Evidence of meeting #2 for Transport, Infrastructure and Communities in the 40th Parliament, 3rd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was toyota.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Head, Defect Investigations, Defect Investigations and Recalls, Department of Transport
We have an internal database. For each one of those files, there are further details. There are further vehicle-specific details, vehicle identification, and personal information, as well as a section on what actions took place.
Head, Defect Investigations, Defect Investigations and Recalls, Department of Transport
We can. We have to be very cautious about personal information. There are personal pieces of information that need to be protected under the appropriate legislation.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
Well, we're talking about the vehicle, so take out the name of the proprietor.
Head, Defect Investigations, Defect Investigations and Recalls, Department of Transport
I understand, but it's just that in the context at times there may be text that has personal information, including vehicle identification numbers, which is a personal identifier.
Liberal
Joe Volpe Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON
So the chairman will expect to receive it.
You see, I'm wondering about this. I don't mean to be negative, but you kind of turned me off at the very beginning.
I don't mean to be negative about certain issues. You came here and you were supposed to talk about the Toyota recall process and give us a sense of where the department was going and the tools it had at hand. I have to tell you that I wondered what you were doing here, because on a question of policy, you didn't address the issues, and on a question of mechanics, you gave me an indication that you don't have all the technological tools in order to verify the safety of the product on the table. I'm kind of disappointed, but thank you for coming anyway.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I have two quick questions. First, Mr. McDonald, in your comments to the questions my colleague asked before, you mentioned that there were 17 complaints, two of which were related to floor mats and 15 were related to sudden acceleration. A sudden acceleration problem does not mean a problem with the accelerator. Except that it was actually an accelerator problem in a number of cases. That is clear from what followed: Toyota issued recall notices and is going to change the accelerator pedal because there was a problem.
How come we could not find that? Is it because you do not have the proper technology? Is it because you do not have the proper staff? This is my first question.
Second, could you give me the name of the person you are working with at Toyota? Are there different people at Toyota or is there one designated person with whom you are working on the recall?
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Safety and Security Group, Department of Transport
Just to clarify, for those 17 that we talked about, I don't believe I indicated that they were accelerator problems but rather acceleration problems. That was the nature of the complaint we received. As Trevor indicated, it could be any different type of acceleration that was related to those particular complaints.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
But Mr. Lehouillier said that you had never had accelerator problems. So that is why you believe it was an acceleration problem. Actually, there were accelerator problems, but you did not find them. I want to know why you did not find them. Is it because you do not have the proper technology or because you do not have the staff to do it? This is my question and I would like you to answer.
Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Safety and Security Group, Department of Transport
No, I don't think it's a matter of not having the proper staff. We're quite confident in our staff and their ability to investigate whatever complaints come before them. When they receive an acceleration problem, as I indicated, it does not necessarily mean it is related to a sticky accelerator. Of those 17, there was nothing in the subsequent investigation that took place that gave them reason to believe it was the result of a sticky accelerator.
Trevor, I'm not sure with respect to the problem in question....
Head, Defect Investigations, Defect Investigations and Recalls, Department of Transport
Do keep in consideration, the 17 complaints are all Toyota vehicles, all model years covered. There are also other issues that may have nothing to do with an accelerator pedal: it could be an engine revability issue, it could be those types of areas. You need to look at the 17 to have a better understanding of that.
Bloc
Mario Laframboise Bloc Argenteuil—Papineau—Mirabel, QC
But it is never the pedal.
Could you give me the name of the person you are working with at Toyota?
Head, Defect Investigations, Defect Investigations and Recalls, Department of Transport
We have a direct contact that we work with there. We can provide that name through the chair. It is a point contact, so when we require information, the formal request we send goes to one direct government contact.
Bloc
Head, Defect Investigations, Defect Investigations and Recalls, Department of Transport
We screen our correspondence through that person. Throughout this event there have been a number of people within Toyota who have also participated with our meetings and our conversations, including Mr. Beatty and some of his representatives.
NDP
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Has Toyota provided you with all the complaints that they have received from Canadians?
Head, Defect Investigations, Defect Investigations and Recalls, Department of Transport
All consumer complaints, or with respect to sticky pedals?
Head, Defect Investigations, Defect Investigations and Recalls, Department of Transport
No, they haven't.
NDP
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
I just find it a little bid odd, in the sense that you don't know even how many people they've actually contacted to fix the recalls that you have requested. You can only request, because in Canada we can't mandate; we have to rely upon the American system to do that. Let's be clear about that.
Maybe that's why edmunds.com actually have a $1 million solution out there for anyone who can actually show what the real problem is.
Have you looked at the software and the chip? What investigative resources are you putting towards that?
Head, Defect Investigations, Defect Investigations and Recalls, Department of Transport
We are unaware of a situation with the chip. I understand there was one gentleman in our meeting on Monday who indicated it was a chip issue. It was the first I've heard of it. I've asked that gentleman to bring those cases to our attention so we can try to get a better understanding of what this chip is. I'm not aware of anything else besides that.
NDP
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
Let's get this clear. In the United States they've got full-blown investigations on the software and the chip, and here we don't even know anything about the chip?
