Toyota denies all problems that have potential widespread repair cost or potential human liability concerns until they become so flagrant and the uproar so great that they can no longer deny them.
The did it with sludge problem, denying it was their responsibility and claiming that it would not happen if the owner changed oil regularly. Then enough documented cases of where the owner HAD changed the oil regularly and HAD documentation and proved that it still happens under proper maintenance. Even so, despite having had it PROVED that the problem was NOT directly tied to incorrect oil change frequency, Toyota still refused to pay for the extraordinary repairs to any car where the owner could not produce detailed documentation of changes. Nice policy.
Next we had the truck frame problem... more denials, until the uproar became deafening. Now we have the accelerator problem, very wide spread, and Toyota again denies any responsibility (for years) until every excuse they have come up with is proven wrong and the problem grows to most all their car lines.
I had my own experience with Toyota's policy of "deny everything" back in the mid 80's. My $300 warranty claim was denied by corporate and I quickly worked my way to the regional director. He refused to discuss the specific issue, but instead repeatedly read me a letter from the corporate lawyers denying responsibility. The issue was not the validity of my $300 warranty claim, it was the fact that it exposed Toyota to admitting to improper design in an area where loss of life was a serious possibility.
This isn's about the "big three". We all know they suck. This is about Toyota and their real colors showing, again and again. "We build a great product - unless there's a design defect that will cost us big - then you are on your own, sucker".