Toyota is trading on an image for safety…but it’s a myth.

Every article about Toyota’s safety problems in the British press seems to begin with a nod to the company’s great safety record. Now those of us who tried the old Turbocruisers many years ago can tell tales of vehicles that moved about when breaking is if they might be surfboards. But as these are distant memories, let’s look at more recent history.

Business Day in 2008 noted how Toyota ‘has confirmed that its Fortuner SUV may be unstable on gravel roads’.

In the UK around then, public concern was sparked by an internet forum in which members realised that many Fortuner owners had experienced fishtailing while
driving on dirt roads.

honestjohn.co.uk said in 2009 that ‘…the maker has admitted that [Fortuna] can become unstable on corrugated gravel roads…’

An Aussie 4×4 community site noted in the same year, ‘There are so many Toyota vehicles overturning . If somebody talks about a vehicle that overturned you can bet it’s a Toyota…’

So then, maybe not so safe after all.

Now this from the website consumerist.com:

‘The Japanese car giant is in the hot seat once again after the uncovering of an internal memo gloating about saving $100 million by convincing U.S. regulators to close the books on a 2007 investigation into sudden acceleration complaints.

The result of that investigation was a relatively tiny recall of 55,000 Toyota Camrys and Lexus ES350 vehicles to have their floormats replaced.

The document, dated July 6, 2009, says that Toyota’s Washington, D.C. team was credited for having “negotiated [an] ‘equipment’ recall on Camry/ES,” saving the company over $100 million with no finding of a defect by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.’

Ethics, as they say, is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking.

The car in front is a Toyota. And sometimes, it’s the right way up.

Thanks to Slog fan Martin for contributing to this expose.