Runaway Lexus: Toyota "settlement" prompts lawsuit against victim's attorney

Azar Brannan's lawsuit against Toyota was finally settled. At least in a manner of speaking.

She says the suit was settled without her knowledge, that she was removed as plaintiff but led to believe that had not happened. She is currently suing the attorney who represented her, claiming - among other things - that future medical bills for catastrophic injuries to her legs will exceed $7.5 million, yet the case was settled without her permission.

Hooray for Azar exposing what happened and daring to sue her former attorney for legal malpractice. Her current actions are consistent with her determination to expose the nightmare consumers encounter when confronting corporate thugs like Toyota.

If only more consumers would confront and expose systemic abuses of power like Azar has done from the get-go. It's no coincidence that something weird happened in a case wherein the plaintiff was outspoken, posting opinions all over the Internet, and was holding out for a jury trial, which would have probably ended in her favor, embarrassing "Cover-up King" Toyota.

Things are often not what they appear to be, especially when corporate interests are at stake. A good example is Consumers Unions so-called campaign against robocalls, which I recently blogged about, exposing CU's real attitude toward consumers.

Amerika is a pervasively corrupt little rat-hole, the result of crooked corporate interests purchasing what's left of Amirika's government. It's no surprise that so many folks wonder which side "their" attorney is actually working for. Stay tuned for more on Azar's case.

Meanwhile...

RIGHT ON, AZAR. SUE THE PANTS OFF ALL OF 'EM.

Driver of runaway Lexus is Toyota's worst nightmare

Update 5/2/2017 - Full throttle, unintended acceleration has now been officially linked to a software defect, no room for doubt. Here's more. So we now know that a faulty DOOR can cause a vehicle to speed out of control whether in drive or park, and the problem hasn't occurred in older models. AMAZING what's revealed when auto-industry-lapdog NHTSA is removed from investigating instances of unintended acceleration. This comes at a time when motorists may FINALLY be catching on to the scam of "driver error," evidenced in this lawsuit against Tesla.

5/4/2017 - As a corrupt, corporate-controlled government turns its back on the public, this just in: Multiple fatalities and injuries re the well-documented, ongoing problem with unintended acceleration in Jeeps. Here's a link to another article. And another with video.

"America is lost  The total corruption of every public and private institution is complete. Nothing remains but tyranny. And lies. Endless lies." - Former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, from his 7/3/2016 article, "America Destroyed."

Toyota is such a bully. Such a cheat. Such a liar. Real shame that Americans have come to accept that kinda behavior from corporations.

Azar Hadi is one of the rare exceptions to that rule.

Her Lexus - Toyota's "Flagship" model that first got the sudden unintended acceleration issue headlined in the now notorious Saylor case - sped out of control, crashed, and left Azar with catastrophic injuries. I'll never forget her terrifying account - which she posted on Facebook - of what she encountered:

"As I was coming up to the red light at the intersection, my car suddenly lurched forward. I had to veer to the right to avoid hitting the other cars in front of me that were stopped at the light. I went up over the curb and through the grass and landscaping, terrified about possibly hitting a pedestrian on the sidewalk. I then continued onto the street again with a very high speed and I felt my car went over a median going airborne before crashing into an SUV." 

Azar has now had many surgeries and faces many more. But unlike most of Toyota's other victims, Azar has responded based on principle. Instead of buckling under enormous pressure and accepting an out-of-court settlement with a confidentiality agreement designed to protect Toyota, she's determined to have her case decided in court to publicly expose the facts about Toyota's lousy products. Given the potential for headline-grabbin' publicity, a courtroom showdown is the absolute last thing Toyota wants, especially with yet another case involving sudden unintended acceleration in their "Flagship" Lexus. Azar's trial was originally scheduled to start in October of this year, but when Toyota realized Azar wasn't bluffing about taking 'em to court, they recently got the date postponed until January of 2017.

