Transport Canada grilled by MPs over Toyota recall

Members of Parliament grilled Transport Canada officials Thursday about what they knew about safety problems with Toyota vehicles — and when they knew it. 

But many MPs were not satisfied with the responses, saying they want to put the spotlight on Toyota officials themselves next week. 

The transport committee meeting was told Transport Canada had received a total of 17 complaints about Toyota cars involving a number of issues in the past three years, but none involving sticky pedals until Toyota informed the department it had received five. 

Liberal critic Joe Volpe said he was angered by the lack of transparency on the part of Toyota, and lack of response from the department and its minister, John Baird. 

"The minister is not asking, the department is not asking and Toyota is not offering," he said. "Everybody else in the world is looking at this and we're not? What, you can't ask for the information?" 

Transport officials told the MPs there has as yet been no confirmed cases of fatalities in Canada related to Toyota acceleration problems.