Lentz: Rebuilding Toyota’s image will be a tough process

The head of U.S. operations for Toyota, Jim Lentz, said that the company is making headway as far as repairs are concerned, but rebuilding the brand”s image will be a grueling process.

“I think it’s a matter of time,” Lentz said. “They’re going to come back. I can’t tell you when. It’s not going to be weeks. It’s going to be measured in months, hopefully not years.”

While it is widely agreed that Toyota will eventually move past its recall problems, many warn that they will not enjoy the steady growth they once did. Even with the 35% jump in sales forecast by Lentz, Toyota will not likely regain their 2009 market share. The company had 17% of the U.S. market in 2009, but saw a sharp decline during the first two months of 2010.

– By: Stephen Calogera

Source: CNNMoney