Ever since Toyota lost that landmark unintended acceleration case in Oklahoma back in 2013, the Cover-up King has been desperately trying to quiet things down regarding their ongoing unintended acceleration problems. Meanwhile, crashes pointing to electronically-induced unintended acceleration are a dime a dozen, exemplified by this horrific 6/19/2016 accident involving another Lexus. Out-of-court-settlements featuring confidentiality agreements - complete with Toyota "admitting to no wrongdoing" - have become the Cover-up King's trademark since the corporate bully is usually successful in exploiting the vulnerabilities of its victims. Azar is indeed Toyota's worst nightmare.

Ms. Hadi is one tough lady when it comes to exposing facts relevant to electronically-induced unintended acceleration. In the tradition of Koua Fong Lee - the jailed Toyota driver who heroically went to trial - and won - rather than accept a crooked plea bargain, it looks like Toyota has once again met its match.

Update 9/21/2016 - Just now got word that Toyota has AGAIN postponed Azar's court date, this time to April of 2017.

Thanks for visiting - been takin' a break. Sort of...

Update 4/28/2017 - Full throttle, unintended acceleration has now been officially linked to a software defect, no room for doubt. Here's more. So we now know that a faulty DOOR can cause a vehicle to speed out of control whether in drive or park, and the problem hasn't occurred in older models. AMAZING what's revealed when auto-industry-lapdog NHTSA is removed from investigating instances of unintended acceleration. This comes at a time when motorists may FINALLY be catching on to the scam of "driver error," evidenced in this lawsuit against Tesla. 

5/4/2017 - As a corrupt, corporate-controlled government turns its back on the public, this just in: Multiple fatalities and injuries re the well-documented, ongoing problem with unintended acceleration in Jeeps. Here's a link to another article. And another with video.

"If men are good, you don't need government; if men are evil or ambivalent, you don't dare have one." - Robert LeFevre 

Americans are literally under siege by a tyrannical government - Repukes n Demagogues alike - in cahoots with crooked corporations.

I got into it with AT&T after getting fed up with robocalls, and May 13, 2015 ushered in an absence of home phone and Internet. This prompted a resumption of using my bicycle instead of my car for shopping, etc. Bicycling to buy groceries, etc. started in June of 2013, prompted by an extended dispute with State Farm which left me temporarily without a car. The purposeful rides - I'd always been suckered into using my bicycle as nothing more than an recreational toy - turned out to be more fun than the ol' proverbial barrel of monkeys, and my trips now include visits to a pay phone, and a computer at the library. Ah, the unadulterated pleasure of sockin' it to the telephone, oil, automotive, and insurance industries while simultaneously savin' money, havin' fun, and enjoyin' great exercise.

I love my new routine, but it sure has taken a great deal of getting used to. And wunna the places I cut back on wuz exposin' all those never-ending issues with Toyota. Not that there haven't been any. As always, there have been more than I ever had time to blog about, even when I had Internet access at my home.

When my Toyota blogging was interrupted, I got word from one of my sources that there had been yet another Ruginis-type story, and as usual NHTSA refused to acknowledge evidence of electronically-induced unintended acceleration. Crashes raising questions of software defects have continued without pause, and the barrage of stories had come to be downright monotonous. A Toyota speeds out of control, mainstream media intentionally misleads the public, trolls attack anyone who dares to criticize Toyota, comments are unfairly moderated in favor of Toyota, and NHTSA looks the other way. Or perhaps it's another defective safety product, such as Toyota's latest seat-belt fiasco involving the RAV4, RAV4 EV, and Vanguard SUV, again evidencing a so-called regulatory agency that protects the often blood-spattered interests of crooked, money-grubbing corporations. These points have been made over and over again throughout this blog.

Nonetheless, I'll take this opportunity to highlight two more examples.

The first involves a Lexus that sped out of control, resulting in catastrophic injuries, and an ongoing, many-years-long effort of suing Toyota. This case is unique in that it is headed for a courtroom showdown, and the driver's attorney has posted a summary of Azar Hadi's case.

