Nearly four in 10 Americans (38 percent) have a more negative opinion of Toyota in the aftermath of its now widely publicized recall announcement, according to a national survey conducted by San Francisco Bay Area's Q & A Research Inc. And the bad news for the automaker doesn't stop there.
"Thirty-one percent told us they are now more likely to make their next car American-made," said Q & A Research president Warren Pino. "That's obviously bad news for Toyota and good news for Detroit."
Consumer confidence for any vehicle made in Japan has also dropped. Based only on what they have seen and heard about this recall alone, 15 percent of the more than 300 households surveyed said they now look less favorably upon Japanese imports in general.
"This wound is fresh and Toyota has a taken a big hit here." Pino continued. "They will undoubtedly focus on rebuilding trust with the American public. That effort and the mere lapsing of time will likely go far in repairing their reputation. The questions now are how long will that take and just how big of a scar will it leave."