▁de ferred ▁pro sec ution ▁of ▁wire ▁fra ud ▁charges . ▁ ▁The ▁agreement ▁also ▁subjects ▁the ▁car ▁company ▁to ▁further ▁independent ▁monitoring ▁of ▁its ▁safety ▁procedures . ▁ ▁The ▁penalty ▁ended ▁a ▁four - year ▁investigation ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁Justice ▁Department ▁concluded ▁that ▁Toy ota ▁had ▁intention ally ▁hid ▁information ▁about ▁safety ▁defect s ▁from ▁the ▁public ▁and ▁had ▁made ▁de cept ive ▁statements ▁to ▁protect ▁its ▁brand ▁image . ▁Att orney ▁General ▁Eric ▁H . ▁H older ▁Jr . ▁remarked ▁" Other ▁car ▁companies ▁should ▁not ▁repeat ▁Toy ota ’ s ▁mistake . ▁A ▁recall ▁may ▁damage ▁a ▁company ’ s ▁reputation , ▁but ▁dece iving ▁your ▁customers ▁makes ▁that ▁damage ▁far ▁more ▁last ing ." ▁ ▁The ▁penalty ▁is ▁the ▁largest ▁ever ▁w aged ▁against ▁a ▁car ▁company . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁statement , ▁Toy ota ▁called ▁the ▁agreement ▁difficult , ▁but ▁" a ▁major ▁step ▁toward ▁putting ▁this ▁un fortun ate ▁chapter ▁behind ▁us ". ▁ ▁The ▁company ▁said ▁it ▁has ▁made ▁fundamental ▁change ▁in ▁its ▁corpor ate ▁structure ▁and ▁safety ▁procedures ▁since ▁the ▁investigation ▁started . ▁ ▁Bra ke - override ▁systems ▁are ▁now ▁standard ▁on ▁all ▁Toy ota ▁vehicles . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁several ▁civil ▁wrong ful ▁death ▁and ▁personal ▁injury ▁law su its ▁are ▁pending . ▁ ▁Other ▁manufact ur ers ▁ ▁Toy ota ▁is ▁not ▁the ▁only ▁autom obile ▁manufact urer ▁that ▁has ▁issued ▁rec alls ▁for ▁un int ended ▁acceleration ▁problems . ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0