Toyota Thanks Its 4 Millionth Certified Pre-Owned Customer
Michigan man presented with check; Toyota donates matching amount to local Ann Arbor non-profit
TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 15, 2014 /3BL Media/ – When Jose Ortiz of Ypsilanti, Mich. bought his 2010 Toyota Matrix at Dunning Toyota in December 2013, he didn’t realize the historical implication of his purchase. Ortiz’s decision enabled Toyota to become the first brand to sell 4 million certified pre-owned vehicles in automotive history.
The record-breaking sale was part of a banner year for Toyota, which sold more than 370,000 certified pre-owned vehicles in 2013.
To commemorate the milestone, Bill Fay, group vice president and general manager of Toyota Division at Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., presented Ortiz with a check equal to the total cost of his Matrix. The ceremony took place at Dunning Toyota in Ann Arbor, Mich., the dealership where he bought his vehicle.
Toyota also marked occasion with a check presentation of the same amount to Alpha House Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN), a local non-profit that Dunning Toyota has sponsored for many years.
Located in Washtenaw County, IHN is an emergency shelter for children and their families experiencing homelessness. Through IHN’s ongoing support and advocacy, families remain securely housed, better able to cope with ongoing challenges and more connected to community resources.
“Driven by great teamwork, Toyota’s certified used vehicle program has been a tremendous success not only in terms of units sold, but also in building customer loyalty,” said Fay. “Toyota was the first manufacturer to have a certified used vehicle program and there is no better way to celebrate this milestone than to buy a Toyota certified for our 4 millionth customer. On behalf of Toyota, I’d like to thank Jose Ortiz for being part of the Toyota family.”
Toyota, the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we’ve built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ nearly 40,000 people (more than 37,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships sold more than 2.3 million cars and trucks in 2012 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this commitment, we share the company’s extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. (NYSE:TM) For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
Media Contacts
Toyota Business CommunicationsAmanda Rice (310) 468-1745
Carly Schaffner (310) 468-6976
