"We're talking about a great manufacturer who makes eight million cars. It seems that its size has created a media furor, followed by a public furor," Toyota importer Union Motors CEO Micha Carmon told "Globes TV" yesterday.
As for the Israeli media's handling of the Toyota recall, Carmon said, "Unquestionably, the media treatment is out of proportion to the problem itself. To date, we've handled this on the basis of what we've received from customers, members, and the media. As one journalist told me, 'You're handling it by the book.'"
"Globes": What effect do you foresee after the crisis?
Carmon: "At the moment, we haven’t seen any effect on sales. We've only had a few unusual cancellations compared with the regular daily statistics. The moment the Prius repairs get underway, it will be completed within a few days. The problem of the gas pedal will take a bit longer. In both cases, when we begin the repairs, next Wednesday or Thursday, the matter will begin to calm down. In my opinion, things should already calm down because there's no safety problem involved; it's psychological. When we begin the repairs, the pressure will ease."
Can you update us about the faults recently discovered in Toyota models?
"The first service call we received, about the gas pedal, related to eight models, six of which were imported in certain years. This service call covered 32,924 cars."
What about the Prius's brakes problem?
"This recall covers 1,535 Priuses delivered in Israel since September 2009. It only covers third-generation Priuses, the latest generation. This fault is essentially at slow speeds. In emergency braking, which activates the ABS, there is a hesitation of a fraction of a second.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 11, 2010
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