In a beat-up Maruti van, with a stick inside, Anil Kumar Vyas, 34, was chasing down Toyota owners behind in their payments.

I sent: Beck knows the Toyota owners.

The luxury auto segment, Mr. McCurry said, is the fastest-growing segment and it is what Toyota owners, who are affluent compared with the average consumer in their age group, graduate up to.

The company does not need to identify and take aim at a target market; plenty of satisfied Toyota owners will be willing to take a look.

According to analysts, Toyota owners (including owners of cars not recalled) may also be economically affected by the recall, as the damage to Toyota's reputation could negatively affect the resale value of used cars.

The Toyota owner appeared before the beak and the clamper appeared before a surgeon for some stitches.

"That's a good CO2 figure," said one admiring Toyota owner.

That, she said, plus problems with a new computer system and severe West Coast weather that hampered deliveries, accounted for the delays experienced by Toyota owners like Mr. Henry.

But anecdotal evidence related by Toyota owners, including postings on the Internet, indicates that at least some service managers have been forthright with their customers about the problems.

For instance, Toyota owners can receive online repair and service estimates, features likely to increase that more profitable business, and much of the cumbersome paperwork associated with buying a car here can be completed in advance over the Web.