Toyota Recalls Undermine Japanese Confidence in an Industrial Titan

 FROM THE LA TIMES: Reporting from Tokyo and Seoul – For 15 years, Tokyo taxi driver Kiyomi Hashimoto has been a loyal Toyota man. Not once has he considered changing brands or even the possibility of car problems.

But now, sitting in his black Prius, pondering the news of Toyota’s recent U.S. recalls, there are cracks in his once armor-plated confidence in the world’s biggest automaker.

“I never once thought I’d have a problem before,” he said. “Now, I’m not so sure.” MORE»