http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35150948/ns/business-autos/ Rather than making public announcements and trying to quell concerns and anxiety, it appears that Toyota's top management have all run home, closed the drapes and barred the doors. Oh yeah, and also took the phone of the hook. Their until-now loyal customers and the general public are not ever going to forget this fiasco. I predict their sales will soon crash through the floor. It's practically guaranteed that they'll loose their #1 spot in the auto marketplace. I only wonder HOW far they will actually sink...
You can be assured at this point that there are now hundreds of thousands of people who have just decided that for themselves.
This is the winner's curse. Recall GM in the 1960s when they set the standard in quality (given the technological and economic limits at the time) and subsequent real decline or stagnation over the next two to three decades. There is less of an incentive to maintain or improve certain quality measures given the marginal return on the marginal costs needed to uphold them and directly the intangible assets of the Toyota (and perhaps now Honda) name given the competitors' state of ruin (depending on how this affects company shares). It is times like these where the underdog can seize their chances to profit from the misfortunes of a competitor (GM, Ford, or perhaps foreign competitors like Hyundai). Situations like this give consumers reason to question their loyalty or adherence to a brand. It remains much in the minds of many that GM and Ford make poorly manufactured vehicles, however, this is primarily an echo from their prior purchases or that of others made a decade or two ago. Given these are durable goods costing a substantial portion of one's net annual income (one year or more), one will take account of how that purchase performed closely. If their vehicle requires substantial repairs or service was poor, they will take note and consider this in their subsequent purchase. Whether this is simply a short term problem or the start of a trend will determine, to what extent, if any, the damage to the reputation of Japanese vehicle manufacturers
I wouldn't care to speculate on the other Japanese manufacturers BUT it's definitely not short term with Toyota, given the attitude of the company's top executives. As I said earlier, this will be remembered by hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of car buyers the world over. Even those who have not yet bought one of their cars has heard about this and will not forget it.
Just realize that you are one of the lucky ones. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Not everyone was affected, of course. Note that I will never buy something from a company that has so little concerns for it's customers.
Sounds like somebody sold some stock short. I predict the Toyota will do just fine, as long as their cars continue to be high quality and solid as they have been. If a scandal like that one could take out a company like Toyota, GM and Ford would be thirty years gone by now. Most of the news reports I have heard have mentioned that the faulty assembly was manufactured in the US, and many Americans stand to lose good jobs from this.
we have had about 6 toyota's since i was old enough to know what a car was and apart from the spacer being compleatly gutless (Never ever buy an automatic) they have all been brillant. They always score very high on the TAC and RACV's saftey ratings and they always score highly on there reliability. Probably just the fact they were made in the US thats the problem rather than the company itself
I had a car that had an accelerator that had a tendency to get stuck. I can't remember what it was. Probably a old Chevy impala. I learned to live with the problem for a month before I got it fixed. I simply put the car in Neutral whenever the accelerator got stuck on and then floored the accelerator a few times until it got unstuck. The problem was dirty grease on the linkage rods that connected the gas pedal to the throttle. I got the linkage rods cleaned and the problem was gone. Too bad that the people who died did not put their cars into neutral. Toyota has made durable well built cars for decades. I don't think this problem will stop me from buying a Toyota in the future.
I bought a Kia Sorento in 2004 and LOVED it. It was the best car I've ever owned. The company sent me monthly surveys, gave me free oil changes. When they cracked my windshield providing standard maintenance, they gave me a loaner of the same make and model, for two days while waiting for a new replacement windshield, and gave me free oil changes for the next two years (though, I sold it before I could use them up) and bought a stinkin' Ford. My next car (unless I get promoted in the next six months. . . ::fingers crossed:: ) will be a Kia or Hyundai, for sure. Best service, great cars, fantastic price. Oh. . . and they're made in the USA, which is sorta nice. ~String
Ah, you beat me to it (I've tried multiple times to post in the last few hours). Toyota has had some quality issues beginning some time in 2005-2006 (significant increase in recalls, other quality issues). This current recall is the most serious to date in the number of vehicles it affects. How serious is difficult to determine (risk of injury, death or damage as well as the time-line for fixing this problem and ensuring that all vehicles are repaired). There have been some incidents including at least one reported death to date (as far as is known given the potential for private settlements). Although serious, it is being addressed. Perhaps the only consequence to Toyota will be that of the public perception that no car company is infallible. Nirakar, you bring up a good point. Technically, Honda and Toyota have been building good durable cars for decades (since about 1988-1990 when their used car rating began beating the American domestics consistently). The two decades prior to the mid-1980s, the Japanese were importing or producing domestically (one should give some allowance as the transplants were only here a couple of years) worse vehicles than the Americans. At this point, that's going too far back and great advancements have been made in the last 25 years in safety, efficiency and dependability. Current quality trends in the last 5-10 years put many companies, European, Japanese and American in the top spots for both initial quality and durability. Not only that but the number of flaws that differentiate those at the top are incredibly close. It is no longer a clear cut distinction to say American vehicles are poorly made (as they were in the 80s and early to mid 90s relative to the Japanese). If you'd like a current example to counter the American "bashing" about their vehicles, look to the Buick durability rankings of the last five years. They often took top spot or were on the top rankings. I'm on neither side as I have no interest in either party, nor do I drive.
I can't say a bad thing about Buick (at least lately). Much of my family are loyal Buick drivers. My parents traded in their much loved Infinity for a new Buick two years ago and the car is amazing. And the newest Buick Lacrosse is gorgeous and has amazing features. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! GM is on the right path, finally. Let's hope they keep the momentum. ~String
haha... Aussies hate automatics don't they!!?? Where I came from an Auto was considered a better car and usually more expensive. That said I have mostly owned Manuals being cheaper. My grandparents LOVE Buick. That's the way of their generation. Start with Chevy then move up slowly until you reach Buick Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I do like driving a Buick - great cars. If you have the cash.
auto's are gutless wonders. My parents went from a 1.8L tarago to a 2.7 L spacier and it was the 1.8 which had more power. It took the spacier for ever to get up a hill and thats without adding a trailer to the back.
