Toyota president Akio Toyoda told Congress today he takes full responsibility for the recall of millions of his company's cars, but that he would tell President Obama "Toyota cars are safe".
This, in the same hearing where Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, in a deja vu moment linked to his February 3 testimony that owners should "stop driving" their Toyotas, only to retract it at the end of the hearing, told lawmakers the millions of recalled Toyotas "were not safe". As before, he amended his comments by saying the cars needed to be repaired and owners should consult their dealerships.
LaHood at times appeared to be in the hot seat to a greater degree than Toyoda, as members of the Congressional Oversight and Government Reform Committee probed to determine whether the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is doing its job and whether the U.S. government's ownership stake in General Motors might affect equal treatment of automakers under its watch.
Full wrap-up of the day's testimony from The New York Times here, The Los Angeles Times here, and a video wrap-up from MSNBC along with a chronological blog of the day's events from The Lede here.
