March 24, 2010
LANSING -
Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox today issued a subpoena to
gather information from Toyota Motor Sales USA of Torrence, California regarding
an investigation into recent recalls and possible causes of sudden unintended
acceleration.
"Michigan drivers concerned about their safety deserve answers
from Toyota," said Cox. "We want to ensure that Michigan consumers received all
the information they should have known about under state law, prior to
purchasing their Toyota vehicles or when bringing them in for repair."
The subpoena, filed under Section 7 of the Michigan
Consumer Protection Act (MCL 445.907), requests the following information from
Toyota:
·
Information that Toyota may have about possible causes of sudden
unintended acceleration;
·
Information regarding a fatal accident in Flint, Michigan, which
is currently the subject of a private law suit. The Attorney General's office
is not taking a position on the matter, but would like to review more
information from the case;
·
Information that Toyota turned over, or will turn over, to the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) regarding possible cause
of sudden unintended acceleration.
The information must be provided to the Attorney General's Office
on or before April 21, 2010. The Attorney General is empowered to pursue civil
investigative subpoenas under The Michigan Consumer Protection Act. Toyota is
cooperating with the request and the 30th Circuit Court in Ingham
County signed off on the subpoena earlier today.
Cox announced an agreement on February 26, 2010 in which Toyota
will ensure owners of recalled vehicles in Michigan would be assisted during the
repair process. If customers fear driving their car to and from dealerships for
repairs, Toyota will, on a case-by-case basis, pick up and return the recalled
vehicle to the owner's home. As part of these services, Toyota may drive the
customer to the dealership and provide alternate transportation during repairs,
which includes rental cars, loaner vehicles or taxi reimbursements. The
agreement involves the September 21, 2009 sticking accelerator pedal recall, the
February 8, 2010 ABS software update recall and the February 12, 2010 Tacoma
drive shaft recall.
Consumers should contact Toyota directly for information about
the special transportation assistance. They can call their local dealership,
the Toyota Customer Experience Center, 800-331-4331, or the Lexus Customer
Assistance Center, 800-255-3987. Hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 8:00
A.M. to 9:00 P.M. EST and Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. EST. If
customers have difficulty contacting Toyota, they can also call the Attorney
General's Consumer Protection Division at 877-765-8388
The recent recalls affect the following models:
Michigan residents with questions or concerns may contact the
Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division toll-free by calling
877-765-8388 or by visiting our website,
www.michigan.gov/ag.
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