Toyota Motor Corp.’s current mess is not the safety-related recall of a defective product. The mess is how the auto maker has mishandled the investigation and publicized its defect and the related recalls.

Humans, and human creations such as companies, are fallible. The “relentless pursuit of perfection” (Lexus’ tagline) is possible, but attaining perfection all of the time is not. Every car maker has had a safety-related recall. We/they all fall short of perfection.

But enough theology.

Toyota’s push for growth increased the probability of a quality failure. Former Chairman Hiroshi Okuda’s drive to reach increasingly ambitious goals, which he rolled out under the slogan “We can and we will,” was packed with hubris.

But when Lexus suffered an embarrassing recall in its early months, it handled it masterfully and solidified a reputation for customer care. It turned a problem into an advantage. Toyota has bungled this recall. . . . READ MORE

Related articles by Zemanta

• AP Source: Toyota agrees to improve repair program (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Toyota President Says Growth May Have Led to Recalls (businessweek.com)