Toyota’s official response.

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About the Los Angeles Time article from earlier.
We’ll see if it works…

Here is what they say:

“Today the Los Angeles Times published an article that wrongly and unfairly attacks Toyota’s integrity and reputation.

While outraged by the Times’ attack, we were not totally surprised. The tone of the article was foreshadowed by the phrasing of a lengthy list of detailed questions that the Times emailed to us recently. The questions were couched in accusatory terms.

Despite the tone, we answered each of the many questions and sent them to the Times. Needless to say, we were disappointed by the article that appeared today, and in particular by the fact that so little of our response to the questions appeared in the article and much of what was used was distorted.

Toyota has a well-earned reputation for integrity and we will vigorously defend it.

For a more complete and accurate picture of the issues raised by the Times, click here (Click on the Title) to read the Times’ questions and the full text of Toyota’s answers.

Conversation 20 comments

  1. It's never good when a Company spends more time explaining than moving foward.

    For now, I'll stick with GM, BMW, Ford, and products OTHER than Toyota.

  2. its about time, things are catching up, the water is rising, the truth comes out, sink or swim. oh oh, do they have a life jacket on ???. very aggressive for a company that's done no wrong?

  3. Agreed and very true. In fact, by attacking the Times news report (a dumb thing to do) this does more to damage their brand than strengthen it, since much of the facts contained in the article was based on information that was sourced through the NHTSA's website.

    If Toyota was really intent on addressing the concerns in the Times article, why not issue a statement listing the steps they have taken or are taking to address the concerns that were raised in the news story?

    I'm usually opened to giving someone or a company the benefit of the doubt when allegations are raised but when you start out by attacking a news story because you don't like the fact that they reported facts? This gives me pause.

    Pause to think that this smacks of a company reeling on the ropes and flopping around with no plan to fix anything except to attack and silence the messenger. Noticed how their PR response did not refute NOT ONE IOTA of facts contained in the LA Times news story!

    Toyota = Arrogant SOBs!

  4. Toyota's responses to the questions are bs. For one thing, Ford and GM have had easily readable data recorders for quite some time. What is Toyota trying to hide? I found the LA Times article very eye-opening and am hoping further investigation into Toyota’s business practices will be done.

  5. well, thats just what yuo anti-japanese would say!!!
    would it be ok if they stayed quiet, wich they have on many occasion, and just repaired their cars!!!
    just weird about this is that, in same time many western "good gyus" auto company not only pays hushmoney to silence critique media and sponsors fanmedia, but also laughs at poor consumer when they come asking about problems and those let also the consumer pay all their repairs, wich are BTW found many folds comparing japanese.
    if yuo dont believe, go checkout european blogs about following: dsg, tsi engine inhalevent etc.

    ps. also this particular indicent tells alot about american comsumer attitude: lets not use common sense at all, company will pay anyway, when we sue…!
    most of those gaspedal insidents would have been avoided simply by checking that matts aren stacked to many layers, and people should practicxe also how to get out of situations, in tis care, there is very sufficient braking force available stopping car, also ignition can be turned off at any time!

  6. May be the Times wants to save US manufacturers… it looks like what we see here in France… in all newspapers french cars are the best cars in the world and everything else is shit, especially japanese cars…

  7. Toyota is a very nationalistic brand which never gave a damn on foreign casualties. They even have a "constitution" that tells them to build most of their cars in Japan and not abroad – in total difference to their Japanese competitor Honda which says that cars should be build where they are purchased (the main reason why their sales are far behind those of Toyota in Japan) – Toyota is a brand nobody out of Japan even should even consider to buy.

    Buy a Honda, Ford, Volkswagen, Fiat, Renault, Buick or Chevrolet – and if You have the money buy the best car brand in the world, a BMW, but feel happy that the Nazis of Toyota are falling more and more into deep troubles!!!

  8. Toyota has become the 80s GM. I give them twenty years until they're getting bailouts from the Japanese government. Hopefully they'll learn from this. Maybe they should less time goofing around with carbon fiber A-pillars, and spend a little more time on the basics.

  9. Finally someone has the guts to say that the Emperor has no clothes! I've owned 2 Lexuses, and both were pieces of crap–and that's how I was treated by Toyota Motor Corp. I switched to Cadillac and have never had a problem, with either the car or the service. I hope Toyota finally ends up taking it in the shorts, big time. Thank you, LA Times!!

  10. @Lake: and because Toyota wants to build there cars "just" in Japan this is the reason why Toyota have plants ALL OVER THE WORLD? Toyota have more plants (14) in the US than Honda, why? Sorry but your comment makes no sence to me – at all!! i just learned that you hate Toyota – nothing else.

  11. Toyota have more plants (14) in the US than Honda, why?

    I don't count that many. Are you including the GM-Toyota joint venture plants that built Toyota-based Pontiacs, Chevys, and (origionally) Geo's?

  12. The federal government on Wednesday took the unusual step of rebuking Toyota for "inaccurate and misleading information" regarding a safety recall involving 3.8 million Toyota (Camry, Avalon) and Lexus ES, LS, RX) vehicles.

    –Mabey all the idiots who traded their American cars for Japanese ones should have "looked before they leaped!" Apparently; the grass is BROWNER on the other side of the pond.

  13. GM-Toyota joint venture plants? this is in fact ONE plant in Fremont, CA. and yes, this plant is part of the 14 plants until March 2010 when NUMMI will close.

  14. If toyota is that crap and I have read and I'm not a toyota fan at all. But why after all these bad quaitly recalls etc. Why is Toyota still top 10 in best quatily? Why? Why is it that the Camry is still top 5 best selling car? Why is the Corolla one of the best sellers in the class (even with an out of date exterior)? Why are people still buying higlanders more than Equinox's?

  15. For GM workers don't get too thrilled about all this bad stuff happening to Toyota because when you look at reality, for some odd reason people seem to still be glued to Toyota products. So the question is how to really get people back to american products because this isn't enough for me to be convinced that Toyota's quaitly ain't good. Mitsubishi's quaitly suck and it's montly sells show it.

  16. Anon 6:53…

    Because they used to make good cars when other brands weren't. They aren't anymore and other brands are. Obviously there are a lot of brand advocates that will continue to buy these boring cars. But clearly it's catching up with them.

  17. "–this isn't enough for me to be convinced that Toyota's quaitly ain't good"

    Me neither.

    So I bought one.

    Now I'm convinced.

    It ain't that good.

    OH! What a feeling!

  18. Not agree. I own a toyota and know that the quality is very good. Contrary of my last BMW 3serie 4wd wich was awful and had lot of problemes.

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