Recalls are a common problem in the vehicle production industry, but for Toyota, the extent of the issues they are facing are nothing close to ordinary. This is creating not only a problem for many people who own the cars and are now afraid to drive them or buy a new one, but is also disrupting the flow of the common market because other companies see this as an opportunity to obtain new customers.
Toyota is frantically trying to mend the hardships it is putting on its buyers, however, the severity is not allowing this to be a fast process. Not only are they losing funds all the time from lessened sales, the future of the company may very well be jeopardized until they can once again prove themselves. It will be interesting to see what path the car industry follows, how long redemption for Toyota will take, and who will take their spot in the meantime.
I have read many articles regarding the new major flaws that Toyota has been expiriencing. Its a shame that such a reliable car company is expiriencing such a disasterous flaw in their make of cars.
ReplyDeleteIt is very true that Toyota will lose a lot of customer loyalty and their company will literally go down in the vehicle industry. From their higher standings of cars and motors, they have definately me their match and they will not recover any time in the near future as long as they keep manufacturing cars with the same flaws.
I think they need to stop manufacturing their cars untill the problem is found while working on a new generation of car to get them back in the the consumers good graces.
I read a report recently about how Ford and Chevrolet have, predictably, seen an increase in sales over the last two months. Sounds like Ford, specifically, is in direct competition with Toyota. Hopefully, in the end, all car companies become more responsible about driver safety. Toyota's problems are related to cost-cutting and Congress is calling them out.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first i've heard about Toyota having design flaws in their vehicles. That's too bad though. I've had experience working in a couple of garages and the easiest repairs i've ever done have been on Toyota trucks. Those things were engineered right, no removing the exhaust manifold heat shield to get at the spark plugs (dodge durangos.)
ReplyDeleteI suppose the point is Toyota vehicles have a lot more going for them than against them, I feel that people will still buy them for their cheapness and reliability, and this is just a minor bump in the road for an otherwise trustworthy company.
Toyota's recent problems are opening up very interesting opportunities in the automotive industry. I personally have always liked Toyota, as they have been known to produce reliable, decent priced, quality vehicles. My initial reaction to the recalls was disappointment, as I, like Peter, have had experience doing general maintenance on some Toyota vehicles, and they have always been designed MUCH better than the older (80's - 90's) GM vehicles I've worked on. Now though, I am excited for what will emerge from Toyota's recent lack of attention to detail. It goes to show that even when you are on top, you can't slack when it comes to quality or it will catch up with you. I think that this is a good chance for Ford, GM, and Chrysler to make a come-back with their new, much higher quality vehicles. Toyota's failure is an excellent opportunity for America's car manufacturers to expand and market their vehicles around the globe, which in our current economy would be great.
ReplyDeleteI'm rather surprised that Toyota is having so many problems right now. With all the difficulties that Ford and GM have been having in the last few years, you would think that it's an ideal time for Toyota to expand their market share even further. Instead, they're giving Ford and GM a huge break and allowing them to gain a little bit of an edge.
ReplyDeleteWhile this certainly damaging for Toyota in the short run, I don't think it will have many long term effects on the company as long as they can get their production issues sorted out in a reasonable amount of time. Toyotas have been so reliable for so long, and I wouldn't be surprised to see people move back towards purchasing them as soon as the issues are fixed. Personally I've owned two Toyotas, and they were both great, reliable cars.