Keeping up with the latest troubles at Toyota is an exhausting affair. Starting with the whisper of potential recalls at the end of 2009, the company has continued to get hit with bad news seemingly daily since the start of the New Year. With the giant 8 million car recall well underway, the legal battles for the car company have just begun. In addition to the large class action lawsuit filed in Connecticut earlier this month, the company could be facing criminal charges as well. Toyota announced on Monday that a U.S. Federal Grand Jury had officially subpoenaed documents on the defects that caused the massive safety recall. The grand jury, under US law, will now review the evidence supplied by Toyota to determine if there is probable cause for an indictment leading to a trial.

The subpoena comes on the heels of months of allegations that Toyota took its time in notifying the public about the faulty brake systems and malfunctioning accelerators. Toyota was viewed to be despondent while some thought the automaker's reaction to the recalls was nonchalant. After Monday’s bombshell, however, it looks as if Toyota is finally ready to play nice. The car manufacturer is believed to be preparing to comply with the subpoena and noted in a statement that they are ready to work willingly with authorities. Akio Toyoda , the president of Toyota, will be questioned this Wednesday by the House Oversight and Reform Committee in the first of three hearings addressing the company’s safety issues.

What all of this means exactly for Toyota owners is unclear. Drivers of all makes of cars really want one thing at the end of the day, and that is to feel safe. The people don’t care how many hearings there are or what the latest publicity spin is. They want to know if they can still rely on a product that they invested in. Great legal teams and consumer advocates need to be relied on in situations like these so we can all feel a little safer.