The second involves last month's horrific injuries resulting from another Lexus crash, the circumstances of which are eerily similar to the landmark case - Bookout v. Toyota in Oklahoma - which exposed Toyota's defective software and put the now-admitted-crook in settlement mode for the majority of crashes suggesting electronically-induced unintended acceleration.

Folks, it ain't really the government. It ain't even murderous, crooked corporations like Toyota, GM, Takata, etc. ad nauseum. The problem is a brain-dead, tail-tucked public that tolerates a repulsive little oligarchy run by filthy-rich slobs who kick consumers around with impunity.

Update 3/18/2016 - For quite some time, none of my blog posts will display properly on Facebook, and this is far from the first time I've had issues with the Zuckerberg gang.

Update 3/21/2016 - I quit voting long ago, and I don't wanna stray too far off topic, but former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Dr. Paul Craig Roberts addresses the abysmal state of the American public, asking "Are Americans too insouciant to survive?"

Update 3/23/2016 - The inescapable conclusion that software defects are causing vehicles to speed out of control has become so obvious - and frequent - EVEN THE POLICE have started asking NHTSA to investigate, forcing mainstream media to expose a few "uncomfortable truths" about the issue. Of course - as Toyota whistleblower Betsy Benjamin notes in her blog post - the police will be waiting "A VERY LONG TIME..." for NHTSA to admit the truth.    

Update 3/24/2016 - Yesterday, the exceptionally well-credentialed electronic engineer Dr. Antony Anderson published a case study exposing NHTSA's unjustified denial of a request to investigate an episode of unintended acceleration.

Update 3/29/2016 - A crash in my necka the woods - W. Columbia, SC - was met with typical mainstream media secrecy by local "News Leader" WIS-TV. No info re make, model, etc., and the station says their "corporate office company wide" dictated removal of a comment section. After a firestorm of complaints erupted on Twitter, WIS updated their story, revealing that the vehicle was a Jeep and that the driver told first-responders that he didn't know what happened. Considering Jeep's notoriety for unintended acceleration events, nobody can be blamed for questioning the allegation that this crash resulted from an "apparent seizure." WIS-TV should give the public details about how this was determined, but don't count on it. South Carolina's "News Leader" still declines to reveal the vehicle model.

Updates 4/8/2016 - I'm now exposing the probate racket in South Carolina, and lemme just emphasize that the main point of this post isn't my various activities. Point is, the entire country is pervasively corrupt.

The lawsuits against Toyota just keep coming - here's a well-written summary of one of this year's cases.

Update 5/25/2016 - This article from late last year shows the frequency of unintended acceleration events suggesting defective vehicles. And... it is becoming more common for the police to ask for NHTSA's help due to suspicions of defects causing unintended acceleration events. Too bad NHTSA (No Help To Solve Anything) is owned by the auto industry.

Update 8/30/2016 - Toyota has delayed Azar Hadi's court date from this October until January 2016. And 

Update 10/23/2016 - I've published a separate post about Azar Hadi's case.

Update 11/20/2016 - Still as pleased as ever with my "new" routine, which I've now been enjoying for more than a year and a half. Shopping, running errands, etc. on my bicycle is probably the most fun I've ever had in my life - been using my bicycle instead of my car about 95% of the time.

Lexus dealer in Saylor case reaches confidential settlement

"Owner Bob Baker said investigators failed to fully examine possible manufacturing defects."

Amidst news of a major auto dealer in Maryland blowing the whistle on manufacturers for directing dealers to conceal dangerous defects, Bob Baker, the Lexus dealer associated with the Saylor case, which focused national attention on Toyota's problems with unintended acceleration, has reached a last-minute, confidential settlement with the parents of the victims. Interestingly enough, back in 2010, when Toyota settled its case - confidentially, of course - regarding the Saylor crash, Mr. Baker was outspoken in favor of making details of that settlement public.

