With Toyota president Akio Toyoda reluctantly agreeing to testify to a US Congressional committee, after previously turning it down, it is worth considering what Toyota actually thinks of the US government. According to new reports, it's not flattering.
According to a Toyota internal document obtained by Politico , the car maker sees the Obama administration and Democratic congress as "activist" and "not industry friendly".
In the document, Toyota talks about the "changing political environment" as one of its biggest challenges. It anticipates a "more challenging regulatory" environment.
All this is a bad sign for how quickly this issue will be resolved. If Toyota believes the administration is out to get it, the company will drag its heels and fail to recognize how badly it stuffed up by taking too long to respond to the crisis.
But doesn't just end at Toyota. Car makers are now concerned that these hearings will result in the US government imposing tougher safety standards on the entire industry, similar to the upgraded standards that came in after similar probes into fatal accidents involving Firestone tyres fitted to Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicles.
"We're concerned that this doesn't blow out of proportion", one auto industry lobbyist told the Financial Times.
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