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Editorial: Repairing cars and reputation
Only a few newspapers here gave much attention to Toyota Motor Corporation’s (TMC) announcement last week of the recall of millions of its cars worldwide for faulty accelerator pedals and Honda Motor’s similar move to repair 646,000 units of its Fit/Jazz and City models because of possible faulty window switches
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nly a few newspapers here gave much attention to Toyota Motor Corporation’s (TMC) announcement last week of the recall of millions of its cars worldwide for faulty accelerator pedals and Honda Motor’s similar move to repair 646,000 units of its Fit/Jazz and City models because of possible faulty window switches.
Even Toyota’s sole Indonesia distributor, Toyota Astra Motor (TAM), didn’t provide much information, only making a three-paragraph statement on its website quoting its Japanese principal in reassuring customers that all Toyota cars sold in Asia, including Indonesia, and Oceania, were not affected by the massive recall.
TMC explained Toyota’s accelerator problem did not affect cars in Asian markets because they were fitted with accelerators supplied by Japanese components maker Denso. The recalled cars were fitted with pedals made by American parts supplier CTS in Indiana. None of the Toyota cars fitted with the Denso pedals were recalled.
Honda’s Indonesian sole distributor, PT Honda Prospect Motor, did issue a special press release explaining that 3,240 City models sold in the country between 2007 and 2008 should be repaired as they used power window switches identical to those distributed in North America and UK.
Honda Prospect explained jazz sedans sold in Indonesia, different from those marketed in Europe and the US, which used faulty components made by Omron, were fitted with parts manufactured by Japanese parts supplier Denso.
However, the explanations by both Toyota and Honda, which are the most popular car makers in Indonesia, seemed too cursory and simplistic for such an important matter as transportation safety.
The way they played down the issue suggested the benchmark safety standards for autos sold in the country were much higher than those in the United States, UK, Canada and China, the markets most affected by the recall.
We wonder why Toyota Astra, which, like its Japanese principal, is long known for its devotion to quality control and its meticulous approach to building cars and servicing customers, didn’t explain in detail the technical fault affecting Toyota cars, which has caused fatal accidents, most notably in the US.
After all, two of the eight affected Toyota models in the US – Camry and Corolla – are quite popular in Indonesia. Honda City and Jazz cars also have been among the top sellers.
Toyota Astra and Honda here should not sit back and relax, complacent that there is technically nothing wrong with their cars due to different parts suppliers.
Both car assemblers should not wait until a series of fatal accidents occur. It is much better for Toyota Astra and Honda Prospect to go out of the way, conducting random technical tests especially on Corolla and Camry and Jazz models to convey a clear, strong message they really care more about the safety of its customers than mere income.
Such tests are necessary especially in Indonesia where car accidents are hardly subjected to comprehensive investigations by road transportation safety regulators.
The moves by Toyota and Honda to make massive withdrawals in the US, Europe, Canada and China, would certainly inflict big losses due to lost production and sales as well as repair costs.
But in the long run, such gestures and goodwill will contain the damage caused by the massive recalls and would even improve their reputation, which is a key to maintaining customer loyalty.
