Toyota's culture has built the quality brand.  And they've delivered.

It has taken Toyota decades to build an image of quality and it's only after these decades of delivered promises that we the consumer allow ourselves to trust a company.  I think most marketing experts will agree that it is the culture at Toyota that has built this brand, and the culture is not going away.  David McBride of Reliable Plant states it well when he says:

At Toyota, everyone within the organization, from executives to shop-floor workers, is challenged to use their initiative and creativity to experiment and learn. We often hear labor advocates criticize assembly line work as being oppressive, and claim that menial labor robs workers of their mental faculties. However, this could not be further from the truth with respect to lean. When Toyota sets up assembly lines, it selects only the best and brightest workers, and challenges them to grow in their jobs by constantly solving problems. All areas of the organization (including sales, engineering, service, accounting, human resources, etc.) are staffed with carefully selected individuals, and the company gives them directives to improve their processes and increase customer satisfaction. 

Toyota invests time and money into their employees and has become the model for a true learning organization. The importance of teams and teamwork is a way of life: team-building training is required, and it is put to practice daily. This investment in its employees far exceeds that of the typical organization that focuses on making parts and counting quarterly dollars.

Toyota admits its mistakes, and apologizes.

I made a mistake.  I am sorry for that mistake and the trouble it has caused.  From what I can tell from this pedal engineering error and from from my research on past mistakes, Toyota is straightforward and open about any failures it discovers.  I think this goes a long way.






Toyota makes mistakes but fixes them, and fixes them well.

Example:  Toyota started receiving reports that excessive corrosion was occurring on the frames of some older Tacoma pickup trucks, specifically 1995-2000 models.  After investigation they realized that during the half decade of production some frames may not have received the corrosion protection from the factory that harsh climates and salty roads required.

Even though the numbers of instances were small Toyota:

• Extended rust perforation warranty coverage on all 1995-2000 Tacoma pickups regardless of whether you were the first, second, third, owner.
• Fully repaired trucks from this era who did suffer rust damage or offered to buy back the vehicle regardless of condition at one and a half times its value.

Has your view of Toyota changed?

Do you have experience with one of the recalled models and Toyota's efforts to fix the problem?