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发表于 2010-2-24 01:19
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丰田承认换踏板不一定能全部解决加速问题
: y+ u! H0 ^0 c }: C% c! j# m$ j) X4 RBy LARRY MARGASAK and KEN THOMAS
+ n- ^( V+ o5 q0 m# c' Z0 RWashington (AP) -- The president of Toyota's U.S.6 U9 b" m4 A5 |7 P" i5 A) B w
operations acknowledged to skeptical lawmakers on Tuesday that3 R% K& H; K9 f0 z$ r, {0 ^" w
the company's recalls of millions of its cars may "not totally"
* o( l# ^1 ]# ?) d- q- K5 @solve the problem of sudden and dangerous acceleration.* S# T9 ^& l \) O
"We are vigilant and we continue to look for potential; B, S5 V0 A6 L1 b' z5 u) z
causes," Toyota's James Lentz told a congressional panel.4 w) R- y" U& n" [1 ]( y) f7 n0 X* ]
However, he repeated his company's position that unexpected
* ?) \3 g, H; {) H8 ]1 n% V) iacceleration in some of the company's most popular cars and# {& I! U$ ?. _6 A% G5 o
trucks was caused by one of two problems -- misplaced floor
+ f- i+ G4 Z! \! [mats and sticking accelerator pedals.
h7 p. s) l3 x/ ?3 nHe insisted electronic systems connected to the gas pedal% n* ]9 V8 [- j& d
and fuel line did not contribute to the problem, drawing sharp( A9 U5 e8 Z3 u& B8 o9 q
criticism from lawmakers who said such a possibility should be
- E1 i* z$ w: Lfurther explored -- and from a tearful woman driver who could, W4 X( u7 h4 _" e1 L4 P7 j
not stop her runaway Lexus.
' {7 a( V1 S H3 V, `"Shame on you, Toyota," Rhonda Smith, of Sevierville,( o I& X; q* j$ }0 V
Tenn., said at a congressional hearing. Then she added a second' T8 j: b: g( Z/ m6 d3 E1 {
"shame on you" directed at federal highway safety regulators.7 n3 W8 R3 R& P5 `; ^: d
Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton cautioned his colleagues& I* t$ b$ \8 A+ R3 }9 v/ y# ~
early in the hearing against conducting a "witch hunt" and said$ }' M& R% c# M6 y9 U7 O1 }
"We don't want to just assume automatically that Toyota has
* o7 h# o" K* zdone something wrong and has tried to cover it up." But midway
% K P0 l B4 H+ }+ x, D- E: [through Lentz's testimony, Barton said of Toyota's
8 K: |5 }5 N: n, b8 d4 D0 r8 B- ?/ Finvestigation of the problems: "In my opinion, it's a sham."
# ^# {4 N4 H0 x0 M/ K, {7 T/ ^Lentz said the company had not completely ruled out an- ~/ l2 n& O/ j. z) F) J7 ^
electronics malfunction and was still investigating causes of
' `- p- p2 U; L4 Bthe sudden acceleration. Still, "We have not found a" e% j1 {+ l; m6 V5 w$ W5 N, _; f
malfunction" in the electronics of any of the cars at issue, he
7 n0 a7 R+ q8 p# p5 Psaid.$ g$ t- u# A' o
As to Smith's harrowing story, "I'm embarrassed for what
& m# r- ?* n; n; X# v6 f' ghappened," Lentz said. "I want her and her husband to feel safe
3 r! ]4 c& m; p+ e2 X* J2 Zabout driving our products," Lentz said.
! _! j; l: p Y8 m' EThree congressional panels are investigating Toyota's
1 G* f: b0 d$ Y2 ^# P, z0 uproblems, which affect a huge number of Americans. Toyota has
4 E# d* I$ k" J# Trecalled some 8.5 million vehicles worldwide -- more than 6
. z% E k5 ~' T4 A Cmillion in the United States -- since last fall because of
: U* @! M2 A3 j9 b G+ }unintended acceleration problems in multiple models and braking* s" n3 d: a" m: }: S9 L# g
issues in the Prius hybrid. It is also investigating steering
' H1 M, U( J- v/ v+ Qconcerns in Corollas. People with Toyotas have complained of
8 U6 W( Y B8 A ctheir vehicles speeding out of control despite efforts to slow
" [( T. U0 t+ u9 y, e! }# G; ydown, sometimes resulting in deadly crashes. The government has# O6 O3 k) m3 I4 G+ F. c
received complaints of 34 deaths linked to sudden acceleration- y6 Q$ |6 A+ b1 F$ S; f
of Toyota vehicles since 2000.- o& u6 S8 [6 N
Lentz, who choked up while discussing the death of his own2 u/ g' W7 C4 }7 Z* ~0 R+ M* h( y
