Posted on 03/10/2010 6:40:52 AM PST by laotzu
The head of the Toyota National Dealer Council today blasted the federal government for using 'taxpayer dollars' to fund incentive campaigns to lure customers away from Toyota, and accused GM of using ‘fear’ in an attempt to lure away its customers, 1200 WOAI news reports.
"As an American citizen, it is tough on my part to pay tax dollars to an entity that can turn around and use those tax dollars to get my fellow American citizens to not do business with me," Paul Atkinson, who owns Atkinson Toyota in Bryan Texas, and is President of the dealer council, tells 1200 WOAI news.
Atkinson says when General Motors was going through bankruptcy last Spring, Toyota behaved in a 'compassionate way,' and did not use GM's uncertain future as a 'lever to steal its customers.' But he says now that GM has been strengthened with taxpayer money, it is using 'low blow tactics' to hurt his business.
"The government owns 60% of General Motors, and these American tax dollars are funding business activity for one company, with the express goal of negatively impacting another company," Atkinson said today.
Atkinson specifically cited GM dealer mailings which he says have been targeted at existing Toyota owners. He called it ‘a nationwide predatory advertising campaign that uses fear in an attempt to lure customers away from Toyota and Lexus dealers.’
"There are some mailing lists which have been given to dealers, and there have been some mailers, in fact, I've seen several of them," he said. "On the outside of the envelope it says 'important Toyota recall information enclosed.' But when you open up that envelope, it is nothing more than an advertisement trying to get you to come trade your Toyota in at a GM store."
Atkinson calls those 'predatory incentives,' which he says should not be allowed to be employed by a company which is majority owned by US taxpayers against another company which employs hundreds of thousands of Americans.
"We will be sending letters out to Senators and Congressmen, as well as (Transportation) Secretary (Ray) LaHood," Atkinson said. "It's really unfair that American citizens have to fund this."
Atkinson also suggested that the recent Congressional hearings and federal government concern over Toyota's accelerator problems may have been sparked less by a desire to protect the public, and more by a desire to protect the federal government's investment in GM.
"There is a list of twenty manufacturers on these recall lists, and Toyota is number 17," he said. "If we're having hearings on number 17, what are they doing about numbers 1 through 16?"
Atkinson said business at Toyota dealerships was down 10% in January and down 8% in February, but the dealerships are standing behind Toyota products.
"Despite all of this, we outsold all of the other manufacturers in February except for one," he said. "Let's get these numbers in perspective. Sure, our sales are down, but we are outselling a lot of other brands."
Pssst...don’t confuse the jap-haters with facts :-)
Well, go on and say what you want. You’re wrong and that’s A-OK with me. Can we just leave it there, or should I expect a ‘FU’ Freepmail like STONEBALLS likes to send out?
Oh is that what is was, you little coward??
No offense to any Dealers out there, but I can’t believe anyone is crazy enough to buy a new car right now in this economy. Considering that a healthy chunk of 2010 Cash 4 Clunkers cars have already been repossessed (i.e. http://repofinder.com) why not just go to local banks and credit unions and buy these repo cars back for half the retail price? If you’re going to buy junk at least don’t over pay.
I’m willing to bet there is an ulterior motive to the “national” news about runaway Toyota products. Something is not right there.
Toyota doesn’t make muscle cars. I’ll keep my 2008 Ford Shelby GT500, thank you very much.
...no hypocrite...YOU were the one who got out the knee pads for the Japs with incentive packages and then defended them for complaining about GM...you can’t even make a decent argument.
“The feds never forced GM to build a factory anywhere.”
...nor did they force Toyota to manufacture in the U.S.
Toyota “quality”, “reliability” and “gas mileage” have been over-rated. I have had Toyotas. I have also had Buicks (all with the 3800 v6). I will take the Buicks I have had over Toyota anytime. The Buicks were quality, reliable, efficient motor cars, and comfort exceeded the Toyotas. In my Buicks I could get 30 mpg on the highway at 75 mph. Done repeatedly. At 65 I would expect 33-35 mpg, and got it.
The other big advantage is that the Buicks were American cars.
Toyotas built in this country are not American cars. Parts are generally imported. It is difficult for non-japanese mfgrs to become Toyota parts suppliers. Toyota changes the “spec” rules as you meet their “spec” forcing you to start over. “Specs” applied to Jap mfgrs are not as restrictive as those applied to mfgrs here.
Toyota parts cost more. Pricing on parts made other than here for cars built here are priced so that profit on cars built here is minimized - the profits all go back to Japan, minimizing US taxes. But we gave them tax advantages to build plants here.
As I said, it’s payback time, and payback is a bitch.
That’s my bride of 46 years. ;)
It’s a fun truck with a 450 HP supercharged engine, 0 to 60 in 5 seconds, great handling, quick stopping and smooth running.
Old guys like to go fast, too.
Is “F.U.” considered a decent argument, coward?
I'm glad to hear that. Good for you!
Why is that considered "an advantage"? Do you support the UAW?
So, I believe I know a little more about this issue than you. Toyota has better quality than GM. The are much more responsive to their customers than GM. They are much more involved with their dealers than GM. They take their CSI much more seriously than GM.
” Issues that would have been recalls for anyone else, they swept under the rug.” BS.
I'll give you a couple of for-instances about GM and then I'm done. The last batch of GM trucks with the 350. You would crank them to show them to a customer and they would knock like the engine was ready to fall out. Piston slap. GM says normal. Rear end whine after very few miles driven. 10,000 or less. Multiple complaints, I heard them myself. Tech bulletin, no kidding, says “if you turn the radio up halfway and you can't hear the noise, you don't have a problem.”
Maybe Toyota has a problem, maybe not. Remember Audi in the 80’s. Driver error. Almost put audi out of business.
So, we'll see who's the victim and who's not.
“
It does. The Top Gear guys did that test.
...you have no case and you know it....all you can do is call names...good bye...you get the last word.
Preferring Buick to Toyota has nothing to do with the UAW. I will do not want to buy a Japanese car, regardless of where assembled.
That said, if I were to buy one, it might be a Honda. Today I have a problem with buying anything from Obama Motors, though I still like the Buick.
GM’s problem began some years ago when the had a bean-counter (economist, actually) at the helm, Roger Smith. He essentially said ‘damn quality’, just sell cars. The other problem with GM, Ford and Chrysler is that they would not stand up to demands of the UAW. That resulted in high cost labor that made the Big Three less competitive than vehicles from Japan and Korea. It is easy to place blame, of course, but Roger Smith is at the top of the list.
As far as why I consider American an advantage, think about that. Manufacturing continues to flee our shores, and we allow it. We support that by buying all the stuff we think we have to have from China, etc. I would prefer that we still had a strong mfging base.
Vote with your money. I won’t buy from Walmart - most everything comes from China. Apply that to other retailers.
Well when I’m old, I’m gonna go fast too. But on a Harley!
I know that. Doesn't matter. The shoe should NOT be on the other foot. The Japanese don't have a screwed up union bankrupting them, and they make better cars.
You can denigrate their race all you want, but they're exhibiting an embrace of the capitalist spirit MUCH more than is happening with GM right now.
According to US federal law, Toyotas sold in the US must be manufactured here.
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