Since the Saylor tragedy, evidence has emerged revealing electronic defects galore in Toyota's throttle control. Worse yet, cases of runaway vehicles - most often Toyotas, but affecting other brands as well - are continuing. Vehicles crashing into buildings has reached epidemic proportions, and the National Carwash Association has started documenting which vehicles are most prone to speed out of control. Note the comments by Bob Schrum in this article updating readers that no charges will be filed regarding a Jeep that unexpectedly sped away at a carwash in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Then there's the ongoing case of Bob Ruginis, a Toyota customer who lucked out and managed to obtain a copy of the EDR readout after his Corolla sped out of control. As I've mentioned in other posts, there are literally too many runaway vehicle cases pointing to electronic defects to keep up with.

Once again, folks: What kind of "government" allows automakers to kick consumers around, conceal dangerous defects, and get away with never-ending parades of blood-spattered scandals?

Crooked Toyota yields to public exposure on melting dashboards

First, I want to pass along one heartfelt thanks to Jenn Strathman and WPTV for their sincere and persistent efforts at exposing the facts about Coverup King Toyota's problems with melting dashboards. Wow, what an amazing performance in a day and age - as I've addressed many times in this blog - when mainstream media almost always cowers down to crooks like Toyota, and, in essence, joins forces with deceitful corporations as they toss out every dirty trick in the book to bully consumers. Moreover, Jenn's tireless efforts - her first report aired back in April - have underscored the reason crooked corporations - backed by this paid-off government - are so intent on controlling news media.

As consumers have done on a vast variety of other issues - epitomized, incidentally, by all those engine failures in MR2 Spyders - folks yelled and screamed about an obvious manufacturing defect that caused Toyota's dashboards to melt into a gooey, sticky mess, the reflection from which presented an equally obvious safety hazard. And just as Coverup King Toyota and its partner-in-crime NHTSA have done on an endless list of similar situations, the response - actually, the lack thereof - was one of stonewalling, denial, and deceit as the gang attempted to fleece consumers and shut the melting dashboard issue up.

But this time it was different.

An honest mainstream news-media operation with a sincere and competent investigative reporter entered the picture, dared to contact Toyota directly, and broadcast the facts. And lo and behold, the free press, much to Toyota's chagrin, finally got the kind of results consumers are entitled to. It's a profound delight to see a slob like Toyota taken to task by a handful of their irate customers and a bit of good, old-fashioned investigative reporting. The kind of reporting that brings down corruption and frees consumers from having to depend on time-consuming, emotionally-draining, and incredibly expensive lawsuits in an effort to obtain a shred of fundamental fairness. Isn't it amazing how a bit of honest, mainstream-media intervention levels up the playing field? Once again - I can't say it forcefully enough - thanks, Jenn. As I blogged in response to that Oklahoma jury's guilty verdict in Toyota's landmark electronically-induced unintended acceleration case: thank you, thank you, thank you. Visit Jenn's Facebook page. Read the many comments from those who had been victimized for years by Toyota's melting-dashboard scam. Bless you, Jenn. Bless WPTV.  

Coverup King and admitted-crook Toyota has now agreed to do what the corporate slob should have done in the first place, without any stonewalling blabber about the dashboard warranties running out. YES. Toyota will now recall millions of vehicles to correct the problem, and reimburse customers who paid to have dashboards replaced.

Nonetheless, look at the lying, deceitful "spin" bully-boy Toyota is putting on the matter. Admitted-crook Toyota has the unmitigated gall to say "We are committed to closely listening to out customers to ensure owner satisfaction." Right. Except in the case of all those engine defects in MR2 Spyders. Except in the case of ongoing unintended acceleration disasters. Except in the case of continuing complaints of oil-sludged engines. Except in the case of... Really, folks. Does Toyota and its government cohorts take people for fools? Is the government-propped-up gang so repulsively self-assured that their unconscionable - and often murderous - abuse of consumers will go on forever? Are they really?

