MEMORANDUM

A December 2019 poll of 1,000 Toyota owners indicates that the company's decision to join a lawsuit against vehicle emissions standards significantly damaged its brand favorability and customer loyalty. While initial favorability was high, 81% of owners believe Toyota should support stronger pollution standards. After learning about the lawsuit and the fact that Toyota's fleet emissions worsened from 2012 to 2017, favorability dropped from 98% to 66%, and the percentage of owners who would definitely purchase another Toyota fell from 78% to 47%.

• Toyota's decision to join the Trump Administration lawsuit against California's authority to limit tailpipe pollution caused company favorability among its consumer base to drop from 98% to 66%.
• A strong majority of Toyota owners, including 75% of Republicans and 90% of Democrats, believe the company should support stronger pollution standards to improve gas mileage and help the environment.
• Consumer loyalty declined sharply after participants were informed about the lawsuit and the fact that Toyota was the only manufacturer whose fuel efficiency and emissions rates worsened between 2012 and 2017. The proportion of owners who would definitely purchase another Toyota dropped from 78% to 47%.
• The number of consumers considering switching brands increased from 23% to 54% due to the company's support for the lawsuit, with 39.7% of previously loyal customers now considering other brands.
• A majority of owners (72%) stated that their opinion of Toyota would improve if the company reversed its position and opposed the lawsuit against strong vehicle pollution standards.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2020). MEMORANDUM. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2020-01/2000121-toyota-owners-poll-key-findings.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. MEMORANDUM. 2020. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2020-01/2000121-toyota-owners-poll-key-findings.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=MEMORANDUM |date=January 2020 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2020-01/2000121-toyota-owners-poll-key-findings.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2020memorandum, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{MEMORANDUM}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2020}, month = jan, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2020-01/2000121-toyota-owners-poll-key-findings.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }