Jan. 19, 2021—Toyota has been fined $180 million by the U.S. Department of Justice for failing to comply with the Clean Air Act's emission-reporting requirements.
From 2005 to 2015, the automaker delayed 78 required filings of emissions reports and failed to inform the EPA about its progress, reports Electrek. The automaker also failed to file 20 emissions recall reports. Federal regulation of emissions depends on self reporting, the Electrek story notes.
Per a DOJ statement, "Toyota’s conduct likely resulted in delayed or avoided recalls, with Toyota obtaining a significant economic benefit, pushing costs onto consumers, and lengthening the time that unrepaired vehicles with emission-related defects remained on the road."
The U.S. government filed a lawsuit alleging the emission reporting issues against the automaker last week, according to the DOJ statement. Toyota settled the suit immediately.
