Two Toyota employees resigned this week from their positions on the Automotive Technology Department’s Advisory Board, said SIUC spokesman Rod Sievers.
Terry Martin, manager of customer quality for Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana Inc., resigned March 1, and Neil R. Swartz, corporate manager for North American Parts Operations, Toyota Motor Sales USA, resigned Feb. 28 according to copies of resignation letters verified by the university, according to a Thursday BusinessWeek article.
The resignations “were to avoid any suggestion or appearance that Toyota board members would exert influence on SIU in any way,” said Mike Michels, a spokesman for Toyota’s U.S. unit, in the article. “It’s not punitive in any way.”
Many university departments, including the automotive technology department, have advisory committees made up of people in their respective industries who provide advice to keep university curriculum current, Sievers said.
Automotive Technology Department Chair Jack Greer could not be reached for comment.
In research that began nearly three weeks ago, automotive professor Dr. David Gilbert found an error in the computer system of a Toyota vehicle that would allow an instance of sudden unintended acceleration, the issue that has led to more than 8 million of the company’s vehicles to be recalled since October, to be introduced and go undetected.
Toyota representatives presented Gilbert with analysis of his research from Exponent Research, a private firm based in California, when they met with him and university officials Tuesday in Carbondale, according to a joint statement by the university and Toyota Motor Corp.
The meeting was also held to discuss ways for the parties to develop a process to continue sharing information, according to the statement.
Sievers said Thursday that Gilbert’s findings would not jeopardize Toyota’s 25-year relationship with the university, during which the carmaker has donated money and vehicles to the automotive technology department.
Toyota’s most recent donation was Nov. 8, 2008, when it gave SIUC $100,000 for its planned Transportation Education Center.
“That relationship continues today and its expected to continue in the future,” Sievers said. “They’re going to continue to work with us. They’re going to continue to work with (Gilbert).”
Gilbert explained his preliminary findings to a congressional subcommittee Feb. 23. Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda testified at a subsequent hearing that he was “absolutely confident” there was no problem with the electronics in his company’s vehicles.
The manufacturer blamed instances of SUA in its vehicles first on oversized floor mats, then sticky accelerator pedals, both of which do not the fit accounts of the problem described by consumers, Gilbert said in recent interviews.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Association said it received more than 10 complaints of SUA in Toyota vehicles that were reportedly fixed by the manufacturer, CNN Money reported Thursday.
Sievers said he did not know if the automotive technology department plans to replace Martin and Swartz on its advisory committee.
Nick Johnson can be reached at njohnson@dailyegyptian.com or 536-3311 ext. 263.
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