Not driving a car that may or may not have a sticking gas pedal probably goes without saying, but does hearing it from a U.S government rep help create a sense of panic, or is it just the government covering its rear end?
The Transport Secretary (who also goes by Ray Lahood) says it’s best to take it to your local Toyota dealer straight away where they will immidiately remedy the sticking gas pedal/floormat issue.
But Lahood also had more to say about Toyota which shouldn’t bode well for its already shattered image.
UPDATE: LaHood retracts what he said against Toyota, hit the jump.
Lahood went on to blast Toyota by calling the company “a little safety deaf” and was angry that the NHTSA had to “remind Toyota management of their legal obligations”.
You may have heard that Toyota “voluntarily” made the recall, but in reality, since so much of public safety was at risk, they were forced into it. LaHood’s comments would seem to confirm that.
UPDATE: LaHood has now retracted his original statement where he told Toyota owners to stop driving their cars if they are affected by the recall and to just get them to the dealership. This caused a sense of panic, and now Lahood is saying that he “obviously misspoke”.
