Sales Figures Up For The Big Three

DETROIT (WKZO) -- The February sales figures are out and they were better than expected for the big three, who were all in positive territory for the first time in years, but telling for Toyota which dropped 9% because of their recall problems.

Ford had the best numbers with a 43% jump in sales, GM moved 11.5% more cars this February than last and even Chrysler saw a half a percent increase in the number of cars they sold. Honda was up 13% and Nissan up nearly 30%

The number of deaths blamed on that sudden acceleration problem in Toyotas continues to rise as the review of a decade of crash records continues. Since the last congressional hearing the number has gone up from 34 to 52.

A new USA Today/Gallup Poll shows just how much impact the Toyota recalls have had on the brand name. Fifty-five percent of Americans say the firm failed to respond quickly enough to safety defects and 31% say they now feel it’s unsafe to be in a moving Toyota or Lexus. The ones who were most likely to have the negative opinions were respondents who had the highest incomes and most education. That is the prime buying public for autos, especially the Lexus brand.