The Department of Justice announced Thursday that Toyota Motor Company will pay $180 million in a settlement agreement over "decade-long noncompliance" with the Clean Air Act's reporting requirements, which is designed to ensure that vehicles on the road comply with federal emissions standards.
According to the Thursday statement released by the justice department, Toyota will pay the fine for "systematic, longstanding violations of Clean Air Act emission-related defect reporting requirements," which require manufacturers to report potential defects and recalls affecting vehicle components designed to control emissions.
The civil lawsuit against Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Motor North America Inc., Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., and Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc., was simultaneously filed and settled.
According to the DoJ, the $180 million penalty that Toyota will pay is the largest civil penalty for violation of the EPA’s emission-reporting requirements.
Audrey Strauss, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, says Toyota "shut its eyes to the noncompliance, failing to provide proper training, attention, and oversight to its Clean Air Act reporting obligations."
The complaint filed alleges that Toyota's non-compliance with the reporting requirements took place from approximately 2005 to 2015.
You can view Thursday's full statement from the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency by clicking here.
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