Things weren't exactly rosy at Toyota before this recall - they got a bit of a bailout from their own government as well, around the same time GM did. Some of the Japanese media is also ripping Toyota a new one right now. Failure isn't tolerated in Japan very well, and this recall is definitely being regarded as a failure over there.
This guys definitely feels the recall should have come sooner:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100225/...ta_fatal_crash
Yes, all big automakers have had their recalls. Hell, even goodyear had a major debacle with the exploding tires. But let's not downplay Toyota's role in this, either. They're still playing games with giving different reasons & excuses for the issue.
With some accounts saying that shifting in neutral & stepping on the brake being ineffective in stopping the cars, and yet Toyota still recently saying it's just floor mats & pedal adjustments. Step one was admitting the problem (the recall), but I wonder if they've even found / fixed the issue.
And I've owned several toyotas & loved em.
Tony