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The O-Scar of reputation goes to...

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by The Electric Me, Mar 9, 2010.

  1. The Electric Me

    The Electric Me Go Speed Go!

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    This is an easily ignored thread. But I couldn't help but think last night how horribly things have changed for Toyota and how quickly. I remember the Academy Awards when numerous "stars" arrived in Toyota Prius. It was brilliant publicity. To me a real high water mark for Prius and Toyota. It was so brilliant Honda "tried" to duplicate it with the Insight offering them as vehicles at the Sundance Film Festival. But I have long thought the high profile appearance of The Prius at The Academy awards marked the real begining of the mainstreaming of the vehicle. It went beyond advertising and for many of the hybrid uninitiated was one of the first times they saw a Hybrid car being used as a viable source of common transportation, even if it happened to be red carpet bound stars.

    Flash forward to the other night, when in an exchange about Ex-Husband and Ex-Wife, James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow the joke between Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin is that Kathryn Bigelow was sent a "Toyota"...as a response to a "explosive" Fruit Basket".

    I know it's just a joke. People laughed. But I couldn't help but think how much it represented how damaged Toyota's reputation is right now. When receiving a Toyota is presented as a "negative" even as a punchline to a joke, it's a barometer of where Toyota's reputation is right now.

    Toyota is in a "Hurt Locker" of pain. I suspect Toyota will emerge, but damage has been done. More than I thought possible.
     
    #1 The Electric Me, Mar 9, 2010
  2. brad_rules_man

    brad_rules_man Hybrid electric revolutionizer

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    It saddens me. Did any of them have any problems with their prius? doubt it.
     
    #2 brad_rules_man, Mar 9, 2010
  3. Hidyho

    Hidyho Senior Member

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    Sad part is that Toyota did it to themselves, they get away with it in Japan because the auto industry there destroys any consumer group that looks into problems, the company is king, and they ignored consumer complaints here, which was going to be their Waterloo.
     
    #3 Hidyho, Mar 9, 2010
  4. Trebuchet

    Trebuchet Senior Member

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    Political pundits and Talking heads compared the Democrats to a Toyota with no brakes because of their spending habits. Sigh.
     
    #4 Trebuchet, Mar 9, 2010
  5. Darwood

    Darwood Senior Member

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    "which was going to be their Waterloo. "
    Who are you..Jim Demint?

    "Political pundits and Talking heads compared the Democrats to a Toyota with no brakes because of their spending habits. Sigh."

    Way to go off topic into politics in the non-politics page.
     
    #5 Darwood, Mar 9, 2010
  6. eagle33199

    eagle33199 Platinum Member

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    No, the sad part is Toyota has been vilified by the US media for this, and they would have been regardless of what they do.

    Did you hear that GM had a pretty big recall about a week ago? No? Hmm, i wonder why...

    And Toyota's service with this recall is above and beyond everything you would expect. I had a GM car before my Prius - whenever i had recall work done (and there were several times over the 6 years i owned that car) I had two options - take it to the dealer, sit in their show room and wait, possibly hours, for them to finish the work, or have a friend go to the dealer with me so i could get out of there.

    Toyota, on the other hand, is giving customers free courtesy cars, paying for their cab fair, or whatever else they need to do for the customer while the car is being fixed. And this is the first recall i've had with my Prius since i bought it 4 years ago. Thus far, they have a much better record than GM in my books.

    Do you think GM would be raked over the coals by congress today? The simple answer is no - the US government is too invested in the failing US auto industry to do ANYTHING that would potentially damage it. But hell, when a foreign automaker, especially one that has climbed to the pinnacle of success here in the US, has an issue, it provides a great way for congress to knock them down a peg or two.

    6 months from now, all the cars will be fixed. Toyota will continue to sell their vehicles, and their vehicles will still be rated better than anything GM can put out. They may lose some market share from this, but it'll be nothing they can't make up.
     
    #6 eagle33199, Mar 10, 2010
  7. malorn

    malorn Senior Member

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    Very well said. Toyota good will built up over 2-3 generations is gone. They need to stop the bleeding and I don't think they have found the answer for that yet.
     
    #7 malorn, Mar 10, 2010
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