Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Mr. Toyoda Goes to Washington

I didn't learn much about or get any meaningful insight in the continuing story of Toyota's quality control problems after watching part of Akio Toyoda's testimony to the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on the matter. Toyoda, the company president and grandson of the company's founder, apologized profusely for the malfunctioning breaks and accelerators that have caused many troubles - some of them serious - but I would have been happier if he'd sweated just as profusely. He actually took the time to say that Toyota remains a car company of good values whose quality control lapses are inconsistent with their business philosophy (why wouldn't they be?) and insist that electronics had nothing to do with the sudden acceleration problems. This latter statement contradicted that of James Lentz, Toyota's highest ranking U.S. sales executive, who said such a problem could not be ruled out.
Toyoda's statement, for all of its contrition, seemed to be divorced from reality, as he declared that his "personal confidence level is 100%" that there is no defect exists in his company's electronic throttles. Toyota wasn't always like this. Back in the seventies and eighties, they would be all over a car on the first report of a problem, but now they've waited for the problems to pile up before even acknowledging that something might be wrong.
I feel sorry for Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who has been diligently investigating this matter based on patterns of complaints regarding the cars but has come under fire for not moving aggressively enough, despite all the evidence that he's done the best possible job. I don't feel particularly sorry for Toyoda, who says he takes this matter personally because his name is on every car his company sells.
Well, a variation of it anyway.
Meanwhile, good riddance to Hummer, which GM has announced will be discontinued after a deal to sell the brand fell through. Like anyone really needs an oversized SUV with military capabilities.

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