For Toyota, How Bad Will It Get?
Host:
Produced by:
Subscribe to this Podcast:
Listen to/Watch entire show:
With sales of Toyota vehicles already on the decline, new safety questions are being raised today. We look at the latest claims, how Toyota has responded over the years and what it will take to restore a tarnished corporate image. Also, Senate Democrats and Obama do a televised Q&A, and Iran launches animals into space and prepares for an anniversary as the US pushes for international sanctions.
Banner image: Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Shinichi Sasaki explains about its accelerator pedal during a press conference at the headquarters in Nagoya, central Japan, on February 2, 2010. Photo: Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images
Making News
Senate Democrats and Obama Do Q&A ()
For more than an hour today, live on cable TV, President Obama took tough questions from Democratic Senators with electoral problems at home. Asked about the deficit, Obama responded to Indiana's Evan Bayh that we enjoyed our last balanced budget "under a Democratic president who made some hard decisions." He blamed the deficit on two wars, tax cuts and a prescription drug program that were not paid for by the Bush Administration. Michael Scherer is White House correspondent for Time magazine.
Guests:
- Michael Scherer: Correspondent, Time Magazine, @michaelscherer
Main Topic
Toyota's Total Recall ()
After reported links to 19 deaths and many injuries, Toyota recalled almost 8 million cars for safety problems with floor mats and sticky accelerators. The owners of models that are subject to recall are waiting for notices to take their cars in for repair. Today, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told drivers of those models to park their cars; hours later he retracted the warning. Meantime, electronics are now under investigation, and concerns are being raised about the braking system on the hybrid Prius. How long did Toyota know about the problems before announcing the recalls? Will the repairs work? How serious are the latest concerns? What about Toyota's reputation for the best on the road? What kind of crisis management will it take to protect its brand?
Guests:
- Justin Hyde: Washington Bureau Reporter, Detroit Free Press
- Paul Lunsford: Co-owner and General Manager, South Coast Toyota
- Clarence Ditlow: Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety
- Jeffrey Liker: Professor of Engineering, University of Michigan
- Peter De Lorenzo: Founder and Publisher, AutoExtremist.com, @Autoextremist
- Eric Dezenhall: Founder and CEO, Dezenhall Resources
Links:
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
- House Energy and Commerce Committee requests more information on Toyota recall
- Hyde's article on LaHood's Toyota remarks
- Hyde's article on complaints of faulty Prius brakes, lurching over bumps
- Liker's 'Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way'
- De Lorenzo's 'The United States of Toyota: How Detroit Squandered Its Legacy and Enabled Toyota to Become America's Car Company'
- Dezenhall's 'Damage Control: How to Get the Upper Hand When Your Business is Under Attack'
Reporter's Notebook
Iran Launches a Satellite Rocket ()
On week before the 30th anniversary of its Islamic Revolution, Iran has fired a rocket loaded with animals into space, and President Ahmadinejad says, "Iranian scientists are capable of capturing the skies." We update that story as opposition escalates inside the country and the US pushes for international sanctions. Borzou Daragahi reports on Iran for the Los Angeles Times.
Guests:
- Borzou Daragahi: Middle East Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, @borzou
Links:
Engage & Discuss
Further the conversation with your thoughts and comments. Agree, disagree, present a different perspective -- engage.
For information and guidelines click: Terms of Service | Privacy Policy
Please note, comments are moderated. KCRW reserves the right to edit and or remove posts deemed off-topic, abusive or not in accordance with KCRW's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
