Japanese auto giant Toyota has agreed to pay the U.S. government a fine of 16.4 million dollars for the late notification of a defect in the gas pedals manufactured cars, reports AFP. This civil penalty will be the largest in the history of the American judicial proceedings.
According to the U.S. Ministry of Transport, the company has data on the gas pedal sinks to the marketed vehicles in September 2009. Despite this, the company has not withdrawn it from sale of cars with potentially dangerous for consumers defect until January 2010.
The representative of the Ministry of Transport said on condition of anonymity, that Toyota has agreed to pay such a large fine in a civil manner to avoid trial in a suit which would serve the U.S. government.
Due to the number of detected manufacturing defects Company Toyota was forced to withdraw from sale in the U.S., about 2.3 million of its vehicles. A total of dealers of the world was returned to the finalization of about 8 million cars of this brand.