Until now the current predicaments facing Toyota and its damaging recalls, especially in the United States, have been left untouched by AUSmotive. However, a recent tidbit caught my eye and I felt it was worthwhile sharing. And, besides, it’s a chance to poke a bit of fun at Amercians, and as delightful as our good friends Stateside are, it’s always fun to revel in a cheap shot.
US Senator Mike Johanns has suggested a ban on all vehicle imports from Japan be introduced until the Japanese government guarantees their vehicles are free of defects. He went on to say, “I can tell you the American consumer is getting tired of this thing if we are getting substandard products.”
Erm, sorry Mike, but would it be too unfair of me to point out that America is the market leader when it comes to vehicle manufacture of substandard products. Let’s face it, as a general rule, Amercians make crap cars. Substandard is their forte.
Presumably, Mr Johanns hasn’t actually seen a Pontiac Aztek. It was a sales disaster. One brief glimpse is all you’ll need to see why. Then there’s the whole Ford Explorer-Firestone debacle that Mr Johanns seems to have conveniently forgotten about. Then, of course, you have the whole carmageddon dramas brought about by the Global Financial Crisis. The US car industry is a basket case struggling for its life and would be the last place you would seek inspiration for industry best practice.
Moreover, it would seem Johanns has missed a vital piece of information about the affected models from Toyota and Lexus. According to USA Today, of the 8 million vehicles affected by the US recalls the vast majority were actually built in the United States.
Indeed, Johanns would do well to take a squiz at this graphic, created by Business Management, which highlights some of the biggest recall programs to affect the United States. Perhaps he might like to compare the ratio of US to Japanese auto makers.
So, is Johanns simply a fool who doesn’t know what he is talking about? Or does he have some sort of chip on his shoulder?
Turns out it is the latter. In a former life Johanns was the US Agriculture Secretary when the Japanese government placed a blanket ban on all US beef imports due to mad cow disease.
So, there you have it. A tit for tat Yankpot calls Jap kettle black.
[Source: USA Today]