Hooniverse Asks- How Screwed is Toyota?

Toyotas aren't flying off the lots because of the concern they might actually fly off the lot.
Toyota, this morning, announced their planned fix for the sticky accelerator pedals that have plagued half their model line- an inanimate carbon rod!  But, while that may keep Keanau Reeves and Sandra Bullock from making Speed III – The Avalon Goes On and On, does it make you feel any better about Toyota’s cars and trucks?
lexus wrecksus
Back in the ’80s, all it took was one ill-informed segment of Sixty Minutes to damn Audi to a decade of near extinction in the U.S.. Now, obviously Toyota is a much bigger company with a better reputation to start with, but their PR response so far has been less than reassuring, and it’s difficult to say at this time whether when the repaired cars return to dealer lots, so will the buyers. The way Toyota has responded to the recall mandate- implying that they took the initiative to pull the affected cars from circulation when they were forced by the feds to do so seems sketchy at best. Their slow response to these issues – nineteen deaths in the past decade are attributed to the flaws in Toyota’s design – makes you wonder what else they’re not telling you. So, as Toyota tries to overcome the worst public relations nightmare in their history, and orchestrate the retrofit of literally millions of cars and trucks, what do you think the long-term effect will be on the brand? Do you think it’s just a hic-up, and by this time next year they’ll be outselling GM? Or is it so bad that Chrysler could regain third spot in sales? Image sources: [Boston.com, Car-Accidents.com]

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