Most of you people are idiots so you probably won't understand the irony but Toyota is KNOWN for quality. And I don't mean quality in "oh their cars are good!" but in terms of scientific management and the incredibly high levels of quality control they possess.
JIT (just in time management) aka The Toyota Production System is known for it's efficiency and the level of quality it's supposed to create. Think about it these terms: in every million parts produced you *might* get ONE flaw. They were the pinnacle of excellence. Non-Automotive companies would mimic their managerial styles in hopes of achieving this same level of excellence.
So this whole recall thing is going to completely destroy them. And possibly along with them, the Japanese economy.