[x5n1]

I would like to see a US company pay 15B for not following the rules. If it were a US company, the fine with be in the millions.

Biggest fines against US companies. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/5-of-the-biggest-corporate-...

So yeah this would be in the top 3 or 4 of the biggest ever fines paid by US companies.

[GabrielF00]

Bank of America paid $16.65 billion.[https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/bank-america-pay-1665-billion...]

The tobacco industry is paying over $200 billion (although that's split between a number of companies). [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_Master_Settlement_Agre...]

[wallace_f]

I don't agree with the fact you are being downvoted.

Toyota and Honda have paid the largest safety-related fines in history: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-toyota-billion-doll...

http://www.edmunds.com/car-news/honda-will-pay-largest-auto-...

Compare Toyota's fine for it's failure to report safety defects to GM's in the GM ignition scandal. I think reasonable minds can conclude that they are both serious, but it is possible to make an argument GM's was more serious, and they paid a lesser fine. Also compare timelines, and the fact that US regulators were pressured by public discourse in the GM case. It's not crazy to come to the conclusion regulators show bias towards US automakers.

It's actually no conspiracy at all that the US government has bias and favors US auto makers in public policy. Afterall, it was not long ago we gave GM a huge welfare check / bail out package. Ford to a lesser extent.

[Aoyagi]

Sudden acceleration is less serious than "if you put a lot of heavy stuff on your car keys, it may turn the key when it's in the ignition box"?