Americans Saying `No' to Toyota After Recalls as Ford Leads Opinion Survey

[marmar]

Americans Saying ‘No’ to Toyota as Ford Leads Opinion Survey
By Jeff Green and Angela Greiling Keane


March 25 (Bloomberg) -- Americans are turning against Toyota Motor Corp. after sudden-acceleration complaints forced it to recall more than 8 million vehicles worldwide, while Ford Motor Co. is the most popular automaker.

More than four in 10 Americans say they “would definitely not buy a Toyota,” according to the Bloomberg National Poll. The Japanese company is viewed unfavorably by 36 percent of those interviewed, the highest negative rating in the survey, while fewer than half -- 49 percent -- have a favorable impression.

Ford, the only U.S. automaker that didn’t seek a federal rescue, is seen favorably by 77 percent of those surveyed, topping No. 2 Honda Motor Co. by seven percentage points. General Motors Co., eight months after getting U.S. aid to survive, has a positive rating of 57 percent.

The results show the challenge faced by Toyota, which in 2008 passed GM to become the world’s largest automaker, as it tries to regain consumer confidence, said Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst at IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts.

“In the short term, they need to focus on the people that have recently changed their minds about the company,” Lindland said in an interview. “In the long term, it could be quite different. It depends on how much they’ve alienated the people that are, say, under 40.” .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a.g62i5Pthsk&pos=1

[Brickbat]

1. I've been buying Fords since 2001 and have loved every one of them. They've been outstanding.

FWIW.

[HopeHoops]

10. I've owned several and loved every one. I still have my '68 Galaxie fastback.

My grandfather bought her new, mother drove her for a several years, and then I got her.

[Brickbat]

22. I love Galaxies. Lucky you!

[HopeHoops]

23. She's beautiful. The rear window is like 35' long.

Okay, okay - that's what it looked like when I was 5 years old. Still, it is fucking huge!

[Brickbat]

24. Mr. Brickbat has a 1970 Chrysler Newport that I swear is that long.

Nothing like those old cars. Gorgeous.

[HopeHoops]

26. Here are two videos that show "my girl" (well, cars just like her)

Mine's white with a maroon interior.

This one has a better overall view (no sound)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqWertGovK8

This one has engine sounds which you can leave off. The video says it is a 425 and mine has a 390, but they're bolt-for-bolt compatible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TWms6WG8cE&feature=related

[Brickbat]

30. SWOON.

[HopeHoops]

31. She's been in a storage area for a while. The transmission's a little dodgy.

The transmission balked at about 75 mph a while back. She only had 150K on her at the time so I guess the fluid had gotten low. Anyway, she got me back home from about 90 miles away even with the screwed up transmission. With three kids, my money priorities have been elsewhere. I'll get her fixed when it is financially feasible. Damn she runs nice. I kept breaking motor mounts when I first got her, but the last set of cop (425) mounts has held for 25 years.

[RKP5637]

2. I've had Fords for years and they've always been OK by me. n/t

[Sherman A1]

4. I had Ford's from 1976 - today

but, my last car was a Toyota Yaris as I needed the highest MPG I could get for the price (couldn't afford a hybrid) and after a year of looking the Yaris came out on top. Still drive my 98 Ranger which is now semi-retired.

[Sherman A1]

3. I believe that Toyota has pretty much screwed itself

for at least the next 5 years or more. The question is what will it's competitors do to take advantage of the situation?

[DemoTex]

5. Local Toyota's dealership February sales up 14% over 2009.

The Totota dealership was swamped today (77-degrees outside). Parking lot full, all sales persons busy. Fairway Ford was dead. I was at both trying to deal.

I know it's anecdotal, just like most of the "evidence" against Toyota. I have no axe to grind, just the need for a good 4X4 truck for the 2010 Oregon wildfire season. Toyota is beating the socks off Ford right now. I make my decision Monday.

[Skip Intro]

6. I still don't know if their cars are safe to drive. They're done until they assure the public that

their cars are not death traps. That's a huge negative to overcome, and these ads I'm seeing by them that just show everday person swearing their next car will be a Toyota are not doing that. Not for me, anyway. I don't want guy next door telling me he loves his car, I want the people who actually make the cars to tell me what happened and why it won't happen again. Toyota is ruined for a long time if they don't do something like that and quick.

Had someone tell me this is only happening in the US, and I began wondering if this might be some kind of a hit job on a corporation? Not sure what to believe, but Toyota's got a huge problem...in the US anyway.

