Perhaps it was the novelty of a gas-electric hybrid, perhaps weather conditions that induced the Pruis brakes and accelerators to be automatically activated, perhaps the insensitivity and lethargy with which the crisis was handled- whatever the case, it snowballed into a nightmare for Toyota’s reputation, causing online polls that asked consumers point blank: If you were in the buyer market, would you consider a Toyota today? From being the darling of the automotive industry to being a suspect and stained brand, Toyota seems to have crashed hard and fast.

The fault, critics say, lies with the approach. Toyota played the classic shambling procrastinator who waited for the nagging customer to go away and the finally when denial was no longer possible, and disclosure inevitable, doing what little damage control it could to salvage the situation. You would expect more from a company that took the world by storm about 50 years ago and continues to inspire trust and reliability i.e. before their brakes started malfunctioning, the most obvious and basic of failures that ought to have been identified in the prototype stage.

Toyota needs to learn to own up to its mistakes, and doing so by its own initiative, not when pulled by its ear to come face to face with its short comings. As much as it is an admission of having erred despite being such an established firm, it is better than to pretend that it was a ‘characteristic’ of the brake system rather than a potentially fatal fault, as claimed by the managing director Mr. Fonseca.

 “The company ascribes the alleged brake problems to customers misunderstanding the feeling of the ABS braking system.”

What Toyota needs to rectify the situation is start with the grass root level top prevent such future events. It needs to set up quality control units that test hybrids specifically on all mediums and surfaces, i.e. ice etc. it also needs to set up crisis management units that are trained to give prompt responses and swiftly bandage a potentially injurious situation. Any Toyota vehicles that cause safety concerns ought to be recalled without arguing with the customers over technicalities that are irrelevant and escapist. Toyota should man up and deal with the state of affairs instead of wishing/waiting it away. Compensation and damages ought to have been paid punctually to those claiming the product negatively affected them. Repair parts along with trained technicians ought to have been shipped as soon as the crisis had been identified.

Further more, it should release regular updates on their improvement, recall and investigation process to assuage the fears of the public and soften their insensitive image. Toyota also ought to inspire loyalty to customer as much as loyalty to the organization image. However loyal you are to the company it does not merit covering up and refusing to see the problem until you are rammed between the eyes by the bull. With an expected total loss of 1200 million in lost sales and fixed processes, this was no small predicament Toyota found them selves in. such an issue deals a severe blow to its image of legendary quality control circles that most other competitors have found hard to ape. Perhaps it got complacent and lazed on a job it thought it had down pat.

Whatever the reason, Toyotas excellent reputation has saved it from outpouring of rage on a global scale and its conservative and naturally nationalist home market has resulted in its skin being saved. But that doesn’t mean it should give up and drop the idea of perfection and service with which they made their way into auto-buyers dreams.