Poll: 31 Percent of Consumers Think Toyotas Are Unsafe

According to a poll published on Tuesday, 31 percent of American consumers now believe that Lexus and Toyota vehicles are unsafe to drive, while 55 percent say that the automaker dragged its heels in responding to possible safety issues.

Conducted by USA Today/Gallup, the survey that polled 2,021 adults revealed less uncertainty among current Toyota drivers, with only 14 percent believing the vehicles are not safe. A large percentage of Toyota owners—74 percent—said they have not lost trust in the cars.

Pollsters said the results also indicate enduring loyalty to the Toyota brand among prospective car buyers in the United States in general. Although 17 percent of potential buyers said they would not consider a Toyota vehicle anymore, 53 percent indicated that they would.

The survey, conducted from February 27-28, has a margin of error of three percentage points.

Consequences of Recalls

Toyota has recalled about 8.5 million vehicles worldwide because of unintended acceleration and braking problems that have tarnished its reputation for high-quality vehicles and put a spotlight on car-safety issues.

The corporation is now facing a drop in sales in the United States after recalling over six million vehicles in the U.S. market.

The survey results were released prior to a United States Senate Commerce Committee hearing where Toyota Motor Corporation’s North American president, Yoshimi Inaba, would appear to discuss Toyota’s new quality adjustments that emphasize safety more heavily in the vehicle design process.

Americans’ Impressions of Responses to Safety Issues

Gallup reported that the loyalty of consumers in the United States may partially be attributed to the fact that comparatively few Toyota drivers are impacted by the recalls. Only 14 percent claimed that their Toyota model was included on the recall list for accelerator pedal issues, while 70 percent of Toyota owners said their vehicle was not included on the list.

The United States government earned slightly higher grades from Americans for its response to the safety issues than the automaker did.

Although 55 percent of the people surveyed said that Toyota did not act swiftly enough, 42 percent believed that the response of the federal government was too slow, while 37 percent said that the timing of the government’s response was about right.