I drive a Toyota--a 2003 Tacoma--that I bought new. I wanted something that would last a long time--I was buying a house and I knew that I wouldn't be able to get a new car for a long time. I'm also not car crazy and I don't need the latest and greatest vehicle on the road. I will admit to being won over to Toyota because of their reputation for quality and durability, and I like the idea that Toyota vehicles generally held their value better than other brands.
Oh, how times have changed. So far, at least, my model and year have not been included in any of the recent recalls (the floor mat is well-secured to the floor board and the pedal has never failed to spring right back), but I'm sure the resale value has plummeted. I wasn't planning to sell it because I still can't afford to replace it, but I can't help but eye it warily at times, and wonder if the recall will be extended to include mine as well. Perhaps the quality had already declined when mine was built, and maybe it won't last as long as I'd been led to believe?
Of course, it's even worse for owners of vehicles that have been identified as defective. Toyota took their own sweet time in communicating with their customers, and now the government has piled on by telling them that they shouldn't even drive their cars until they are repaired. Are they serious? How is that even feasible? Perhaps I am in the minority here, but I don't keep a spare car in the garage, just in case mine is subject to a recall. I suspect it will take weeks, if not months, before all of the affected vehicles are retrofitted (and that assumes Toyota has accurately assessed the problem and implemented a viable fix).
Maybe this will prove to be the edge that U.S. automakers need to challenge Toyota in the marketplace (apparently Ford's sales have climbed in the wake of this P.R. disaster), but it's hard to be enthusiastic when it is at the expense of the consumer--who can least afford the hit.
