DOT May Slap Toyota With Big Fine
By Chris Weiss
It goes without saying that the recall isn’t doing Toyota any favors. Its January sales were down 16 percent, its image for reliable vehicles has been heavily tarnished and it’s faced with millions of vehicles to repair. Now the company may be losing millions in another way: a major fine from the Department of Transportation.
According to an Automotive News report that cites an anonymous source in the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, the department is currently debating whether or not to fine Toyota for its delayed actions in response to the accelerator issue. And it could possibly be a figure with six 0′s at the end.
The maximum fine that could be imposed on Toyota (or other automakers that fail to issue recalls quickly enough) is $16.4 million. More bad news for Toyota. [Automotive News via AutoBlog]