It's time we had a little bit of honesty and bravery in this country. The kind of sincerity and courage exemplified by Jenn Strathman and WPTV. One final time, at least for this post:

THANK YOU, JENN.

Update, 12/19/2014 - Check out photos of the melting dashboards. 

Update 12/20/2014 - Toyota says replacement parts won't be available until May of 2015, and it looks like the defective dashboards may also involve potential interference with airbags. So ya gotta wonder if Toyota's parts supplier Takata - now implicated in deaths and injuries associated with shrapnel-slingin', exploding airbags - is involved in the lengthy delay. Just add this to tons of evidence confirming that NHTSA - the so-called safety agency has refused to address the melting dashboards - is a corporate-controlled stooge for the auto industry. 

As word spreads re electronic defects, cops decline to charge the driver of a runaway Lexus

When is admitted-crook Toyota and scandal-soaked NHTSA gonna own up to the facts regarding unintended acceleration? Not long ago, Honda made an admission of electronic defects associated with these events, and now Nissan has reluctantly chimed in with an admission of software defects causing Infinities to unexpectedly take off. It's way past time for Uncle Scam (sic) to get serious about the electronics issue in general, and Coverup King Toyota in particular. There's evidence GALORE of electronic defects in Toyota's throttle control, presented over a year ago when the Coverup King lost the landmark unintended acceleration case in Oklahoma. Thanks to trade journals, bloggers, and comments on social media sites, word has gotten out in spite of the government's silence, and an attempted news blackout by this corporate-controlled government's mainstream media stooges.

As I've mentioned, there are literally too many crashes suggestive of electronically-induced unintended acceleration to keep track of. The Miami Herald addressed the alarming number of vehicles crashing into buildings, but carefully avoided any mention of defective software and the auto industry's refusal to install adequate fail-safes.

Apparently, cops are starting to think twice before charging drivers whose vehicles crash into buildings. News that the driver of a runaway Lexus won't be charged in a devastating crash in Houston is certainly not the first runaway-crash devoid of charges against drivers, but it may well be the first time the absence of such charges - which speaks volumns to informed consumers - has made headlines for an article devoted to blaming the cops. Not charging the drivers of runaway vehicles tends to raise questions; tends to embarrass the scandal-soaked auto industry.

Notice the tantrum thrown by ABC-13's "legal analyst," as he feigns ignorance of the electronics issue. Notice the careful omission of any reference to what the driver said happened, much less a ton of evidence showing how incredibly difficult vehicles are to stop when electronic defects take over. Find my comment below the article and notice the anonymous "reply" - sheer blabber which immediately popped up - by what appears to be a troll from either the government, the auto industry, or a reputation management firm. //Update 11/9/2014 - My comment exposing ABC-13's one-sided reporting of this story and referring readers to this blog was removed shortly after I posted my remarks earlier today. The inane "reply," however, from disqus_opJ5VKk8FJ remains posted.//

I won't belabor the electronics issue. There are plenty of references and discussions elswhere on this blog, and on the Internet.

What an outrage it is that folks are being injured, killed - and in some cases unjustly jailed - all because of a crooked, corporate-controlled government that panders to murderous thugs in the auto industry. Deadly gnition-switches, exploding airbags that sling shrapnel, electronic defects in throttle controls without adequate fail-safes, and it's anybody's guess as to what blood-spattered defect - and coverup - will be revealed next. Meanwhile, the most we get from Repukes and Demagogues is another round of theatrics aimed at making sure nobody at any of these murderous, blood-drenched corporations goes to prison.

This is one sorry excuse for a government. To say it's tyrannical is to understate the case.

Update 11/12/2014 - JUST IN: At 7:06 PM EST (see 11/10/2014 update), Detroit News reported that GM CEO Mary Barra will not be receiving the award. Public outcry, organized by Laura Gipe Christian, founder of "GM Recall Survivors" prevailed quickly. 

