Currently reading: Rivals capitalise on Toyota's woes
But Honda rules out "reacting in a predatory way"

Chrysler and Hyundai's American dealers have joined GM and Ford in offering Toyota and Lexus owners incentives to buy or lease new cars.

The incentives - worth up to $2000 on selected models - are being offered to capitalise on Toyota's ongoing problems with a worldwide recall of more than eight million cars due to a faulty throttle part.

GM capitalises on Toyota recalls

However, Honda has ruled out following suit.

"We will not react in a predatory way toward either Toyota or Toyota customers," said John Mendel, American Honda's executive vice president.

Twitter - follow autocar.co.ukSee all the latest Honda reviews, news and video

Join the debate

Comments
12
Add a comment…
NobbyUK 2 February 2010

Re: Rivals capitalise on Toyota's woes

jackjflash wrote:
Honda is as calculating and predatory as any other auto manufacturer; I would think I wouldn’t have to explain that to someone from your country, you only need look at what is left of your auto industry.

That's exactly my point - they're not. Often to their own cost, I might add. They still manage to keep shareholders happy, but not at such a great cost to customers, employees or the rest of society.

I could list endless examples of their more altruistic, human character, but it would take longer than a movie (possibly longer than the Godfather trilogy!) - and I may already have stretched your attention span. I'm not painting Mr Honda or the company still maintain his principles as angels, just saying that all companies are not, actually, the same - I'd like to buy good products from a company that cares a little more. It doesn't make them immune from the same technical problems, but when they (rarely) happen, I reckon they're due a bit more goodwill than the vast majority.

As for what's left of 'my auto industry', it's true the UK kind of gave up on it, and the Japanese knew a good thing when they saw it, so it evolved into something different when other countries artificially propped their car makers up (GM, Renault/PSA?) and UK customers proved not to be too loyal to home-made motors.

By the way, Nissan & Toyota took (and still take) government money to set up in Blighty. Honda? Not one penny - they tried to forge a partnership with Rover and just thought that Swindon was the best place to be. Like I said, not all the same.

fhp11 2 February 2010

Re: Rivals capitalise on Toyota's woes

"However, Honda has ruled out following suit."

Perhaps its because they don't want the others to mention that Hondas are setting on fire and burning people alive?

Just a thought......

You can't insult others for a problem that you've got yourself.

Overdrive 1 February 2010

Re: Rivals capitalise on Toyota's woes

Naughty and bad, bad GM, Ford and Hyundai. Who allowed them to behave in such conniving ways, trying to steal sales from poor, defenceless Toyota? What do they think they are? Commercial companies trying to makes a profit? How dare they? Why don't they learn from nice and kind Honda how to behave?

Gotta love the fairy tail naivety and simplistic view of the world on display here in categorising car makers as supposedly the good guys (Honda) and the bad guys (GM, Ford, Hyundai, Chrysler et al), why, because GM and the Ford apparently had the gall the try and nick some sales from the mighty Toyota; (never mind that Toyota and indeed the angelic Honda grew super successful and fat precisely because they nicked sales in huge numbers year after year from them to the point that it nearly drove them to extinction).

Get a reality check folks, Honda is a commercial company like any other and its primary responsibility lies to those who own it, i.e. its shareholders and it is no more than a good or bad guy than the others. If you believe otherwise, then you've been watching too many Harry Potter movies