Toyota seeks expert help in restoring reputation
By Yuri Kageyama |
July 13, 2010, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TOYOTA said yesterday it is inviting four outside experts to help beef up quality controls at the recall-battered auto maker under a program that began in March to review defects.
Toyota Motor Corp said it was tackling a number of improvements, including analyzing each accident and consumer complaint more thoroughly and boosting communication with journalists and other outsiders to be better at ensuring quality.
Toyota, the world's top auto maker, has seen its once sterling image for quality plunge since October after recalling more than 8.5 million vehicles around the world with defective gas pedals, faulty floor mats, software glitches and other problems.
Despite vowing to improve quality, the car maker has in some cases discouraged independent scrutiny. Electronic messages obtained by The Associated Press in the United States show Toyota was frustrated with Southern Illinois University Professor David Gilbert, whose research indicated that electronics might be to blame for unintended acceleration problems in Toyota cars.
The messages show Toyota not only tried to cast doubt on his findings but also made clear it was displeased. One Toyota employee questioned whether he should be employed by the university, which has long received company donations.
Yesterday Toyota said it is boosting collaboration between its quality-related divisions and its legal division, beefing up training to get a better grasp of customers' views on vehicle troubles, and trying to obtain more input from third-party experts.
"Especially pressing is the need for establishing guidelines to steer crisis-management activity by the president and other members of senior management," Toyota said. "Also pressing is the need for bridging the culture gap between Japan and other nations in public relations."
Toyota Motor Corp said it was tackling a number of improvements, including analyzing each accident and consumer complaint more thoroughly and boosting communication with journalists and other outsiders to be better at ensuring quality.
Toyota, the world's top auto maker, has seen its once sterling image for quality plunge since October after recalling more than 8.5 million vehicles around the world with defective gas pedals, faulty floor mats, software glitches and other problems.
Despite vowing to improve quality, the car maker has in some cases discouraged independent scrutiny. Electronic messages obtained by The Associated Press in the United States show Toyota was frustrated with Southern Illinois University Professor David Gilbert, whose research indicated that electronics might be to blame for unintended acceleration problems in Toyota cars.
The messages show Toyota not only tried to cast doubt on his findings but also made clear it was displeased. One Toyota employee questioned whether he should be employed by the university, which has long received company donations.
Yesterday Toyota said it is boosting collaboration between its quality-related divisions and its legal division, beefing up training to get a better grasp of customers' views on vehicle troubles, and trying to obtain more input from third-party experts.
"Especially pressing is the need for establishing guidelines to steer crisis-management activity by the president and other members of senior management," Toyota said. "Also pressing is the need for bridging the culture gap between Japan and other nations in public relations."
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