted the agency's funds and cut their authority.
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Tundralimited2009
Champion Author Dallas

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:32:01 AM

First the FAA & now the NHSA
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INDY51
Champion Author North Carolina

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:30:28 AM

EVEN OUR OWN PEOPLE MISSED SOME OF THE TOYOTA PROBLEMS.
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Badmoon
Champion Author Massachusetts

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:30:14 AM

Somebody needs to find out exactly what's going on with these Toyotas.
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jppezz
Champion Author New Mexico

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:27:51 AM

Now that the government is involved the recall investigation will really be messed up.
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RoadhogMA
Champion Author Boston

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Message Posted: Mar 11, 2010 1:27:26 AM

Lawmakers should take a look in the mirror .
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