This is a Toyota Corolla. If I’m on the streets, I will see this car every 15 seconds. If I were in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, this would be a different story. The state has recently banned the sale of the Toyota Corolla due to safety concerns. Toyota has certainly been under fire recently. They have a record-breaking debt of $16.4 million dollars to the United States for failure to notify them of defects, along with abundance of recalls and now the abolition of Corolla sales in Brazil. Things don’t look too bright for the famed Japanese carmakers. Toyota blames their defects on their recent rapid expansion. In 2008, Toyota overcame General Motors by becoming the world’s biggest carmaker.
This article once again concerns the issue of brand vs. product (as discussed in class). Toyota is a company whose reputation is parallel to Apple’s. However, it is in the field of automotive vehicles. With the recent international recalls, will brand loyalty prevail or is Toyota in for further decline?
SOURCE: TRINIDADANDTOBAGOGUARDIAN