Update 11/10/2014 - BREAKING NEWS on the ignition-switch scandal: E-mails that GM wanted kept secret have now been released - thanks to attorney Bob Hilliard - that raise justifiable questions regarding the much-ballyhooed "innocence" of GM CEO Mary Barra. Stay tuned as the founder of "GM Recall Survivors" takes aim at the National Womens History Museum and a senate sub-committee over Barra being presented with an award based on safety.

Update 11/9/2014 - HOT OFF THE PRESS: Just over an hour ago, USA Today's editorial board published a scathing review of the airbag fiasco.

Software-related recalls, police-state press, federal criminal investigation being bought off

No wonder renowned software expert Michael Barr found bugs in Toyota's software causing sudden unintended acceleration. Toyota's latest recalls involve defective software in the Prius, RAV4, Tacoma, and Lexus RX350. Some of the software issues affect anti-lock brakes, stability control, and traction control. Meanwhile, Toyota is in talks with NHTSA regarding another recall involving computer-related brake problems in Camry Hybrids. Software glitches galore. Whew.

Sayin' Recall King Toyota is now in "settlement mode" is an understatement. Toyota is apparently on the verge of forkin' over sumpthin' in the range of a billion dollars to put an end to the federal criminal investigation - begun four years ago - into Toyota's reporting procedures - or the lack thereof - regarding sudden unintended acceleration.

Actions speak louder than words. After the guilty verdict in the Oklahoma sudden unintended acceleration case, the Recall King rushes into court seeking a "global" settlement for hundreds of remaining civil suits involving sudden unintended acceleration. And now there's this sudden interest in concluding the federal criminal investigation involving not only reporting procedures, but also such niceties as lying to Congress, mail fraud, wire fraud, and whether stockholders were misled. Of course, mainstream media reports regarding another billion dollar settlement carefully omit any mention of Michael Barr findings, and Reuters banned me from commenting - on any of their articles - long ago.

It looks like Toyota will again be permitted to settle up without any troublesome guilty pleas or admitting to any wrongdoing. Might as well go all the way if yer gonna let someone buy their way out of a criminal investigation. And the issue of ongoing instances of sudden unintended acceleration - have software revisions, safeguards, etc. been put in place? - is being buried along with Michael Barr's findings. Amidst a barrage of misleading media reports, I applaud Mr. Barr for setting the record straight - especially insofar as the much ballyhooed "NASA investigation" is concerned - by publishing an update regarding Toyota's sudden unintended acceleration issue. As he points out, reports of sudden unintended acceleration in Toyotas are continuing.

Really, folks. If Toyota behaves in such a manner regarding undisputed safety issues, how have they been behaving about such things as oil-sludged engines and those pesky pre-cat problems - costing customers the better part of $10,000 - in MR2 Spyders? There's been a news blackout for years regarding thousands of signatures petitioning Akio to make amends for unresolved oil sludge issues.

Why should anyone be allowed to buy their way out of a criminal investigation? Mainstream media efforts to mislead the public about Toyota are poppin' up everywhere, with glaring omissions about the evidence Michael Barr found that led to the billion dollar Toyota economic loss settlement in December of 2012 - the largest such settlement in automotive history - and the guilty verdict last October in the sudden unintended acceleration case in Oklahoma. Revelations regarding the findings of an internationally acclaimed software expert (along with any mention of that pesky evidence of 150 feet of skid marks from the Oklahoma plaintiff's tires) are left to casual bloggers, trade journals, and a few comments on the Internet.

