Toyota’s Recall Management Being Tested, Again

By Mike Rozembajgier

Just when we thought the case was closed on the Toyota sudden acceleration issue, the automaker has again been forced to put its recall management plans to the test.  Not long after Toyota received notice that U.S. safety regulators had completed a 10-month engineering study and found that electronic controls in Toyota vehicles were not to blame for the sudden acceleration problems that led to a string of widely publicized recalls in 2009, the Japanese automaker is now recalling another two million vehicles because of a defect that could cause gas pedals to stick.

While this move may come as a surprise to some, a string of expanding recalls like this is really not all that surprising. As I recently told Reuters, Toyota has been and will remain in the regulatory spotlight until all its safety issues are fully addressed. As a result, Toyota must be extra cautious to make sure that they have solid recall plans in place. In order to protect the brand from further damage, Toyota must be open and transparent with consumers and regulators about what this latest recall means.

Drivers have got to be wondering what triggered this new recall in the first place, coming as it does, more than a year after the initial announcement. While it is hard to tell what forced the issue this time, it is important for both manufacturers and retailers understand that when you are under an agency’s “safety spotlight,” you can count on government regulators to keep taking action until all safety issues are resolved to their satisfaction. And regulators are not above making an example of a big brand name in order to make their point.

You can no longer afford to wait until public attention makes a recall inevitable.  Toyota is already facing lawsuits, investigations and further regulatory action. Now it must manage all these risks while executing yet another recall.

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