Being created as a result of the biggest recall in history, the offices are currently being set up in both the US and Canada, with the first one being opened last year in New York. As a result of the success the New York office had, the Japanese manufacturer announced yesterday it will add an extra four in the following twelve months.
The first new Product Quality Field Office will open in San Francisco this month, followed by the ones in Toronto and Calgary. In all, Toyota will have seven such offices in North America.
“Everyone at Toyota is working aggressively to understand what our customers are experiencing and to respond quickly to their needs by enhancing our information gathering capabilities,” Dino Triantafyllos, Toyota Quality Division vice president said when announcing the expansion.
“The expansion of our Product Quality Field Offices initiative is one example of the significant changes we are making across our North American operations to help ensure that we are a quality-focused and responsive organization.”
The offices will be in charge with the investigation of quality issues as they relate with regional, geographical or environmental conditions. In New York for instance, Toyota is testing its vehicles in cold weather climates, with an emphasis on corrosion issues. San Francisco will tackle hybrid vehicle systems and durability, Jacksonville will be in charge of testing heating, ventilation and air conditioning, while Houston will take care of trucks and chassis components.
The remaining offices will be in charge of testing high altitude performance and SUV models (Denver) and extreme seasonal temperature changes and high road salt usage (Toronto and Calgary).
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