Toyota faces tidal wave of lawsuits

Troubled Toyota has suspended production at its British and French factories, in part because of a catastrophic collapse in sales.

The world’s number one carmaker is reeling in the face of safety concerns across its range, especially in America.

A legal stampede has begun there as lawyers race to file lawsuits. One estimate says it could cost Toyota close to 10 billion euros if the cases go against them. 50 crash deaths and dozens of injuries have been blamed on surges in speed or brake failures, which it is claimed are due to ill-fitting floor mats or electronics gremlins.

Another claim, that Toyota warned dealers as long ago as 2007 to fix the problems quietly via internal documents rather than recall vehicles, could expose the company to legal action.

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