Washington, D.C.--The following is a statement from Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) regarding the hearing today on Toyota car failures before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Rep. Engel is a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee:

“The testimony today simply defied all logic. Toyota must be forthcoming with all information about their flawed acceleration, brakes and steering but today’s hearing did not shed one glimmer of light upon what caused the dozens of deaths from Toyota-based defects. I don’t think anyone who watched the testimony can believe that Toyota made their cars safer by recalling floor mats and sticky pedals. The question on the lips of everyone in the hearing room, and those watching at home, is whether the cause of these problems goes deeper into the engine electronics.

“Hearing the stories of those who had their cars suddenly accelerate to speeds worthy of NASCAR drivers makes anyone driving home after work uneasy. It also raises the question – what else does Toyota know that they are not telling us?

“I am unsatisfied by the responses from Toyota executives, and equally dismayed at the lack of oversight provided by the NHTSA. The safety of Toyota drivers and that of all of their fellow motorists, and their families hinge upon the safety of these cars. I strongly urge both Toyota and the NHTSA to remember the faces of those who lived despite driving one of their runaway cars. Toyota defies the principle of getting the word out on a major product defect, and to give a strong assurance they are being addressed.”