LA Times: Toyota faces massive legal liability (Insurance co.'s not nice to drivers, either)

Not much news here. If the product is considered to be at fault then the maker is almost certainly going to be responsible. If something else is found to be the cause then the maker will not. Pretty clear.

This other hoohaa noted about 'loss of use' is a crock. It's not like recalls suddenly arrived on the scene on Jan 1, 2010. Millions if not tens of millions of vehicles have been recalled every year for the last 10 yrs. They're as common as the common cold.

Want to see the figures again? This is part of stoking the fires again by the LAT ( are you a writer there? ).

Now here is something new to consider....from Edmunds today.
In Light of Toyota Recall, Edmunds.com Readjusts Auto Sales Forecast, Pricing

It's an article about Ford passing Toyota for 2010 due to the public's reaction. But at the very end it paints an ominous picture for everybody. One that only scum-sucking liabilty lawyers can love.

Not only Toyota will have these massive liability costs but every maker that chooses to do business here in NA ( Canada not excluded ) will have similar expenses.

Consider:

• 132 people complain to NHTSA about the 'feel' of their brakes...all 2010 Prius' are recalled for a reflashing.
• 80 people are complaining to NHTSA about the 'feel' of their EPS on the Corollas.
• 1132 people are complaining to NHTSA about the loss of Power Steering on the Cobalt.
• A few people are complaining to NHTSA about the cruise control on ...

Here's the report on Defect Investigations ongoing at NHTSA/ODI
http://nhthqnwws111.odi.nhtsa.dot.g...s/Public/Pursuits/2010/INVMTY-012010-1234.pdf

It covers
Odysseys
Accords
Infinitis
Malibus
Sequoias
Explorers
Freestars
Sorentos
F150's
BMWs
Tahoes
.....the list goes on and on and on.

If 132 complainers can bring the very wealthy Toyota to recall its Prius and set off a wave of class action lawsuits... imagine the Dollar $ign$ in the eyes of the scum-sucking lawyers that could go after the wealthiest owner in the world...The US Treasury, majority owner of GM.

But in the end they will still make and sell vehicles. The only difference is that the buying public ( hey that's US ) will find the expected cost of 'x' number of recalls and lawsuits built into the prices of every new vehicle on the road.

Welcome to the United States of Litigation.