Toyota: Moving Forward – Unexpected Support

SO FUNNY! I am sitting in a class right now and my professor is talking about his first job in California. He worked at a used Ford dealership. He only worked for one day. Guess why…

On his first day a poor family came in and was going to buy an older Ford Mustang. My professor knew it was crappy. The handles were falling off and he was sure it would only last a year, tops. He pulled the man of the house aside and told him not to buy it. He suggested that the man walk across the street to the Toyota dealership and buy a used Corolla for the same amount of money, because they are way more reliable. The man did just that.

When his manager found out, he was fired immediately. I think this story is great because it really shows people’s trust in the brand. I have no idea if my professor even drives a Toyota today, but to him in is common knowledge that Toyota produces quality cars.

Toyota: Moving Forward – Toward a Fixed Pedal

A friend of my mother’s took his 2010 Toyota Corolla in for the recall this weekend, and I was able to sit down with him and discuss his experience.

About two months ago Andrew received his recall notice in the mail. The letter instructed him to go to his nearest dealer in order to get his car updated free of charge.

He took his new car to Tustin Toyota in Santa Ana, CA. He explained to me that the employees were all very nice. He had made an appointment and was helped right away. Since he needed to get his first maintenance check as well, he did that at the same time. According to Andrew, both the recall and maintenance services took no more than two hours.

As far as the recall goes, the dealership had to put in a metal rod behind the pedal to fix the sticking problem.

After the service was done the dealership gave him a Starbucks gift card for any inconvenience.

Andrew told me that, for what it was, it was a pleasant experience and that his trust in the Toyota brand still remains (as long as the problem is fixed, of course).

I was personally very pleased to hear that Toyota dealerships have been going out of their way to make the owners of the recalled models feel comfortable and safe. Obviously it is inconvenient for a car owner to have to bring their car in for a problem it might not even had, but when they have a good experience while they’re there, they get a new sense of appreciation and loyalty.