Claims and lawsuits were not part of the performance evaluation. I wish they had been. Indeed, Tauzin spokesman Ken Johnson said investigators had found a Firestone memo showing that the company analyzed the claims data for financial purposes. Under current government rules, auto companies are supposed to immediately report any defects uncovered in their products. But there is no close daily scrutiny of the industry.
Voluntary compliance is essential for the system to work.
But auto safety advocates say the agency is also hampered by its own lack of aggressiveness. The American people have a right to know about risks and they have a right to know about dangers.