Recall fails to dent Toyota’s reputation

As Toronto’s annual auto show rolled into town, Toyota service representatives took to the front lines this week ready to field backlash from customers over a recent spate of recalls.

But in place of the expected anger and concern, most visitors to the Japanese car marker’s exhibit seemed more interested in shopping, with many people eager to climb into Toyota’s newest floor models.

Gus Zootis, a Toyota customer sales representative, said that Toyota had armed temporary exhibit staffers with guidelines to a formal apology to offer disgruntled customers, but four days into the show, he’d yet to call his training into action.

“The only people who have mentioned (the recall) to me are already (Toyota) owners, and they aren’t really concerned.”

Toyota released notice of a recall in January. Approximately 270,000 cars, eight 2007-2010 models, contain an accelerator part that could get stuck in rare cases, according to the company’s website.

Michel Chicoine, whose 2010 Matrix is included in the recall, said he’s disappointed that Toyota’s head office hadn’t told customers before making the public announcement.

“I think dealers and car owners should have been informed first,” he said.

Chicoine drove his Matrix to his Whitby dealership for an oil change one day before the recall was announced. He looked up an article about the recall later in the week, after hearing about it from a friend. Finally, he called the dealership back himself.

“They apologized,” he said, “and said that they didn’t know about it when I’d been in.”

Toyota can’t service Chicoine’s Matrix for another two to four weeks. In the mean time he said he feels safe driving and that his faith in Toyota hasn’t suffered.

“I’m sure if it was something that was really bad they’d be recalling the cars faster,” he said.

Giancarlo Pawelec, a representative for Nissan at the Auto Show, speculates that the Toyota’s reputation and good track record has insulated the world’s number one automaker against negative backlash from the recall.

“Let me put it this way;” he said, “Toyota could stop advertising for a year, and their cars would still sell.”

About this article

By: Samantha Butler
Posted: Feb 18 2010 6:21 pm
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Filed under: News

3 Comments on "Recall fails to dent Toyota’s reputation"

  1. The popularity of Toyota Company and the market value is in such a high position that the recalling does not affect its fan followers. The company is also doing its best to overcome the current situations. Good Luck!!!

  2. Toyota has been such an awesome vehicle for me, I can’t imagine not owning one.

    I’ve owned three Toyotas; my 2002 Toyota Tacoma truck currently has 379,000 km on it and all I have done to it other than brakes and oil/filter and some fluid changes is replace part of the exhaust recently. Oh yes, the oxygen sensor popped out of the exhaust, but they put it right back in. That’s it.
    Trouble free driving for almost 400,000 km…….. doesn’t use a drop of oil.

    The only other vehicle I’ve had come close to a Toyota is a Honda Accord.

    I LOVE MY TOYOTA

  3. Maria del Rosario | February 20, 2010 at 3:54 pm |

    It is refreshing to read articles like this. Usually, the public sees more of articles about the negative impact from all these recalls – that is, after all, more exciting.

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