Toyota’s Horror Hour

Among the few nailed-on certainties in the world, the reliability of Toyota cars was one. But that’s history now.

Among the few nailed-on certainties in the world, the reliability of Toyota cars was one. But that’s history now. In the space of a few months, the world’s largest car maker, and a veritable gold standard for mass manufacturing (research and publication about Toyota’s quality obsession is a thriving industry in itself), underwent the ignominy of issuing three product recalls that involves nearly 8 million of its vehicles around the world.  The first two instances—faulty floormats and accelerator pedals that could cause unintended acceleration, affected its Camry and Highlander bestsellers. But it’s the third recall, involving its showpiece hybrid car Prius, which is the bigger PR disaster. Touted as an eco-friendly car that lent Toyota its moral and technological edge over Western competitors, Prius’ faulty braking system is certainly a kick in the teeth. It’s the world’s first mass-produced hybrid and has sold nearly 1.5 million units. Its fuel efficiency made it an instant hit among cab operators from New York to Tokyo. Not surprisingly, the company’s president Akiro Toyoda lost little time in tendering an apology. ‘The past few weeks, however, have made clear that Toyota has not lived up to the high standards we set for ourselves. More important, we have not lived up to the high standards you have come to expect from us. I am deeply disappointed by that and apologize,’ he wrote in The Washington Post. Toyota’s Indian arm, though, claims that its plans to launch Prius here later this year are intact. Still, it’s the last thing Toyota needed, with a Suzuki-reinforced Volkswagen snapping at its wheels.

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