[kick-ass-bob]

13. I agree completely.

As long as stories keep coming out and Toyota has no real convincing proof that they have fixed ANYTHING, I can't buy their cars. All I hear is "we think we've fixed it." Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

What if one of their "regular people" from their ads gets in an accident? Wouldn't that be just peachy. :/

[Tesha]

25. The problem with your theory is that the "other side" just has a bunch of people running around...

...saying "we think it wasn't floor mats and sticky CTS throttle pedals".

There's absolutely no hard evidence that the problem wasn't *PRECISELY*
what Toyota claims the problem was.

Our Caravan is getting near being on its last legs. While we'd prefer a
Jetta TDI Sportswagen, if a Prius turned up at a good price, we'd
certainly consider it with no worries at all about the "Sudden
Acceleration" problem. We bought two Audis at very attractive
prices when they were under their pall of bullshit accusations
back in the 80's and 90's.

Tesha

[HuckleB]

7. It's going to be a good year to buy a Toyota.

[GodlessBiker]

8. I own a Toyota and it will be a long time before I buy another.

[Pholus]

9. 2001-2003 Rav4 owners BEWARE

8 years and 2 months with a 2002 Rav4 (68000 miles) -- my first and probably only new car
purchase. In any case my last Toyota purchase, based on my call to the customer satisfaction
hotline today.

Read http://rav4world.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15515 for the basic story.

Basically my check engine light came on. Then the shifting got a tiny bit rough.
Took it straight to the shop, they said they couldn't find a problem with the transmission.
I got in and well, yup, it wasn't there. For a day, then it came back with a vengeance.
Took it straight back to the shop but too late, transmission
ruined, repair bill $4500 and a long-saved-for summer vacation trip with the kids is gone.
Cause? Well, if you believe the hundreds of stories online, the computer (ECM) talking to the
transmission seems to have malfunctioned and destroyed it.

Toyota takes no responsiblity since I'm 2 months and 5 days out of warranty. Of course, they've
had problems with this module messing with transmission before (back in 2006) :

http://rav4faq.kerkerinck.de/xa2/tsb/files/TC002-06.pdf

And they've been stalling on telling owners about this potential fault for years:

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/toyotas-reaction-to-transmission-woes-draws-customers-ire/

and managed to say finally say tough noogies just about the time most of our warranties went away:

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/toyota-owners-complain-this-time-about-the-rav4/

2001-2003 Rav4 owners get this checked out if you still have warranties/extended warranties.

Nobody needs a $5k hidden ownership cost so Toyota could save a buck or two by worming out from
under a warranty!

There is a class action lawsuit starting on this, I just joined it today!

[HopeHoops]

11. $4500 for a transmission in a GO CART? Holy fucking SHIT!

That's expensive for a transmission in a full-size sedan!

[SolidGold]

12. Fords are pieces of shit like most American cars

I worked in the engineering industry for a long time. (Daimler)

I wouldn't purchase an American car because I've seen how they are engineered, built, and tracked. Toyota may have had a acceleration problem but it wasn't anything compared to the deaths from the Ford recall on the explorer.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TommyO]

29. Oh bullshit!

I've owned a variety of cars and my favorites (least problematic) have been my Fords. They're not at the top of the quality heap for the crappy engineering you claim.

[dpbrown]

14. I would buy another Prius tomorrow

Toyota is fine by me.

[marions ghost]

20. people around me

are getting GREAT unheard of deals on new Prius...

They're smirking all the way to the bank.:)

[DainBramaged]

21. If they can stop.................

[SolidGold]

28. drive an explorer - its tires will pop and you're SUV will roll

Anyone remember this? How many people died then vs the 35 deaths due to toyotas recall? I seem to remember explorers full of families tires popping the SUV rolls then bursts into flames.

[tinrobot]

16. I love my Ford Escape Hybrid

It's been a pretty good car, and gets great gas mileage.

[taught_me_patience]

18. I'm renting a Ford Focus right now

and I'd have to say that I'm not very impressed.

Good:
Exterior styling
Nice leather (or really good fake leather) seats
Feels well made


Bad:
weak, raspy, and noisy motor
awkward steering making me wonder all over the road
driver seat too high
steering wheel does not telescope out, which makes the driving position awkward
touchy brakes
the worst instrument cluster graphics I've ever seen on a car


All in all... not a bad car, but I would not buy it.

<--full disclosure I'm driving a 1995 Mercedes E420 as my regular car.

[Initech]

19. I'd gladly trade my Altima for a Fusion hybrid if I could afford to do so.

[tom_paine]

27. Mission Accomplished!

:rofl: