Why Honda and Toyota Are Slipping
Instead of taking advantage of U.S. automakers' woes in the past few years, the Japanese automakers let themselves slide.
Formerly the Teflon Dons of the auto industry, Honda and Toyota dominated in innovation, quality and profits for the past 20 years. And when Detroit went into distress in 2008, it would have been reasonable to expect them to take advantage of things such as General Motors' downsizing to four brands from eight. But they didn't. And now Toyota's share of the U.S. market has dropped by nearly 3 percent since 2009, and Honda's by almost 2 percent.
I don't think it is so much Toyota and Honda slipping as it is the Americans and Koreans building an overall more appealing product. Honda and Toyota have been complacent and resting on their laurels for reliability while the rest of the industry has caught up.
Agreed. While some of their products are complete garbage, I don't consider MOST Honda or Toyota products to be bad. The biggest problem they face is that I can't think of one single category where Honda or Toyota is class LEADING.
Pretty good just doesn't cut it these days.
Andy,
I think many American companies could show some economic patriotism by pulling their foreign investments and outsourced jobs back to America. Just because you buy an American branded product doesn't make it American. Last year, as an example, the Toyota Camry was the most American car in America as far as assembly, part content and American labor goes. Based on this fact, what does that say for the patriotism of Detroit automakers who import their parts, assemble in foreign countries and invest in foreign labor?
I actually don't think anyone except Beltway is worried about market share and recalls.
Really? You're joking, right? Then why do you, Troy S., and Just_Great keep bringing the subject up when you're all bashing American companies over and over and over and over and over again? If recalls are okay, then why bring it up constantly when shoving your anti-American sentiment down people's throats? You've rambled on for months about recalls from GM and Ford versus your precious Toyota. There are dozens, maybe even hundreds of posts from you on this blog where all you do is bash American car companies. You've currently have 399 posts under the "frostyross" name, and I bet 397 of them bash American companies. And then there's all those posts of yours under the "carbuff346" name that follow the same trend.
You're delusional if you don't think it matters to you people, otherwise why do you three keep it up? Just read the last paragraph in your post below for proof. Classic frostyross/carpuff. You just can't help yourself.
The article did not state that Detroit has passed Honda or Toyota in anything, it claimed that the gap was narrowed to practically nothing meaning that Honda and Toyota are still better in those areas, just not as dominant as they were, or the difference is simply minimal in their opinion
@Andy
When Detroit earns the reputation that Honda and Toyota earned and dominated in for 20 plus years I will start to consider their products. A few good years does not give them the decades long reputation for quality that the Japanese earned. I have owned many brands in my lifetime and thus far the Japanese vehicles that I have owned have been much more reliable and cost effective to own. Make no mistake, once an American auto manufacturer leads in quality and reliability for ten or more years I will then start to spend my money with them again. In the meantime, I am sticking with the completely problem free Toyotas that I have enjoyed for many years. I am not going to purchase inferior products just to save greedy UAW jobs.
Of all domestic vehicles I have owned, I have never had one that was problem free but am on my fourth Toyota without ever spending a dime on a repair.
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