Although Toyota is far from out of the woods for its unintended acceleration recalls, the automaker did perform well in March sales following February’s poor results. Thanks to substantial incentives that were aimed at boosting consumer confidence, consumers returned to Toyota showrooms in droves.
Toyota posted a 41% increase in sales for the month of March. Overall, the numbers also looked good as the industry reported a 24% increase in sales compared to March of last year, when consumer demand plummeted.
“Toyota’s strong sales performance in March reflects our customers’ continued confidence in the safety and reliability of our vehicles, and their trust in the brand,” said Don Esmond, a senior executive for Toyota Motor Sales USA.
Most analysts agree that the news is good, but the advancement of industry-wide sales isn’t necessarily a sign that retail demand has completely rebounded. Sales this month were heavily fueled by deals and incentives, and sales lost pace as the month progressed.
As Toyota continues to repair its tarnished image, the worst of the damage may finally be behind the automaker. Unfortunately, Toyota continues to grapple with the unintended acceleration fallout, including paying a proposed civil penalty of $16.4 million for hiding issues regarding the safety of their vehicles.
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