As Toyota deals with an expanded Prius recall that is beginning to worry consumers, a court ruling is forcing the company to shell out nearly $16 million to pay a Southern California dealer.
The ruling involved a suit that alleged the company’s Prius recalls did not address the issues the vehicles were experiencing. As a result, the dealer said, the vehicles were exposing consumers to serious safety risks.
After trial, an Orange County jury decided that the firm should face its responsibilities. According to the jury, the firm breached “good faith and fair dealing” with the owner of dealerships in San Juan Capistrano and Claremont.
The owner alleged in his suit that the firm retaliated after he reached to the automaker to raise concerns regarding the Prius electric power system. He was specifically complaining about a 2014 Prius recall that reportedly failed to fix certain defects. According to the man’s lawyer, the firm was not happy with the dealer’s comments.
Despite the allegations and the ruling, Toyota says it did nothing wrong. Furthermore, the firm states that the ruling was about vehicle safety issues, not the firm retaliating against the dealership owner.
Toyota Under Fire
After the Orange County ruling, Toyota still has to face another lawsuit, this time around, in Los Angeles, where plaintiffs are alleging that the company’s recalls did not fix issues Prius owners were experiencing. And in the meantime, the firm continues to launch recall after recall to fix its Prius vehicles.
It is important that car owners who experience equipment issues act fast in order to alert both the company and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If regulators aren’t aware of equipment failure, they are unable to investigate claims and make sure that recalls are issued when needed.
If you’re curious to know more about the Toyota lawsuit, you may follow this link.
