USA TODAY: …As opposed to a raft of civil litigation, the criminal looked strictly at whether Toyota provided false or incomplete statements to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the government’s car safety arm. It also looked at how it handled complaints.
Toyota has already paid $1.6 billion to car owners in the cases. Toyota paid federal fines of $16.375 million in 2010 and a $17.35 million fine in 2012 for delays in safety defect reporting. Now, the automaker is sure to hope once again that it can move on.
“While the $1 billion price tag represents a costly resolution, Toyota can put this issue behind it to fully focus on current and future challenges in a highly competitive market,” says Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book, in a statement… (more)
