Toyota Recall Ad Released

If you were wondering whether one can advertise a flaw in its products, then you thought tight. Japanese carmaker Toyota released over the weekend a new ad, in which it tries to explain why it recalled so many cars and why it decided to stop production at five of its North American plants.

The ad, far from being a masterpiece, pretty much explains the fact that Toyota recalled so many vehicles out of an excessive sense of responsibility, rather than as a result of a total failure of its vehicles. A point of view with which, to be honest, we agree.

What we don't agree with is the apparent lack of transparency the Japanese have adopted ever since the whole mess began. Despite the gazillion press releases, statements and apologies, and despite the several months that have passed by since the accelerator problem in Toyota vehicles became public, the carmaker still HASN'T explained exactly why it all happened.

Still, the recall is in effect and a new one, this time regarding the Prius hybrid, is in the making. This time, Toyota didn't blame a matt, or a poorly constructed accelerator pedal, but the software in the car's braking system.

Toyota says this new glitch is easy compared with the other ones and has, already and silently, implemented a fix on the Priuses manufactured in 2010. And yet, when news of some 100 complaints regarding the brakes surfaced, Toyota denied knowing anything...

Theoretically, the whole mess has been handled beautifully by Toyota, who recalled almost everything just to be sure. Practically, Toyota pulled the rag from under its feet on its own, by never saying what it knew, and when it knew it.