Just when you thought it was over, the news got even worse today for Toyota. Many experts now believe that the accelerator issue may be a more serious electrical one, and may not be remedied by the special adapter Toyota has vowed to begin shipping to its dealerships later this week.I had the unfortunate experience of being the global vice president for a consumer health care business that was hit by a global recall in 2006. Observing the Toyota recall unfold over the past several days has reminded me of the lessons learned from my experience and from other recalls, and how Toyota apparently has not learned from history.First and foremost, companies run into issues by waiting until a clear root cause is identified for a problem before taking action in the market. From a purely analytical perspective, this makes sense. Academics and Wall Street types have been urging companies for years to quantify and analyze issues - then take proper action. However, what's lost in this approach is that in the court of public opinion, your root cause just does not matter. Sure, it's critical to eventually get to a clear root cause that's causing a recall such as Toyota's accelerator problem, Renu's related eye infections and, most notoriously, the deaths related to Tylenol consumption. But, in the end, it's all about regaining consumer trust, which is the most important element of brand equity. If consumers don't feel that you're acting in their best interest - including pulling a product from the market at even the slightest potential public hazard, then you're brand will be devastated. Rightfully so.Therefore, take action quickly to protect your customers. Don't let a problem percolate. Certainly, some issues are hard to pin-point and may require months, if not years, of investigation to uncover a clear root cause. Toyota is experiencing this right now, where there doesn't appear to be a definite reason for the accelerator issue. However, rather than keep their cars on the market until a clear cause-and-effect is identified, the company should have taken action earlier in the best interest of their customers. This is especially critical where health and safety are in question.