Another vehicle parts supplier is facing allegations that it violated consumer protection laws and committed fraud by surreptitiously using defective metal components in cars. Kobe Steel Ltd. (Kobe), the third largest steelmaker located in Japan, provides steel and aluminum components to car, plane and train manufacturers worldwide. Consumers have filed a class action lawsuit against Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and Kobe for supplying substandard steel, aluminum and copper components to cars. This is the first US based consumer complaint filed against Kobe for manufacturing inferior parts.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in San Francisco by two California plaintiffs. These plaintiffs seek to represent a class of consumers across the nation that purchased Toyota cars with defective parts. The car manufacturers implicated in the recall included Toyota Prius, Toyota Camry, Toyota Land Cruiser, and Lexus.
The class action complaint states that six Toyota cars sold or leased in the US contained defective Kobe steel components, which could negatively affect the vehicle’s safety performance and possibly lead to injury or death. The class action lawsuit maintains that both Toyota and Kobe failed to adhere to nationally mandated quality standards and are in violation of federal and state laws that are designed to protect consumers. The filing contains details related to the defective parts and the methods used by the defendants to obfuscate the poor quality of its parts. The plaintiffs also allege that Toyota was under an obligation to reveal the presence of faulty vehicle parts in their automobiles to consumers since it marketed its cars as safe. Kobe and Toyota are also charged with fraudulently concealing information which was not readily available to consumers.
The steel company confessed last year that its’ components contained falsified information and were distributed to approximately 500 consumers. More recently, Kobe added that new cases had been discovered, bringing the number of consumers affected by defective metal components to 605. Kobe admitted that the deceptive practices had been ongoing for nearly five decades, sending shockwaves through the auto industry. The widespread and long-running fraud included parts sold to consumers domestically and overseas.
If you or a member of your family suffered injury or death as a result of negligence or a defective automobile, contact the attorneys Alexander Law Group, LLP. Our exceptional personal injury lawyers will answer your questions and get you the maximum compensation that is possible. Call 888.777.1776 or contact us online.
