Letter to the Editor (2)

To New York Times in response to "http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/business/global/09toyota.html?hpw":

Everyone seems to have forgotten just how reliable Toyota has been for years and years. Yes: rapid acceleration and faulty brakes are a huge problem for an automobile manufacturer and a huge risk to the public. But why all of a sudden do people seem to have turned their backs on a car company that for years and years put American brands to shame?

The public seems to have forgotten that nearly all major automobile companies have produced recalls for problems with their vehicles. For years and years consumers were told that the Ford Explorer had the highest probability for rollover among its other SUV competitors on the roads. Did that seem to stop people from buying them? Absolutely not. So why when Toyota, a company known worldwide for its vehicles’ reliability, issues a recall do people become so vehemently opposed to buying its vehicles?

Think about it people.

Why I chose this article:

I chose to write a letter to the editor about this article because of all the negative publicity Toyota has received lately. The media has unfairly represented Toyota recently and I felt the need to write to the New York Times about the article they published which criticized the automaker.

I drive a 1993 Toyota Corolla that has 263,000 miles on the odometer and I could not be happier with the way it performs. My father bought me the car when I was 15 for $100, and other than minor maintenance one would expect on a 17 year old car it has been unbelievably reliable. I cannot figure out why the public seems to have turned its back on Toyota so quickly. I completely understand why the public would be so worried about an issue like this. But it’s not as if other major automobile companies have never issued recalls before.

For years Toyota was the envy of the automotive world. Its sales were through the roof and its vehicles were renowned worldwide. The dependability and affordability of Toyota helped bring down American companies like General Motors and Saturn. So why is it that all of a sudden the company that was the talk of the town has become a taboo subject? It really makes no sense to me.

Do people really think that Toyota is just going to sit back and not do anything to correct the problem? Sure their reputation has taken a bit of a hit. There is no conceivable world where Toyota will just sit idly by and watch the empire it formed crumble. Give the company a chance to fix all the problems and show just what it’s made of.

Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone.