What Makes Toyotas So Reliable?

Toyota is the world’s second most valuable car brand and has remained a firm favorite with American drivers. This Japanese car manufacturer sells over 10 million vehicles in the U.S. annually, with bestselling vehicles, such as the Corolla and the RAV4, increasing its market share. One of the key drivers of Toyota’s popularity and success in the United States is the reliability of its vehicles, which keeps the discerning motorist returning again and again. In this short article, we’ll help you understand why Toyotas are a popular vehicle choice by offering seven reasons why these vehicles are so dependable. 

Toyota Product Development System

Toyota’s ability to repeatedly and successfully bring reliable vehicles to the market is an exceptional accomplishment. Part of its success is due to Toyota’s holistic approach to designing a new car. Rather than being exclusively product-focused, Toyota uses an in-house product development system that looks at various areas of product development, including its tools, technology, processes, and people. The Toyota Product Development System is very customer-focused, addressing the needs and requirements of customers like yourself to identify the type of product to produce.

The developmental stages of new vehicles involve a wide exploration of options for product delivery. Toyota standardizes and benchmarks vehicle design and development to ensure that the finished product you receive is of a high standard. Toyota also takes time to make sure that the right personnel drive the development process, soliciting feedback from every level of the company and keeping suppliers involved to ensure successful and sustainable outcomes.

Toyota Production System

You can easily differentiate Toyota from its competitors through its unique and innovative manufacturing processes called the Toyota Production System (TPS). Toyota developed the TPS in the 1950s with input from renowned U.S. industrial engineer, Dr. W. Edwards Deming. It’s based on 13 principles or pillars, which include often-overlooked concepts such as learning from mistakes, fostering teamwork,  and incorporating human intelligence in automated processes. High levels of staff engagement and an emphasis on direct problem-solving anchor Toyota’s quality and consistency, ensuring that the brand continuously delivers outstanding products. 

Kaizen

Kaizen is probably the best-known of the TPS pillars. The word is a combination of Japanese words meaning “change for the better.” This groundbreaking concept fosters a company culture at Toyota to continually strive for improvement. You can see the effects of Kaizen in every aspect of Toyota production, which has been streamlined over decades to increase efficiency, minimize waste, and implement changes more quickly. 

Total Quality Management

When it comes to building a truly reliable vehicle on a mass manufacturing basis, quality control is essential. Toyota has been proactive in addressing this by using total quality management to identify and tackle errors in the manufacturing of its vehicles promptly.  Any worker can stop a Toyota assembly line to address and correct manufacturing defects and other problems, reducing the chances of a fault being present in finished vehicles.

Toyota invests in the continual reduction and elimination of errors, paired with engaged customer service that keeps the company aware of the performance of the vehicles it has sold. This is crucial to ensuring that you receive a high-quality vehicle throughout the supply chain. Toyota also prioritizes responsive customer service, so you can rest assured that the automaker will solve any aftersale problems quickly. 

Engineering at the Heart of Design

Toyota’s emphasis on engineering is key to the reliability of its products, with the company investing heavily in building teams of engineers who can develop vehicles that perform with longevity. Toyota has paid attention to the development of engine components that function well without being pushed to the limits of their performance. This strategy of making engine and mechanical parts capable of withstanding greater forces than you’d likely expose them to is known as overbuilding, and it’s the secret that makes Toyota engines extremely durable and resilient.

Supply Chain Quality

Toyota is reliant on high-quality materials and parts to make vehicles that last. Therefore, the company pays great attention to the source and quality of its supply chain, establishing strong relationships with suppliers and integrating them into its assembly processes. By working closely with suppliers, Toyota can ensure it always has the best possible parts, with problems addressed early and in partnership. Toyota also uses supplier relationships to make sure that the materials it sources maintain a consistent standard globally and that you can readily source exact replacement parts for your vehicle wherever you are in the world. 

Diligent Product Testing

Toyota excels in the rigorous testing and innovation of its vehicles and parts. You can rest assured that Toyota has thoroughly tested each component of your Toyota before the vehicle or its related products left the shop floor. Toyota routinely rejects entire batches of engine components because of a single failed part, with detailed analyses that include X-rays, ultrasound, heat and cold stress testing, and simulations. Before your car leaves the factory for a Toyota dealership, it will have met Toyota’s exacting standards.

Made in the U.S.

When you buy a Toyota in the El Monte area, you’re likely buying an American-made vehicle, as Toyota manufactures almost half its inventory in the United States. Toyota has invested in American assembly plants because of the quality of the workforce and the high product standards they deliver.

By manufacturing vehicles in the United States, Toyota also keeps costs down and ensures that the vehicle will deliver reliable performance in the area where you’ll use it. Local manufacturing, parts, and expertise mean that you can rest assured that you can service your Toyota to the highest standards, maximizing its life span.

Keep Your Toyota on the Road With Longo Toyota

Buying a Toyota provides peace of mind that you’ll enjoy a reliable vehicle that has been put through its paces. Toyota’s commitment to quality doesn’t end once you leave the showroom. Your local Toyota dealer offers dedicated aftercare that safeguards your vehicle’s performance. Visit the Longo Toyota dealership in El Monte to learn more.

parked white Toyota vehicle  by joshua yu is licensed with Unsplash License

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