Toyota has U.S. quality panel, sells Lexus GX SUV again

Toyota Motor Corp.'s outside advisers on quality have a free hand examining U.S. operations and won't be "window dressing" as the automaker works to rebound from record recalls, the panel's chief said.

Six appointees were named yesterday to the group led by ex- U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater. They include former Lockheed Martin Corp. Chief Executive Officer Norman Augustine, Patricia Goldman, a former National Transportation Safety Board vice chairman; and Mary Good, engineering and information technology dean at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

"They are experts in their fields," Slater, 55, said in an interview. "I don't think you could attract that kind of commitment from these people if they thought it was just window dressing."

Toyota completed the review panel with the new members after recalling more than 8 million vehicles worldwide for flaws including unintended acceleration. The automaker is working to regain a reputation for quality earned with top marks in past years from researchers such as J.D. Power & Associates.

Sales of Toyota's 2010 Lexus GX 460 sport-utility vehicles resumed yesterday after a recall to adjust stability controls. The automaker took the SUVs off the market on April 14 after Consumer Reports magazine dubbed them a "safety risk" because stability controls didn't engage fast enough in driving tests.

A repair for the $52,000 luxury SUVs is available at the brand's U.S. dealers, who began contacting customers April 28, Toyota said in a statement.

Hearings, Fine

The Toyota City, Japan-based automaker has faced congressional hearings this year and last week agreed to pay a record $16.4 million U.S. government fine for delaying a recall.

Panel members have already visited Toyota's Georgetown, Kentucky, plant and will tour design and testing facilities in Michigan, Arizona and California, Slater said. The panel is to travel to Japan in mid-May, said Slater, who like Toyota declined to give details on panelists' budget and compensation. Slater was appointed in March.

The group can commission additional studies and hire industry authorities to review potential faults and suggest changes, Slater said. A possible flaw the panel will look at is the company's internal communications on quality.