brother more than 20 years ago in a car accident, said he
8 U: ?3 y" c% ~' f! i$ N9 Vunderstood the pain.
2 f! w, B+ D( w4 q8 [+ x1 y"I know what those families go through," he said.5 }* g7 M$ l* T% H$ a" |9 }
Lentz has said in the past that he was confident Toyota's
7 [: ^; u' W+ x7 yfixes on the recalled vehicles would correct the problems.7 l& t. a# K0 S
But when pressed by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman: q1 ^4 p* M7 |" [
Henry Waxman, D-Calif., on whether the two recalls Toyota put5 M6 c0 z" A$ H6 ]9 H2 ]
in place to deal with the issue would completely solve it,
! u6 V) o( j" i' w7 mLentz replied: "Not totally."' [% [0 h5 O) I
Still, he said chances of unintended accelerations were
' G6 I$ c* m6 v: s1 L M, U t7 w"very, very slim" once the recall was complete. Lentz also said8 S: F& L6 w. w6 p& f6 N
Toyota was putting in new brakes that can override the gas8 Z- M8 U) I K4 D8 U, C/ g
pedal on almost all of its new vehicles and a majority of its- ]6 o9 M$ y# K0 Y
vehicles already on the road.
. U+ @# D! X" K* ~Meanwhile, Toyota president Akio Toyoda, who will testify
1 N. m0 W2 @8 u# l# Hbefore a separate panel on Wednesday, said he took "full1 w; a5 b- @* P, S$ K, V8 d
responsibility" for the uncertainty felt by Toyota owners and& z% r% B6 ?0 M: _+ W( K- \
offered his condolences to a San Diego, Calif., family who were
) D6 w: l+ K j* U) U! y' t/ s5 ]killed in late August, reigniting interest in the problems.; U# H$ }! D- K5 Z" f# _, v
"I will do everything in my power to ensure that such a6 u/ y6 x5 ?7 M. M2 S. G
tragedy never happens again," Toyoda said in prepared testimony
7 s$ f/ B( a. }5 W$ Sfor Wednesday's hearing to the House Government Oversight# m/ `- B0 G* n
Committee. "My name is on every car. You have my personal( P, T& s1 J; P8 M2 o) F, `' ]
commitment that Toyota will work vigorously and unceasingly to; G2 B0 w! S" a9 z
restore the trust of our customers."/ P D/ m; s/ K) `; e( a
Lawmakers heard a brief, but riveting, deion from& T: d" n3 m( x, g% u7 ]1 ` K- t
Smith, the Tennessee woman whose Toyota-made Lexus suddenly
; J7 ]: A* g/ b5 Y( {zoomed to 100 miles per hour as she tried to get it to stop --
+ }3 ^+ U5 [5 B$ d% yshifting to neutral, trying to throw the car into reverse and
- Z' k( g4 q. }$ s& ^hitting the emergency brake. Finally, her car slowed enough
0 B3 Q4 X3 J2 Gthat she was able to pull it off the road onto the median and+ j% M! v" I) _1 R
turn off the engine.# r7 k5 e: s" ?! C- O% Z6 {
Fighting back tears, she described her nightmare ride of5 M/ d$ a$ A( \8 j+ F
October 2006, calling it "a near death experience."
q; q; q7 k+ w% _. U) J"After six miles, God intervened" and slowed the car, she
4 J, {$ }7 T8 y1 G4 Wsaid. She added that it took a long time for Toyota to respond
2 ^: |6 d, T& [5 v0 s; z# {to her complaints.5 s9 Y: s$ b9 v& ~0 B2 J
In an often contentious full day of testimony, lawmakers
6 E5 a5 ]+ G/ G9 c6 Qreturned again and again to the question of whether electronic
3 q4 Z" Z! ?- A; rmalfunctions may have contributed to the speeding cars.9 w0 @/ a! A. d: _. Z3 y
"We are confident that no problems exist with the electric5 {& @9 b9 a; v2 C# [
throttle control system in our vehicles," Lentz said. He cited
5 r H/ n! E' W/ }$ c5 ^ f3 W"fail-safe mechanisms" in the cars that were designed to shut
5 j) ?- v1 ~& }- t! Z) joff or reduce engine power "in the event of a system failure."
