Toyota dealers beginning to lose their patience

Toyota dealers are not happy campers. Besides dealing with millions of recalled cars and a battered brand image, dealers face lack of communication from executives and tanking sales and residuals. At the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in Orland, Fla. this past weekend, Toyota dealers were ready to give company executives an earful.

According to Automotive News, “that’s not just unusual; that’s unheard of.”

“There’s a goddamned gap in communication,” says Mike Sullivan, a Toyota dealer in Los Angeles.

Dealers said they were caught flatfooted when the company recalled 2.3 million vehicles three weeks ago for sticky gas pedals and suspended the sales of eight models.

“I think it will come out why Toyota did not include the dealer partners in the discussions on how to approach this PR disaster,” said Fritz Hitchcock, owner of three Toyota dealerships in the Los Angeles area.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)