Why did Toyota hire Exponent? Probably for the same reason it and other corporations always hire this company.

Toyota hired Exponent to test its cars in the wake of the recent Toyota Recalls.  Exponent wrote a report that says it could not find any problem with the electronics in the Toyota throttle systems.  This finding greatly benefits Toyota because Toyota does not want to have to fix electrical problems deep inside the throttle systems of its cars -- this would be very difficult and very expensive.  Toyota would rather do the easy fix -- replace floor mats and adjust gas pedals.

So is it surprising that Exponent would write a report that benefits an automobile manufacturer?  Who is Exponent?

The Los Angeles Times contains a recent article examining Exponent.  The LA Times cites various sources who say Exponent "tends to deliver to clients the reports they need to mount a public defense."  A physician cited in the article states that he would have picked a company "with more a reputation of neutrality."

Further, the LA Times article quotes an Exponent representative as stating 65% of the company's work involves lawsuits.

All of this rings true.  Our law firm has handled many cases on behalf of victims of serious accidents, and often we have seen large corporations and insurance companies hire Exponent.  In every single case we have handled involving Exponent, the company has held the opinion that whoever the defendant company is, they did nothing wrong.  We have never handled a case which involved Exponent in which the company acknowledged that a corporate defendant did something that contributed to an injury.  We have never heard of an instance where Exponent was hired by a representative of an injured party against the corporation.

All of this raises this basic question -- is Exponent truly neutral and independent?  Many have referred to Exponent as simply a "hired gun."

So, is it surprising that Toyota turned to Exponent to try to bail it out of its recall mess?  Hardly.