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Showing posts with label airbags. Show all posts
Showing posts with label airbags. Show all posts

Friday, November 7, 2014

Toyota's airbag supplier accused of coverup starting in 2004

Update 2/9/2015 - As a former Takata engineer blows the whistle, this corporate-controlled government is trying to keep the truth quiet.

Update 11/7/2014 - Just in: "Feds suspect Takata errors date back to 1998." Watch auto-industry-lapdog NHTSA - caught red-handed in GM's ignition-switch scandal - squirm. USA today sums it up well: "The airbag problem has taken on a grim likeness to GM's faulty ignition switches, spotted within the company in 2001 but not recalled until early this year. The switches can fail and disable airbags. They are linked to 30 deaths."  

Coverup King Toyota has apparently been doing business with a like-minded airbag supplier. As the scandal widens over those shrapnel-slingin' airbags from Takata, two former employees have now come forward to say Takata knew about the problem in 2004, conducted secretive tests, and then covered everything up.

I thought it was kinda strange when Toyota rushed to defend Takata. Both corporations - Toyota now an admitted crook - have a way of producing defective products that kill, federal investigations, and whistleblowers. Of course, the federal "investigations" never amount to anything more than some grand theatrics, underscored by a curt "No comment" if anyone dares to confront the power structure. How much longer tail-tucked Americans are gonna tolerate a corporate-controlled government that panders to murderous thugs in the auto industry is anyone's guess.

Meanwhile, Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety estimates that there are up to 25 million vehicles in the US that have shrapnel-slingin' airbags. Back in June, Ditlow issued a statement targeting NHTSA's cozy relationship with parts-supplier Takata.

Pleasant dreams.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

SECRECY: the hallmark of crooks like Toyota

Update 11/1/2014 - A few hours ago: Takata says a new flaw was discovered for airbags it made from 2008-20014.

I just love it when the public is suckered by "proposed legislation" that stands no chance whatsoever of passing after elected officials (don't blame me - I quit voting years ago) are bribed - er I mean educated - by lobbyists. Buys time until well-entrenched business interests can do their thing with America's two-headed, one party sham of an electoral system.

Admitted-crook Toyota is perhaps the most notorious of all when it comes to those "confidentiality agreements" Senator Blumenthal says he wants to outlaw. The Coverup King has been rushing into such agreements like crazy ever since embedded systems expert Michael Barr spilled the beans on the auto industry's unintended acceleration scam about a year ago in that landmark case in Oklahoma. Electronic defects galore were exposed in Toyota's throttle control, ushering in a barrage of settlements structured to keep things quiet the "Toyota Way."

Really, folks. By what convoluted reasoning are crooked corporations like Toyota allowed to purchase the public's right to free speech as part of "settlements" involving deadly defects? It's a bullying tactic that's been going on for many years, Mr. Blumenthal, and never should have been allowed in the first place.

Toyota is still in tantrum mode because word of defects in their throttle control is spreading, thanks to that landmark lawsuit the Coverup King lost in Oklahoma last October. Lately, the admitted crook and first-class bully has been targeting whistleblower Betsy Benjaminson - a single, unemployed mother of four - with a slew of pricey, court-sanctioned actions aimed at intimidating Benjaminson - and anyone else - from daring to exercise free speech. Crooks like Toyota are outraged that in this age of the Internet, bloggers, trade journals, and shrewd use of social media can play havoc with the efforts of bigshot "news" organizations and auto-industry stooges like NHTSA to keep safety issues quiet. Note the graphic - a blood-spattered Toyota emblem - featured in today's update about Benjaminson.

Meanwhile, the latest scandal - exploding, shrapnel-laced airbags that injure and kill - leaves consumers at the mercy of auto-industry thugs, propped up by a corrupt, corporate-controlled government that has "no comment" when truth is exposed.

Update 10/31/2014 - Amidst scandals and recalls galore, the airbag fiasco may be the straw that broke the camel's back. Marketing research shows that consumers are finally getting wary of Toyota's never-ending safety problems now that fundamentals such as airbags and seatbelts are making headlines.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Airbags: Toyota sez "Stay outta the front seat." Better yet, just stay outta their vehicles.

Update 11/2/2014 - "Trust us" indeed (see 10/28 update below). Toyota's response to the airbag fiasco has turned out to be highly controversial. It must be awful to have to depend on an admitted crook and Coverup King like Toyota to do the right thing about defective airbags. Of course, auto-industry-stooge NHTSA quickly approved Toyota's response to the scandal.

Updates 10/28/2014
> Appearing on CNBC, Toyota's Jim Lentz has the gall to say "trust us" regarding airbags. Trust a corporation that pled guilty to a federal FRAUD charge? Talk about a thigh-slappin' HOOT...

> Lawsuits claim Takata knew about the airbag defect in 2001. "Car owners allege they were duped into buying models that weren’t as safe as they were made to believe because of the potentially dangerous air bags ... Representatives for Takata, Honda and Toyota declined to comment..."

So we're expected to believe that Honda has known about the airbag fiasco for years, but Coverup King and admitted-crook Toyota was left unaware. Forgiveness is sought for those of us who find that a bit difficult to believe, and pardon me for bringin' this up, but wonder what else the "world's largest automaker" is "unaware" of. Whatever. Toyota's response to those deadly, shrapnel-slingin' airbags gets more interesting by the minute.

The Coverup King is now advising folks to "keep passengers out of the front seat of several models." Really. And never mind that this sage advice for U.S. customers comes four months after Toyota took similar actions in Japan. Well, I guess stayin' outta the seat is better than trustin' Toyota to disable the things. Bear in mind that among the multitude of recalls Toyota has become infamous for, on occasion they've had to issue second recalls for the same problem 'cause initial efforts to fix things didn't work. Does anyone in their right mind wanna trust an admitted crook to "disable" what amounts to a roadside bomb?

Frankly, with all the software problems Toyota has encountered - not the least of which is computer expert Michael Barr finding electronic defects galore in Toyota's throttle control - I wouldn't bet too heavily on their airbags performing properly even without the bungling from parts supplier Takata. Here's a peek at problems associated with Toyota's airbags.

"Oh what a feeling" indeed. Just make sure passengers don't have it while riding in that front seat.

Updates 10/22/2014 -
> Believe it or not, Coverup King Toyota is supporting Takata's bungling - er I mean handling - of the airbag fiasco. Birds of a feather...

> Just in from USA Today: "NHTSA didn't say why it only now is raising an alarm about the imminent danger of the bags, some of which have been on the roads since 2000, and which began being recalled by automakers in 2008." So the feds are "confused" now that the facts are coming out? Really, folks: If Americans are DUMB enough to tolerate murderous crookedness out of this repulsive little oligarchy - Repukes n Demagogues alike - as it panders to thugs in the auto industry, so be it.