• July 7, 2010

Sometimes you just can't catch a break: you can't really fix a problem with vehicles without recalls, but the recalls are going to hurt your brand rep nearly as much as the problem.

Starch Advertising Research in New York has data tracking the effects of Toyota's vehicle recalls on consumers' attitudes toward the Toyota brand. The firm's survey data taken before, during and after the slew of recalls show a big drop in consideration.

The firm says Toyota suffered a drop of 24% in terms of people positively disposed toward the brand-from 83% pre-recall to 59% post-recall. The numbers of those who said they were negatively disposed to Toyota more than doubled, from 17% pre-recall to 41% post-recall.

Starch tracked brand-impressions in the "Pre-recall" period (late 2008 to late 2009 prior to the 3.8 million vehicle recall); the period between the Nov. 2 recall and a highly publicized second wave of recalls beginning on Jan. 21 this year; and after that period through June, which includes the period in which Toyota recalled 4 million vehicles with potentially faulty accelerator pedals or other defects.

On July 2 Toyota announced its intention to recall another 270,000 cars worldwide because of a problem with that can cause the vehicles to stall.