Toyota Motor Corp revealed it faces a criminal investigation into its handling of the safety problems that led to massive vehicle recalls, while a congressional panel accused it of making apparently misleading statements.
Adding to the Japanese automaker's deepening crisis on Monday, new documents detailing how Toyota beat back U.S. safety regulators efforts for a wider probe in 2007 and disclosure of a Securities and Exchange Commission request for documents.
It all comes as Toyota's top executive, the grandson of the company founder, prepares for a hearing on Capitol Hill over unintended acceleration problems that have been linked to at least five deaths, with 29 other fatality reports being examined.
Akio Toyoda, who took the helm at the world No. 1 automaker last June, is scheduled to testify before the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday.
In a gesture it said was intended to reassure customers, Toyota said late on Monday that it would install brake override systems on three additional models for vehicles already on U.S. roads: the Tacoma truck going back to 2005 model year, the Venza crossover from 2009 and the Sequoia SUV.
The system ensures the brake overrides input from the accelerator in cases where both are depressed.
The move extends the scope and cost for a recall that had already targeted five models including the top-selling Camry. Toyota said it would have the same safety technology on most new models sold in the United States by the end of 2010.
Toyota has recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles globally in recent months for problems including sticky accelerators, accelerators that can be pinned down by loose floor mats and a braking glitch affecting its hybrid models.
It is also investigating reports of steering problems in the Corolla, its second most popular U.S. model.
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