How can Toyota get it's Reputation back

I have had a variety of vehicles and by far the best service has been from Toyota dealers. My dealer in Newburgh NY has been fair and honest as long as anyone in the area can remember. No Warts!

Like everywhere else there will be good and bad. We hear of the bad-just like the California incident - but the press doesn't report how many trouble free Toyota's and Priuses especially, there are without incident. A technology increases in cars, drivers must be more aware. It's not just turn the key and go.

 

Observing this from across the pond where - yes there have been the recalls - it would seem that the situation in the US has been overhyped by the press, and perhaps those with a vested interest in the American car and oil industries (behind the scenes). In the UK February 2010 was Toyota's best month for Prius sales - OK only 537 but that compares favourably with the previous record of 237 in February 2008. It is inevitable that when the Auris Hybrid is launched here that that may attract a wider audience, as it will be made here, so the prices may well be cheaper.

Generally though Toyota has had longer to establish its reputation in the UK and has been a victim perhaps of too much growth in recent years. The recalls on a global scale will simply act as a wake up call, on product testing before a car hits the market. They also need to ensure that any negative owner feedback is looked into - especially when this involves a new model. In the UK there is a database of every vehicle that has been subject to a recall over the last 20 years. There are many makes and models on the list (braking a steering issues are quite common). These recalls only come about through experiences of owners in the wild, as cars knock up more mils than they could ever do in testing. I am sure that there must be something similar in the US, and it is only by pointing out that recalls are nothing new that the brand can be defended.

However reputation can only be gained through word of mouth of people who actually own the cars, and the industry that supports them. In ten years time the Prius will be seen as a key step to securing energy reserves and the environment for the future, and will take its rightful place in the hall of fame of cars that changed the World alongside the Ford Model T, the Volkswagen Beetle, the Citroen Traction Avant Commercialle (first hatchback), and the Austin Mini.