US owners to pursue Toyota over loss in vehicle value

By Tim Beissmann | May 18th, 2011

Toyota vehicle owners in the US have been granted the right to pursue claims that the world’s largest automotive manufacturer caused their vehicle’s value to decrease.

A number of owners in the US are arguing that Toyota has not disclosed information about sudden unintended acceleration of its vehicles related to a fault in the electronic throttle control system, and has not issued a recall to fix the defect.

Toyota claims there is no such defect with any of its vehicles and denies that there is any evidence of electronic defaults.

Over the past 18 months, more than 18 million Toyota Motor Corp vehicles have been recalled around the world, with sticking accelerator pedals and sliding floor mats found to be the cause in the majority of cases.

In February, the US Department of Public Transport found after a 10-month investigation that there was no fault with the electronic throttle control systems used in Lexus or Toyota vehicles.

Despite this, the ruling by US District Judge James means that Toyota owners will be able to pursue Toyota for loss of vehicle value.

“Taking these allegations as true, as the court must at the pleading stage, they establish an economic loss,” Judge Selna wrote.

“A vehicle with a defect is worth less than one without a defect.”

Toyota spokeswoman Celeste Migliore said the ruling meant Toyota owners would now have to find evidence that there was an electronic defect with the vehicles.

“The burden is now squarely on plaintiffs’ counsel to prove their allegations, and Toyota is confident that no such proof exists,” Ms Migliore said.

No vehicles sold by Toyota Motor Corp in Australia were affected by the sticking accelerator or floor mat recalls.

Elitist

When Americans can’t compete they use dirty tactics to defame someone… Try building cars people want and not what some fat slob in a marketing campaign tells you we need.

Let’s talk about the 2 decades of Ford and GM SUV’s rolling over and the big two not owning upto it under the instructions of our very own Broadmeadows,Jac Nasser GM of Ford…

nickdl

Don’t forget the Pinto fuel tank. Or the Crown Vic fuel tank. Or the orignial Explorer’s tyres…

bert

What about ford cruise controls catching fire and burning down houses while people are asleep!! BUT we cant say anything bad about FORD GM or CHRYSLER, The whole recall thing was a witch hunt to undermine TOYOTA the market leader!

TMG

A witch hunt?
You just have bad mouthed the Yanks, when they have problems they recall their cars, probably better now then in the bad old days when stuff like cars that could roll over did, and petrol tanks that had big issues killed people in accidents.
Now if one of those manufactures had the same issues as Toyota have now you all would be saying typical of the load of crap that comes out of Yankee factories and it’s typical of them to try and hide the facts.
But if your beloved Toyota has problems and they happen to take people’s lives then it’s a witch hunt? Because Toyota motor cars don’t have issues never have never will…..
I still think it a frivolous law suit but I’m not a lawyer and I’ve not been affected.

ST

Next thing they’ll do is sue the manufacturer if they’ve dropped the price of a new car because the people who bought their car a many many moons ago now suffers a drop in the value of their cars. Where is the limit to the stupidity??
save it for the track

The biggest problem with a Toyota is the nut behind the wheel.
http://Frosty Hicks

So using this case study, all PS3 owners can obtain original market trade-in price before the PSN issue arouse? Highly doubt this should proceed.
Bill Murray

Is this for real, or a joke? In February, the US Department of Public Transport found after a 10-month investigation that there was no fault with the electronic throttle control systems used in Lexus or Toyota vehicles.

But they’re still allowed to sue? Whaaat??
Fozt

This whole Toyota problem thing was a plot made by government motors (GM) to put toyota down, instead of spending money and making better products they try to destroy the leaders by using as mentioned above dirty tactics..

I mean come on there are no cars accelerating on their own…

It all started in 1989 when the US government black mailed japan and caused their economy to crash, then when japan dominated in consumer products then US government funded south korean companies to destroy Japanese, then US government destroyed Toyota by this whole BS recall.. Then the US government created the Japanese earthquk, tsunami and nuclear disaster, now the US government is trying to destroy Sony as you can see from the current events, because Sony has decided to make a tablet that might kill the IPAD..
Some way call all this a coincedence but i don’t believe that..