& m3 ^, E/ p: f) [8 u+ VTransportation Secretary Ray LaHood told the panel in3 W' c4 s4 M. u
prepared testimony that possible electronics problems were
' g- ^, k+ k. N# J- Rbeing looked into by his agency. He said the company's recalls3 p0 f6 B6 Y: i$ T, j
were important steps but "we don't maintain that they answer( Z# k7 t: v9 X% D r
every question."# ]/ i# G$ d$ l+ w: v# f
Toyota hired a consulting firm to analyze whether- l( {9 h1 [% `
electronic problems could cause unintended acceleration. The
& ^4 y0 B& ?9 ]) Rfirm, Exponent Inc., found no link between the two. But$ T$ X- M! H9 ?! j2 T7 j! O: J) E! ]
committee investigators said the testing studied only a small& [+ a# ~, r+ U% [ s2 W
number of vehicles9 m5 u P& a. T# h6 ?, O# z; Z
Tracking down an electrical problem can be far more' E2 H% o t, ~8 |0 R2 B
difficult, expensive and time-consuming than finding a7 r( J' g! j- ^! f5 g
mechanical problem. Electrical problems can have more than one
5 c |6 h: v! ~5 ssource, and they can come from inside or outside the car.
# a5 e; o9 u/ n7 o/ A8 dMechanical problems often leave clues such as physical damage,0 ]" {8 U+ `& Q7 g1 ]
where electronic troubles can be hidden in software or leave no
% f' ]2 M6 _! b3 @" m, P3 F% Ytrace at all.
/ L+ S6 N5 B, v* V* `, DHouse investigators who reviewed Toyota's customer call
$ ]2 s6 v3 e3 D( c) m# t. edatabase found that 70 percent of the complaints of sudden
# g4 R1 U; I4 ~ G! \% pacceleration were for vehicles that are not subject to the
' j4 c8 T! e0 f3 W" ~6 erecalls over floor mats or sticky pedals.
: Y6 D/ {# |' HRep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., chairman of the subcommittee,
8 i$ V3 g, T$ ?. Lsaid Toyota "misled the American public by saying that they and
! I8 u9 a5 O( I9 s3 Lother independent sources had thoroughly analyzed the% _- m8 P- s* `: _) x& [
electronics systems and eliminated electronics as a possible1 @6 K+ w; Z8 c8 ]$ D+ H- J* O5 |
cause of sudden unintended acceleration when, in fact, the only4 J: J8 G. |. O4 k1 v" j* |" H
such review was a flawed study conducted by a company retained1 W+ s+ m" R, Y
by Toyota's lawyers."
: z6 {2 _6 ~! e: |/ h: g( c% DLentz apologized anew for the company's slow handling of0 Z# B0 W( I7 {* P; A0 b6 n
problems. "We have not lived up to the high standards our
) p+ o5 o1 O& `8 M4 D5 lcustomers and the public have come to expect from Toyota," he
& @# Q- @5 K: U6 Dsaid." ]" O6 ]) B5 q9 P
"Put simply, it has taken us too long to come to grips with
5 ~) [& l% c, u4 {3 v7 j( \a rare but serious set of safety issues, despite all of our: m( j( g* L) D) o0 t
good faith efforts," said Lentz, president and chief operating
0 s5 H- I, V9 B+ r& Y% pofficer of Toyota Motor Sales USA. Inc.1 ?/ j. A' C+ O
Separately, among hundreds of Toyota dealers lobbying
% }" v0 V7 B8 n7 P6 e! U2 E' |" Amembers of Congress Tuesday, there seemed to be widespread
) L4 T* I( x8 T8 l0 Crancor toward a federal government they view as picking on the
! P7 X- x/ T5 v6 n2 \8 l0 S6 g& L6 e/ qautomaker, at least in part because of the government's, G) X- y3 z- v [/ `
investment of billions of dollars in General Motors and
4 k+ y N: P2 w/ ^1 ZChrysler.. D5 T; [; C* y1 A2 b1 Y( ~
"That's hard for me as a citizen to understand why my tax
" e( R# i2 z! y% X- G: Wdollars are going in that direction," Paul Atkinson, a
* n- I( L$ b7 D) q- P: M3 qHouston-area Toyota dealer, said at a news conference that also
3 f) A! _# i$ Z5 k/ I" e$ Q; userved as a pep rally for the visiting dealers. "To compete
9 ^& o8 l6 D- Vwith the government as an individual entrepreneur is pretty' g) k& b! l4 k
tough."
3 M9 A* M2 _/ C---
' P$ o2 p* s+ B1 \0 U/ ]1 OAssociated Press writers Alan Fram, Stephen Manning and Tom$ T# W! C% k0 Q% n! U$ J0 t7 w
Raum in Washington and Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to
2 X8 U" Y7 i ?1 b2 _$ othis story.% Q) O* I @7 P0 e6 {
3 ]9 O& ^& m% R7 p-0- Feb/23/2010 21:04 GMT |
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