Posted on 03/05/2010 12:47:27 PM PST by Born Conservative
As the Toyota Scion of Scranton dealership continues to replace gas pedals on Toyotas recalled for unintended acceleration, managing partner Greg Gagorik depicted the automaker as a victim of a political hit.
At a media event on Thursday at the dealership's new Scranton showroom and service center, Mr. Gagorik handed out lists of contributions by trial lawyers and the United Auto Workers union to congressmen who grilled Toyota executives last month over acceleration problems blamed for dozens of deaths.
Mr. Gagorik attended those hearings, where the U.S. government's majority stake in General Motors hung heavy in the hall.
"One day, U.S. Toyota dealers woke up to find that their government owned their competitor," Mr. Gagorik said. "Now, our tax dollars are being used against us. Our government has a major conflict of interest."
As if to say Toyota is not alone, Mr. Gagorik handed out news reports of the 540,000-vehicle recall by Nissan for brake and fuel gauge repairs and a 1.3 million-vehicle GM recall for power steering from earlier in the week. The majority of Toyota recalls, he said, are because of customers putting non-Toyota-made, after-market floor mats in their vehicles.
"How much will Toyota be liable for non-Toyota products being used in their cars?" he asked. "That will be answered by the courts."
So far, the dealership has serviced half its customers' recalled vehicles last month, or 1,200 of 2,300. The job takes about an hour, but customers can expect the process to take two hours.
Until last week, Toyota Scion service bays were open until midnight, and they remain open on Saturday and Sunday to service vehicles under the recall. Each customer gets a free oil change, car wash and $250 off their next Toyota purchase.
The work hasn't affected the dealership's ability to serve its customers, said Chief of Operations Vito Sampogne. The service department's 70 employees have been able to handle the work.
The dealership had several happy customers on hand to talk to the media Thursday. Customer Tom Matkosky of Justus said the local Toyota sales and service team - not the corporate executives - are the face of the company.
Mr. Matkosky has owned 16 cars of different makes in the last 29 years. He is on his second Toyota Matrix. His own car's recall has not diminished his faith in the brand.
"I'm disappointed in the executives. The way you react to something is important," he said. "But the dealership network is another story - they are doing everything in their power to take care of customers and address what is happening."
Kimberly Konopka also says she remains a loyal Toyota customer. She traded in one Corolla to take advantage of 0 percent financing on another, her third. The owner of a Gouldsboro horse farm, she also frequently drives American-made trucks.
"One recall doesn't bother me," she said. "That's nothing compared to the number of recalls on the American trucks I've owned."
Mr. Gagorik hasn't noticed a sales drop in the last few weeks, this being the slowest time of the year. But he said Toyota has put together the most generous package of incentives in its history to lure buyers to the showrooms.
"For 25 years, Toyota has had the best record of safety and reliability in the industry," he said. "That is not going to change."
He’s right. And this is going to blow up in the commie ‘RATS’ face.
Ping
I’ve never bought a Toyota, I’ve only been to New Jersey once, but I’d consider going there just to buy a Toyota from this guy. I might even pay sticker and not dicker. Kudos for having the guts to to publicly call this charade for what it is.
I say BRAVO, Mr. Gagorik! Way to stand up against the Democrat bullies and their coat holders, the corrupt MSM.
You were only one state off. This is in Northeast Pennsylvania, not Joisey.
Sorry. I know the difference; don’t know where that came from. I’ve been to PA many times.
Still, I really commend this guy for sticking his neck out and telling the truth. Especially in PA.
Yes, it’s a political hit.
Unfortunately, it’s just them taking advantage of a situation that Toyota themselves created. GM has problems that are just as grave, but I don’t think you’ll be seeing congressional hearings about those any time soon.
And yes, the SUA problem is *real*.
I would think the synthesis of the tort industry with unions is domestic terrorism....
There is a lot to blame this liberal government for but the failures of this riceburner manufacturer is not one of them.
Blame government for people having vehicles failing after they have been “repaired”?
Blame government for Americans who have died in those riceburners?
Blame government for a foreign invader manufacturer that has kept this quiet for years?
Blame government for fooling Americans that this junk is high quality?
Blame government for deficiencies that include multiple systems over multiple makes?
Toyota fans are acting like global warming religion worshippers.
Scranton Toyota dealer blames politics (contributions by Trial Lawyers, UAW)
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Gagorik is right. And add in the 24/7 coverage by the MSM and you can easily see why the deck is/was stacked against Toyota.
Contrary to popular belief and talk of conservative talk show hosts, all being fair and balanced, you could leave all those foreign cars at the port for the next ten years with heavy tariffs until we have a Detroit back on its feet.
We probably wouldn’t be in debt to China and Asia as a whole if we had a Congress that stopped the export of our jobs, factories and products.
We wouldn’t have our standard of living if it were not for the Unions. Without them, it would just be the rich and the peasants.
So, now we are paying for outsourcing with unemployment. We are paying for those who don’t want to earn it. We now have jeopardized our health industry with overhaul mentality than repairs and modification. The worst part is the congressional and senatorial buy-outs. What ever we would have saved was lost to Senator vote buying.
We will pay until it is broke.
Broke is when...I think we are already.
Most Sincerely,
Paul Pierett
Contrary to popular belief and talk of conservative talk-show hosts, all being fair and balanced, you could leave all those foreign cars at the port for the next ten years with heavy tariffs until we have a Detroit back on its feet.
We probably wouldn’t be in debt to China and Asia as a whole if we had a Congress that stopped the export of our jobs, factories and products production.
We wouldn’t have our standard of living if it were not for the Unions. Without them, it would just be the rich and the peasants.
So, now we are paying for outsourcing with unemployment. We are paying for those who don’t want to earn it. We now have jeopardized our health industry with overhaul mentality than repairs and modification. The worst part is the congressional and senatorial buy-outs. What ever we would have saved was lost to Senator vote buying.
We will pay until it is broke.
Broke is when...I think we are already.
Most Sincerely,
Paul Pierett
Everything the media says and everything the government does is now suspect.
Yeah right.
And you just keep on buying your Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Saturn... GM car like a good comrade.
Gotta keep those unionists happy.
Your idea has been tried before. See: British Leyland.
It didn’t end well.
Toyota fanboys are almost as bad as Glock fanboys. It is all a political hit... riiigghttttt
Nevermind the deaths... nevermind the memos... nevermind the fix that isn’t fixing
All GM’s fault.
ROTFLMMFAO!
Also, Harley got a protective tariff in the 80s, and look where they are now - hurting, with uncompetitive product that they can’t sell in the US due to the economy and can’t sell elsewhere because nobody wants it.
Are you talking about Toyota cars? They are made in the US and hire American workers to build their cars. BTW they are a great employer. My husband has worked for them twice.
Toyota is not union and they are some of the highest paid with the best benefits. That is why the other car manufacturers hate them.
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