LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- U.S. attorneys are saying Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Co. has switched its position opportunistically on automobile recording devices.
The electronic black boxes installed in cars that record engine behavior and gas pedal and braking applications were frequently criticized by the company, The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
With dozens of court cases filed against the company in the wake of recalls for problems with unintended acceleration, Toyota is now using evidence gleaned from boxes in selected crashes to claim driver error caused the accidents.
"It sounds duplicitous when all along Toyota has been saying this is unreliable, and now they are using it as their defense and they are not releasing the data to the public," said Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety senior counsel Henry Jasney.
Texas attorney Steve Van Gaasbeck said Toyota wants it "both ways". UPI
