HEADLINE: Toyota seeks damage control, in public and private
CAPTION: In public, Toyota is running apologetic TV ads and vowing to win back customers'' trust. Behind the scenes, the besieged carmaker is trying to learn all it can about congressional investigations, maybe even steer them if it can. (Feb. 9)
[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE]
NB. THIS IS A VOICEOVER TRANSCRIPT, NOT A FULL SHOT LIST.
(Springfield, New Jersey)
"You just feel this jerk, this whoop! Type feeling."
That''s 2010 Prius Owner Scott Kivowitz describing the problem with his brakes.
"My first time experiencing it, it did scare me."
He''s anxious to get word from Toyota on when he can take his car
in for the recall fix.
(Scott Kivowitz, 2010 Prius Owner)
"The way I''m experiencing it is when I go over potholes and I have to hit the break pretty hard, it sort of gives a bit for a split second, and you feel this jump of acceleration and then the brakes kick in right away."
The automaker is recalling 437 thousand of the new Prius cars and other hybrids to fix the brakes.
The company''s president of American sales apologized on the company''s website.
BUG: Toyota.com
(Jim Lentz, Toyota President)
"I want to sincerely apologize to Toyota owners. I know that our recalls have caused many of you concern and for that I am truly sorry."
Toyota says recalled Prius owners will be notified by mail in the next few days of when and where they can bring their cars in to be
fixed.
(Ted Shaffrey, The Associated Press)
"Until very recently, Toyota had a fantastic reputation. The magazine Consumer Reports for the last six years has rated
the 2010 Prius one of their Top Picks among all new cars. It was rated on road tests, reliability and safety."
(Miami)
Many Toyota Dealers, like this one in Miami, say all the recalls are having a devastating effect on sales.
(Frank Marsala, Kendall Toyota)
"The biggest factor is the loss of sales, you know we have a fixed overhead here we have a lot of people on the payroll we have
advertising and process so, to cut your sales in half for 30 days is painful, but in the long run it will be a good thing for Toyota and Toyota dealers."
Trying to get ahead of the bad publicity, Toyota has been running TV commercials apologizing for their automobile''s problems.
NATS: "in recent days our company has not been living up to the standards you expect from us."
The commercial promises consumers it has stopped production of new cars until all problems are fixed.
Ted Shaffrey, The Associated Press, Springfield, New Jersey
HEADLINE: Toyota seeks damage control, in public and private
CAPTION: In public, Toyota is running apologetic TV ads and vowing to win back customers'' trust. Behind the scenes, the besieged carmaker is trying to learn all it can about congressional investigations, maybe even steer them if it can. (Feb. 9)
[Notes:ANCHOR VOICE]
NB. THIS IS A VOICEOVER TRANSCRIPT, NOT A FULL SHOT LIST.
(Springfield, New Jersey)
"You just feel this jerk, this whoop! Type feeling."
That''s 2010 Prius Owner Scott Kivowitz describing the problem with his brakes.
"My first time experiencing it, it did scare me."
He''s anxious to get word from Toyota on when he can take his car
in for the recall fix.
(Scott Kivowitz, 2010 Prius Owner)
"The way I''m experiencing it is when I go over potholes and I have to hit the break pretty hard, it sort of gives a bit for a split second, and you feel this jump of acceleration and then the brakes kick in right away."
The automaker is recalling 437 thousand of the new Prius cars and other hybrids to fix the brakes.
The company''s president of American sales apologized on the company''s website.
BUG: Toyota.com
(Jim Lentz, Toyota President)
"I want to sincerely apologize to Toyota owners. I know that our recalls have caused many of you concern and for that I am truly sorry."
Toyota says recalled Prius owners will be notified by mail in the next few days of when and where they can bring their cars in to be
fixed.
(Ted Shaffrey, The Associated Press)
"Until very recently, Toyota had a fantastic reputation. The magazine Consumer Reports for the last six years has rated
the 2010 Prius one of their Top Picks among all new cars. It was rated on road tests, reliability and safety."
(Miami)
Many Toyota Dealers, like this one in Miami, say all the recalls are having a devastating effect on sales.
(Frank Marsala, Kendall Toyota)
"The biggest factor is the loss of sales, you know we have a fixed overhead here we have a lot of people on the payroll we have
advertising and process so, to cut your sales in half for 30 days is painful, but in the long run it will be a good thing for Toyota and Toyota dealers."
Trying to get ahead of the bad publicity, Toyota has been running TV commercials apologizing for their automobile''s problems.
NATS: "in recent days our company has not been living up to the standards you expect from us."
The commercial promises consumers it has stopped production of new cars until all problems are fixed.
Ted Shaffrey, The Associated Press, Springfield, New Jersey
