Toyota’s Mortifying Milestone

10.20.10 Toyota RecallAs sick as we are of writing about car recalls, and particularly Toyota recalls, this one is notable. Mainly because today’s recall of 1.53 million cars and trucks pushes Toyota past the 5 million recall mark. This embarrassing milestone comes as the result of a flaw linked to brake-fluid leaks, and affects Avalon sedans, Highlander SUVs, and the Lexus GS 300, IS 250, and IS 350.

If the 5.4 million cars recalled in the US this year weren’t enough of a black eye, Toyota has also crossed the 10 million mark for cars recalled globally. It begs the question- how many Toyotas are left on the road? According to an announcement in January, Toyota had plans to sell some 8.27 million vehicles worldwide in 2010. With 8.27 million new cars produced and over 10 million that have currently been recalled, well, things are not looking good for the automaker that once led the industry in safety and reliability. While their stock hasn’t plummeted, consumer confidence surely has.

Comments are closed.