A prime example of the kinda sheer hogwash bein' bandied about by mainstream media is this putrid peice of "journalism" by Forbes staffer Daniel Fisher. What's "begged" is the question, "Do we really want to tolerate a corporate-controlled media instead of a free press?" Fisher n Forbes - "a jury's whim" indeed - don't dare discuss Michael Barr's findings. Not even a mention of his name. In the comments - at least they let me join in - I was "called out" by Mr. Fisher for referring to Mr. Barr's findings and the ongoing news blackout. Certainly better than the reaction I got from USA Today and Bloomberg. Bloomberg n USA Today simply removed my comment. Whenever I put the cursor in the comment box on USA Today's website, the word "false" would briefly appear. I encountered similar things years ago on Twitter when I started sending out tweets critical of Toyota.

Don't view this YouTube video on a full stomach if you're aware of Michael Barr's recent findings. Fox News' "interview" is repulsively theatrical, aimed at making the public think there's no evidence of bugs in Toyota's software causing sudden unintended acceleration.

Take a close look at what Michael Barr has to say about his findings, and check out his credentials. Is anyone surprised that Toyota is runnin' scared?

Toyota = The One You Ought To Avoid

At least Toyota makes a great acronym.  In their case, "The One You Ought To Avoid" is just about as good as acronyms get.  Today's recalls, totalling out at 1.7 million units, make over 12 million units recalled since 2009, and a whoppin' 27.6 million since '05.  Referrin' to Toyota as the "Recall King" is apropos, but the acronym gets down to the ol' bottom line when you factor in lousy dealerships, blame-the-customer attitudes, racketeering charges, a federal grand jury look see, three record setting government fines in one year, and a judge ruling that allegations of fraud are sufficient enough for an avalanche of lawsuits to proceed.  There's more, but whew.  That's enough.

U.S. sales have plunged, global production is droppin', and the Recall King has nobody to thank but itself.  There's an old sayin', Toyota, that "the customer is always right."  Ignore it at your own peril.  Worse yet, remain aloof.  Act like customers aren't too bright - regardless of evidence to the contrary - and wait for problems to just somehow disappear.  Then, to really ice up the cake, get charged with tryin' to keep stuff quiet.  See what happens.

As "The One You Ought To Avoid" stews in its own juice, consumer advocate Charlene Blake put it quite well:  "Didn't its 'Mama' teach it that what goes 'round comes 'round?!? Tsk, tsk, Toyota!  You should have seen it comin'!!"

Lexus LS (Lousy Steering) recalled n drydocked

I'll bet Toyota wishes they could censor the truth about this one.  Their much ballyhooed flagship, the Lexus LS - models hit the $60k to 100k range - has not only been recalled.  Its  been drydocked.  Yessir, after news of the defective steering had time to soak in, ol' Mr. T was forced to just go ahead and stop sellin' 'em altogether. 

Halting sales for safety reasons is rare in the automotive industry, but certainly not for Toyota.  Stoppin' sales is gettin' to be synonomous with the Toyota Way.  Frankly, I think Toyota oughta be forced to bring their entire operation to a screechin' halt, at least until the racketeering charges are resolved.  After all - news blackout notwithstanding - they've got over 3,000 customers alleging deceptive business practices over oil sludged engines...

Till Toyota finds a fix for this latest exposed defect, its comforting to know that Lexus LS (Lousy Steering) owners need not worry.  Toyota says the steering wheel can still be used to steer the car.  Really.  That's what they say.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lexus-recall-20100525,0,6644368.story

Toyota halts sale of 2010 Lexus 460

Oops. Toyota caught again. This time, Consumer Reports says the Lexus 460 SUV poses an extreme rollover risk. So extreme that CR has issued a rare "Don't Buy" warning to consumers.

Toyota has halted sales of the 460, but here's the question:  where is quality control at Toyota? Furthermore, are we to believe Toyota didn't know about this until CR issued a safety warning?

Given all the recent revelations about Toyota, maybe Consumer Reports is a little gun shy 'bout not doin' what it claims to do. I lost faith in CR because they refused to investigate and warn consumers about 1zz engine failures in Toyota's MR2 Spyders. 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/13/lexus-gx-460-sales-halted_n_536615.html