Toyota Situation

I can offer a number of comments on the current Toyota situation, but I am holding back because I think consumers, curious about the truth, should do their own "homework" and "investigation" to find out what’s really going on.

The current anti-Toyota media blitz is out of control. Instead of searching for the truth, the various stakeholders are looking for excuses to take down a company that has blessed North America with thousands of job opportunities.

As a lean champion, I urge all "lean believers" to go out and do their own research. Find out what happened during the 1980s with Audi's unintended acceleration (hint: after years of investigation, the fault was determined to be drivers’ errors), and find out how many non-Toyota unintended acceleration cases are reported each year.

Back in 1982, it took Audi almost 6 years to deliver a solution to its acceleration issue. Toyota did it in just a few months. Audi never apologized. Toyota's president apologized in front of the world (don't forget, he is the grandson of the founder).

Check out how many safety issues are reported to NHTSA each year which do not involve Toyota. Find out who really owns General Motors, Toyota's biggest competitor (truth: the US government owns 60% of GM). And find out who gains the most from the current controversy.

Do a root cause analysis. Brainstorm.
Find out the real truth behind the current push to bring Toyota to its knees.

Behind all of your research, I think you will ultimately find the same Toyota you always knew: humble, respectful, a problem-solver, with a customer focus and a vision to serve the world.
Need more proof? Take a look at Toyota's just published Youtube video, in which they openly show their reflective attitude and publicly accept responsibility. Compare Toyota's video to the video GM released when it went into bankruptcy – spot the difference in corporate attitude?

I'm not taking sides - but I will always support the "truth" and nothing else.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZoBfpm1zHg