Once the premier automaker in the U.S. market, Toyota has recently dropped two spots and made room for Honda and Ford in the top two positions.
According to an April survey by the nonprofit publication Consumer Reports, 57 percent of current Toyota owners would “most likely” purchase a new Toyota vehicle, says Reuters. This figure is down dramatically from December, when 70 percent said they would buy another vehicle from the Japanese automaker.
More than half respondents said that the reputation of a brand was the most compelling factor in their choice of a new car, a factor which could have contributed to the negative approval rating because of Toyota’s recent negative publicity due to recall issues.
Though the brand’s reputation has suffered a blow, the sales of used Toyotas may not be as drastically affected.
In comparison to the opinions of Toyota owners, 68 percent of Honda owners and 61 percent of Ford owners said they would return to their brand.
As a result of dropping two spots in Consumer Reports’ ranking, Toyota may continue to extend sales incentives aimed at attracting more drivers in the U.S.