Although the source doesn't say how many people answered the poll, the results show 63 percent of those interviewed still rate the company favorable (26 percent "very" and 37 percent "mostly"). Only 14 percent found the Toyota brand to be "mostly unfavorable," with another 14 percent giving it a "very unfavorable" rating.
Talking about the accelerator problem itself, 72 percent of those answering the poll believe this is an isolated incident and will not affect their decision for the next car. The rest believe the recall and the problems associated with it may go for another brand in the future.
Things, perhaps, would look much better if Toyota found a way to communicate better with the consumers in its biggest market. Until now, however, Toyota executives tell different stories, can't agree on when the problem really started and don't even know what the exact problem is.
What is certain is that the US government, especially the Department of Transportation and its LaHood appear to have gotten tired with all the Toyota talk. LaHood slammed the Japanese carmaker for being "a little safety deaf."
"Since questions were first raised about possible safety defects, we have been pushing Toyota to take measures to protect consumers. While Toyota is taking responsible action now, it unfortunately took an enormous effort to get to this point. We're not finished with Toyota and are continuing to review possible defects and monitor the implementation of the recalls."
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