Free Republic

It turns out that the “bad guy” in the Toyota recall may not be such a bad guy after all, and according to experts may actually benefit from the mess. CTS, originally founded in 1896 under the name Chicago Telephone Supply, is widely reported to have made the gas pedal units at the center of the massive recall by No. 1 Toyota across several of its most popular models. But, wait a minute, CTS executives on Friday sought to set the record straight on just what the company did and did not do in the gas pedal mess. CTS Sets...

Toyota is the latest Japanese corporate icon making headlines for all the wrong reasons. News of the automaker's massive vehicle recalls over faulty gas pedals in the U.S. came just days after Japan Airlines, a once proud flag carrier, filed for bankruptcy, saddled with billions in debt. Sony has lost its lead in consumer gadgets to the likes of Apple Inc. and has suffered its own quality mishaps. Honda, Japan's No. 2 automaker, is recalling 646,000 cars worldwide because of a faulty window switch. Taken together, Japan Inc.'s stellar reputation for quality has taken a hit — just as China...

At General Motors, they used to call their surging competitor "Mr. T," as if intimidated by a muscular rival who seemed able to seize market share at will. But Toyota suddenly looks pretty meek, thanks to a mystifying safety problem that has led to a huge recall, an unprecedented production shutdown, and an ugly dent in a once sterling reputation. This corporate nightmare has mushroomed since last fall, when Toyota recalled about 4 million vehicles because of floor mats with a propensity to slip down into the driver's side foot well, potentially interfering with the pedals and causing sudden acceleration....