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Toyota president emerges to criticism

Detroit Free Press -- TOKYO - Japanese news media and business experts sharply criticized Toyota's president Saturday for what they called a delayed and unconvincing explanation for the massive recall that has sullied the world's biggest automaker, a Japanese corporate icon.

Akio Toyoda, the founder's grandson appointed to lead Toyota last June, emerged Friday to apologize and address criticism that the company mishandled the crisis. But he stopped short of ordering a recall for Toyota's Prius brake problems.

Among the reactions:

• "Words are not enough. The company's crisis management ability is being subjected to severe scrutiny." - An editorial in the Nikkei business daily

• "Utterly too late. The entire world is watching how Toyota can humbly learn from its series of recent failures and make....


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Submitted Feb 08, 2010 By: Martinman
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Champion Author Tallahassee

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Message Posted: Feb 9, 2010 4:05:32 PM

I wonder how many Toyota folks (esp in the US) are now panicking and "finding" more "issues" so they can possibly get rid of their vehicles?
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Champion Author Tallahassee

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Message Posted: Feb 9, 2010 4:01:53 PM

At least Toyota is facing up to it.
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computernut2008 Car icon
All-Star Author Ohio

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 11:56:31 PM

Fix the damned things and move on..This is getting ridiculous.
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Champion Author New Hampshire

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 6:56:54 PM


ctriverrunner

Please read the news. Totota has been ignoring and denying the problems for over three years!!!
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Sophomore Author New Hampshire

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 6:07:12 PM

Glad the Japanese media is reporting the truth and holding people accountable and not trying to pass the blame onto the US Govt.
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Champion Author Twin Cities

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:58:16 PM

time to face the music..
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Champion Author Massachusetts

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:54:50 PM

they now are making amends for not keeping up with the problems earlier
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Veteran Author North Carolina

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:53:23 PM

I want a car that will not ever have a problem. I want it to have safety features that will aways prevent me from getting hurt. I want a car that will not require any maintenance. I want a billion dollars. And I am not being unreasonable.
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Veteran Author Massachusetts

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:52:20 PM

Reminds me of the Ford Pinto issue. Took too long to admit a problem
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Veteran Author Massachusetts

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:42:37 PM

This reminds me of the US auto makers a couple of decades ago. I guess no matter who you are when they get too big they forget about the customer.
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Champion Author Virginia

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:35:14 PM

Toyota just needs to fix the problem to save face and quickly
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Veteran Author Ontario

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:31:39 PM

I have been finding references to "Tiger Woods" all over some blogs. Can someone enlighten me as to why he is being used in context to oil, gas and car recalls?

As I see it, Woods got caught having an affair. The news media tackled it like a piranha at feeding time. As far as I am concerned marriage and affairs are private things regardless of status and should be left alone.

Along that line of thought, I fail to see what the reference implicates.

I just finished reading the article and found something amusing. The NHTSA picked Toyota instead of say GM or Ford to push for more regulatory power. Not that it matters at this point though...

And yes it happens to the best and worst of us. How we handle it will determine what happens to people's perception.

Also, I have heard from other people that took their cars in that the recall was just a precautionary measure. And the dealerships were busy full of people wanting to buy Toyota vehicles.

Oh well, one problem down and now onto the next... Prius!

I also agree on the getting to big for it's britches part and letting the little things slip by.
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Champion Author Lubbock

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:30:28 PM

aw too dang bad
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Champion Author Columbia

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:30:19 PM

the Japanese society can be cruel.....
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Champion Author New Jersey

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:29:17 PM

Some of our CEO's should step forward and take the blame instead of their
multi million dollar bonasus.
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Champion Author St. Louis

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:26:13 PM

Toyota is going to find out its VERY expensive to sit on your hands.
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Sophomore Author Nashville

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:22:55 PM

Imagine that.
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Champion Author Mississippi

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:17:02 PM

MS Steve from MIssissippi posted...

"At least he doesn't have to apologize for taking BILLIONS of dollars, just to stay in business."

.

Ah, actually, Toyota DID take a "bailout" from the Japanese government:

Toyota Seeking Government Bailout in Japan

It was initially reported as "$2 billion", but I recall reading that Toyota received $2.2 billion from the Japanese government. This is in addition to the money it receives annually from the Japanese government for research.
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Champion Author Baltimore

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:09:35 PM

Happens to the best and the worst.
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Champion Author San Jose

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:05:00 PM

I wonder if any of the US car company CEOs would do this after their recall.
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Veteran Author Chicago

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 5:00:46 PM

Toyota brought on many of these problems & its silly to blame the U.S. for any of it
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All-Star Author West Virginia

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 4:59:06 PM

He keeps apologizing. Just fix the problems. He is in the position to call all the shots.
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Champion Author Ohio

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 4:58:27 PM

Got to big to fast and let the little stuff screw them. Where is the quality?
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Sophomore Author Mississippi

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 4:58:02 PM

At least he doesn't have to apologize for taking BILLIONS of dollars, just to stay in business.
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Champion Author Maine

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 4:57:24 PM

• "Toyota needs to be more assertive in terms of providing consumers comfort that the immediate problem is being addressed ... and that it can deal with these crises." -- Sherman Abe, a business professor at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo, in an interview

I agree - Toyota needs to make every effort to address the problems and work on PR.
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All-Star Author Texas

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 4:31:14 PM

I still think the American government is playing this rather infrequent problem up to boost Gov't Motors and Chrysler.
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Champion Author New York

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 4:27:36 PM

Akio Toyoda "emerged" on Friday. Does that mean if he saw his shadow that we will have six more weeks of Toyota recalls?
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Champion Author Milwaukee

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 4:23:12 PM

Toyota shot it self in the foot multiple times.
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Champion Author Omaha

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 4:20:22 PM

They are t slow for the American people it will hurt them big time.
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All-Star Author St. Louis

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 4:17:29 PM

send 'em Bob Lutz, he's a REAL car guy: he'll straighten things out.
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Champion Author El Paso

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 4:09:53 PM

I agree. Complacency is a hallmark of top companies.
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Champion Author Chicago

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 4:07:32 PM

he "emerged"? makes it sound like he's a groundhog
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Champion Author Toronto

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 4:04:50 PM

Just normal of being #1. Where can Toyota go beyond #1? Unfortunately for them and a lot of other former #1 companies, the only other direction that they can go is down, but this is all normal and to overhype all of this is just nonsense.
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Champion Author El Paso

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 4:02:27 PM

Ouch! Ray LaHood is piling on.
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Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 3:58:21 PM

Toyota's messed this up big time
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Champion Author Detroit

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 3:57:50 PM

Tiger Woods all over again.
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Champion Author Columbia

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 3:54:45 PM

Haven't we exhausted the Toyota topic?
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Champion Author Las Vegas

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 3:53:46 PM

Toyota will probably learn its lesson regarding safety (like Ford did with the Pinto). However, the damage to its image of quality will have a black mark for quite some time.
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All-Star Author San Diego

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 3:42:55 PM

enough allready.
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Champion Author Michigan

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Message Posted: Feb 8, 2010 3:40:22 PM

More than what you would get from GM or Chrysler
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