TORRANCE, California — In stark contrast to the tactics of General Motors and Ford in the aftermath of Toyota's massive recall, Honda on Thursday said it "will not react in a predatory way toward either Toyota or Toyota customers."General Motors and Ford launched incentive programs this week aimed squarely at enticing disgruntled Toyota customers away from the brand as it struggles with a major image problem as a result of the recall. The domestic automakers' tactic of luring customers away from Toyota was criticized by some bloggers and even one other automaker — Hyundai — who likened the two to "vultures."
Honda also addressed customer concerns about how it is affected — if at all — by the Toyota recall for faulty accelerator pedals. The letter, to Honda and Acura dealers from John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor, is a tutorial on how to handle questions from the media and consumers.
"The recently announced Toyota recall has prompted some customer questions to you, our Honda and Acura dealers," said Mendel in the letter. "In fact, Toyota's recall, while serious, has no impact whatsoever on Honda or Acura customers. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., is not aware of any reports for either Honda or Acura vehicles, regarding the type of failure Toyota is citing as the cause for its recall. Additionally, while we use the same supplier as Toyota for some of our products (as do other manufacturers), we do not use the same components."
Inside Line says: No Honda or Acura incentives are in the works for Toyota customers. And only time will tell which automakers had the correct response to the crisis. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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