Toyota asks ABC News for apology, retraction of Brian Ross report
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/government-legal/" rel="tag">Government/Legal</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/recalls-tsbs/" rel="tag">Recalls</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/safety/" rel="tag">Safety</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/toyota/" rel="tag">Toyota</a></p><img hspace="0" border="0" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/abcnewsross2opt.jpg" alt="" /><br />
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"<a href="http://autoblog.com/make/toyota">Toyota</a> deserves a public retraction and formal apology from <em>ABC News</em>." At least according to the automaker itself. For what, you ask? For ABC's "irresponsible broadcast entitled "Expert: Electronic Design Flaw Linked to Runaway Toyotas." You surely remember <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/23/abc-news-report-shouldnt-panic-toyota-drivers/">the piece</a>, which originally aired the night before a Congressional Panel began investigating the issue of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles.<br />
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That dubious timing has also drawn ire from Toyota, which says <em>ABC News</em> "Rushed out the report" and "denied Toyota the opportunity to review specific manipulation" ABC and its expert, Dr. David Gilbert, "performed in the broadcast." If it had been given an opportunity to respond, Toyota claims it <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/08/toyota-hits-back-at-david-gilberts-no-fault-code-demonstratio/">would have shown</a> that Gilbert's technique required conditions that are "virtually impossible to occur in real-world conditions."<br />
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It's also pointed out in Toyota's four-page letter, which you can see in its entirety below, that <em>ABC News</em> <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/08/report-abc-news-faked-at-least-one-part-of-runaway-toyota-repor/">faked at least one shot of a tachometer</a> shooting from 1,000 to 6,200 RPM, insinuating that the vehicle was speeding out of control with Brian Ross behind the wheel when it was actually sitting in a parking lot with the transmission firmly in Park.<br />
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Toyota concludes that Brian Ross "failed in his basic duty as a journalist" by not disclosing that Dr. Gilbert's work was being paid for by a group of "trial lawyers involved in litigation against Toyota." Finally, the Japanese automaker "reserves the right to take any and every opportunity to protect and defend" its reputation.<br />
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The ball is officially in your court, <em>ABC News</em>.<br />
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<div class="postgallery"><p><s trong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/toyota-letter-to-abc-news/low/">Toyota letter to ABC News</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/toyota-letter-to-abc-news/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/toyota-abc-letter04_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/toyota-letter-to-abc-news/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/toyota-abc-letter01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/toyota-letter-to-abc-news/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/toyota-abc-letter02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/toyota-letter-to-abc-news/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/toyota-abc-letter03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: <a href="http://gawker.com/5496549/toyota-demands-retraction-and-apology-from-abc-news-over-manufactured-death-ride?skyline=true&s=i">Ga wker</a>]<p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/18/toyota-asks-abc-news-for-apology-retraction-of-brian-ross-repor/">Toyota asks ABC News for apology, retraction of Brian Ross report</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://gawker.com/5496549/toyota-demands-retraction-and-apology-from-abc-news-over-manufactured-death-ride?skyline=true&s=i>Rea d</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/18/toyota-asks-abc-news-for-apology-retraction-of-brian-ross-repor/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19405723/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/18/toyota-asks-abc-news-for-apology-retraction-of-brian-ross-repor/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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