Toyota Adds Four New U.S. Product Quality Field Offices

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.is expanding its Product Quality Field Office program to four additional U.S. regional sales areas, following a pilot program launched in the New York regioin late 2009. TMS will officially open its next Product Quality Field Office in San Francisco this month, and three additional offices across the U.S. over the next 12 months. Toyota Canada will establish Product Quality Field Offices in Toronto and Calgary, for a total of seven offices across North America.

Staffed by technical and engineering specialists, the Product Quality Field Offices aims to enhance the ability to detect, analyze and respond to customer and quality issues in the field with the mandate to investigate specific field quality issues related to unique regional, geographical or environmental conditions in each area.  The New York region office was developed to investigate the performance of Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles in cold weather climates, with an emphasis on corrosion issues. The new San Francisco office will focus on hybrid vehicle systems and durability, with the high concentration of these vehicles in the California market. 

Toyota is currently evaluating opening additional offices in Jacksonville, Fla. to focus on heating, ventilation and air conditioning and drivability; Houston, Texas to concentrate on trucks and chassis components; and Denver, Colo. to study high altitude performance and SUV models. Offices in Toronto and Calgary will focus on extreme seasonal temperature changes and high road salt usage, as well as unique vehicle operating conditions.