Thaindian News

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Tuesday that it will conduct an investigation to determine if Toyota carried out three of its recent recalls on time.

Using its statutory authority to obtain documents from Toyota, the agency is requesting the automaker to demonstrate when and how it learned of the defects, which have affected approximately 6 million vehicles in the U.S. alone.

All automakers are required by federal law to notify NHTSA existing safety defects within five days of its detection.

The probe will conclude whether Toyota learned of these defects through consumer complaints or factory testing, and if the problems were found during pre-production or post-production of the affected vehicles.

NHTSA will also be investigating if Toyota has covered all affected models in its recent recalls to confirm Toyota did not miss any problems.

Two of the three recalls in question are related to the entrapment of gas pedals by floor mats, and the third involved sticking gas pedals.

“Our top priority is safety and we expect that all manufacturers address automotive safety issues quickly and in a forthright manner,” said David Strickland, Administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

If NHTSA officials determine that an auto manufacturer violated its statutory obligations, the manufacturer could be accountable for up to $16.4 million in civil penalties.