Americans are turning against Toyota Motor Corp. after sudden-acceleration complaints forced it to recall more than 8 million vehicles worldwide, while Ford Motor Co. is the most popular automaker, Bloomberg reported.
More than four in 10 Americans say they “would definitely not buy a Toyota,” according to the Bloomberg National Poll. The Japanese company is viewed unfavorably by 36 percent of those interviewed, the highest negative rating in the survey, while fewer than half -- 49 percent -- have a favorable impression.
Ford, the only U.S. automaker that didn’t seek a federal rescue, is seen favorably by 77 percent of those surveyed, topping No. 2 Honda Motor Co. by seven percentage points. General Motors Co., eight months after getting U.S. aid to survive, has a positive rating of 57 percent.
The results show the challenge faced by Toyota, which in 2008 passed GM to become the world’s largest automaker, as it tries to regain consumer confidence, said Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst at IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts.
The poll found that the older the respondent, the less likely they were to have a positive opinion of Toyota: 37 percent of people over 65 see the company favorably compared with 51 percent of those under 35.
The Toyota City, Japan-based company is using no-interest loans and lease discounts to coax back buyers after its U.S. sales dropped 12 percent in the first two months of this year. The incentives have helped boost sales as much as 44 percent in March from a year earlier, said Dave Cutting, senior manager of North American forecasting for J.D. Power & Associates.
Toyota’s share of U.S. vehicle sales in February fell to 12.8 percent from 15.9 percent a year earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Ford Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth said “it’s far too early” to say if those market share losses will be permanent.
“They’re a formidable company with formidable resources and with a stellar track record of building their brand,” Booth said yesterday in an interview. “You’d be foolish to count them out.”
Ford, which avoided the bankruptcy that hit GM and Chrysler Group LLC, returned to profit last year and gained U.S. market share for the first time since 1995. Its market value has increased almost fivefold in the last 12 months.
