Panel: Toyota Doesn’t Incorporate Customer Feedback Into Car Designs

May 23, 2011 9:52 AM

(credit: AP)

DETROIT (AP) — An independent panel set up to review Toyota Motor Corp.’s safety and quality issues says the company doesn’t do a good job of incorporating customer feedback into its car designs.

The panel says Toyota should appoint executives who are responsible for safety and should give more power to regional executives outside Japan.

Toyota set up the panel last year after it recalled millions of vehicles for safety problems, including sticky accelerator pedals.

Government testing has indicated that the problems weren’t caused by electronic or software problems, but most likely by floor mats or driver error.

Toyota says it’s already following some of the panel’s recommendations, including appointing chief safety officers in North America and Japan.

It has also extended the development time of its vehicles to allow more safety testing.

Panel: Toyota Doesnt Incorporate Customer Feedback Into Car Designs

TT

well if they dont consider customer feedback in their decisions – I guess we dont need to take into consideration their vehicles when making purchasing decisions……
james

Is anyone really surprised? They took far too long to acknowledge and recall the vehicles involved with sudden acceleration. Not to mention the obvious: their cars look the same between 2000 and 2011. If someone can please explain the dramatic design changes in a Corolla from 2000 to 2011, I’d appreciate it.