By Brendan Moore
01.22.2010
The bad news concerning recalls keeps coming over at Toyota, with the company announcing yesterday that they intend to issue a recall for 2.3 million vehicles over possible sticking accelerators.
The action signals the second large recall of Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles in the last four months, following a recall of 4.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles for a faulty floormat issue, which potentially could jam a vehicle’s accelerator.
Toyota spokesman John Hanson said the previous recall has to do with pedal entrapment (by the floormat) and the current recall involves a faulty pedal design by a supplier.
Yesterday’s news accomplishes exactly what Toyota doesn’t want to occur; that is, forcing consumers to once again consider Toyota’s unintended acceleration problems. Toyota’s American customers are famously loyal to the company, but a steady drumbeat of recalls over serious safety issues will erode the strength of any brand, given enough time.
Toyota is certainly not in that situation yet. In 2009, Toyota recalled more vehicles (for various problems) than any other manufacturer in North America, yet, showed healthy gains in market share, and finished the year with a flourish, notching a unit sales gain of over 30% for the month of December.
A study released yesterday stated that General Motors and Volkswagen AG are positioned best in terms of tapping the four new emerging auto markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China.
catch up the auto manufacturers currently entrenched in those countries.
In what will be a largely symbolic gesture as opposed to a change that produces big sales numbers, the Japanese government has decided to allow imported American cars to be eligible for their version of a cash-for-clunkers stimulus program.
The new-to-America Ford Transit Connect has been on sale in Europe for some years, and may have a doubtful long-term durability record, according to a newly-published British snapshot of vehicle roadworthiness after three years.
General Motors in Europe is scrambling to catch up with its rivals in the continent’s booming city car market, although it will be at least another two years before its proposed baby Opel and Vauxhall comes to market.
cute enough to cut the mustard as a city car player, in a market where interior room is less important than image.
