TEXT OF INTERVIEW
Steve Chiotakis: The Japanese automaker says its president, Akio Toyoda, will answer more questions tomorrow as additional details emerge about the problems that have led Toyota to recall 8.5 million vehicles in recent months. Marketplace’s Jeremy Hobson is with us live from New York with more. Good morning Jeremy.
Jeremy Hobson: Good morning, Steve.
Chiotakis: What are we expecting to hear from Mr. Toyoda?
Hobson: Well for one thing, some kind of update on the Prius recall. Toyota says it wants to be more transparent about the recalls it’s already announced because of the fear that’s getting out there among Toyota’s customers. One of the things that’s happening, Steve, is that as news of these recalls get out to Toyota’s customers a lot them are calling into Toyota and to the government and saying, you know, maybe that crash that happened a couple years ago was because of one of the issues that’s causing all the concern now. And as an example, the government says there have been about a thousand complaints regarding the Prius in just over a week.
Chiotakis: And so Jeremy, is that the strategy? Toyota responding with, you know, one PR, press conference after another?
Hobson: It appears to be, but also there may be some change in procedures that we’ll hear about tomorrow. The Wall Street Journal is reporting this morning that Toyota is considering requiring more physical tests on its vehicles. And it would conduct those tests even when it makes just minor design changes. And then it would tell the publicly about those minor design changes when they happen, which is something that Toyota hasn’t been doing up until now.
Chiotakis: Marketplace’s Jeremy Hobson reporting from New York. Jeremy, thanks.
Hobson: Thanks, Steve.
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