Detroit News auto industry columnist Daniel Howes points out that, since Toyota has been caught up in its little “unattended acceleration” fiasco, it has been hit from all sides from governments to comedians. And the result will not be good for Toyota’s reputation as a manufacturer of safe, quality vehicles.
Howes points out that the U.S. government is pushing back hard on Toyota. The government has the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to show that the acceleration problem with Toyota models has been long-standing and that the carmaker has been slow to address it.
One cultural icon that has thrown his two cents into the issue is Jon Stewart of The Daily Show on the Comedy Central cable channel. Referring to Toyota’s problems, Stewart said, “Boy, we are back in the game. All we had to do was have the leading competition become a deathtrap. We guess the point is, if you’re driving a Toyota, you most likely can’t stop.”
A funny bit. Mr. Howe also concludes that this is all taking place at a time when the U.S. government has a vested interest in the success of at least two out of the three U.S. car makers. After all, he points out, the Treasury Department owns a controlling stake in General Motors and Chrysler.
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