By Grayson Harbour
<[email protected]>

In January, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) recalled 5.6 million vehicles due to reports of sudden acceleration in some Toyota models. Night after night, news stations covered and probed the industry, seeking a response that ensured consumer safety.

Cullen Bickle, Toyota car owner and sophomore, said he feels the negative attention Toyota has received lately is unnecessary. “Would I buy a Toyota again? Yes, I think I would. The recall has scared a lot of Toyota buyers, but my entire family drives Toyotas and has driven Toyotas for many years,” he said. “I think that my family and I will continue to buy Toyota cars in the future, but we will look more closely.”

In an unstable economy, a massive recall can be extremely hurtful to a company’s profits. Economics teacher Michelle Foutz said, “I believe that the recall has affected the short-term stock price. However, I do not believe that it will turn into a long-term issue.”

In late January, Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota, visited the U.S. Senate for a congressional hearing to defend Toyota’s inferred negligence in quality that had caused several deaths, according to USA Today.
Also during that time, Toyota’s stock suffered with a decrease from $90 to about $40 a share. But, as Foutz predicted, stock value bounced back during the continuing months and currently rests at about $80 a share.

Nicco Ravena, first-time car buyer and sophomore, said he isn’t too concerned about this recall. He said, “I feel that when I look for a car, I’m looking for overall value based on the amount of mon≠ey I spend. I’m not really concerned about the make. If it’s a Toyota, that’s just as well with me as any other kind of car.”

Foutz, who drives a Toyota Camry,  said she went through the process of reporting a recall. “I called Toyota to schedule an appointment to have my car fixed, and I was referred to the Toyota Web site,” she said. “On the Web site, it instructs Toyota owners to wait until they actually receive the recall notice in the mail before scheduling an appointment.  So I wasn’t extremely happy with the response that I’d received so far from Toyota.”

Representatives from local Toyota dealerships said they  are feeling overwhelmed due to the large amount of repair requests generated by the recall. Butler Toyota of Indianapolis set up its own hotline to deal with recall information and repair appointment scheduling. Also, it temporarily shut down its online repair scheduling service due to the “increased traffic generated by the Toyota recall.”

Despite these recalls,  some Toyota owners are still loyal to the brand. Foutz said, “I still believe that Toyota makes quality cars, and I don’t believe this recall will affect my overall perception of Toyota.  I’ve always driven Toyota cars, and I’ve always been happy with them.  I’m sure that my next car will be a Toyota too.”