SANTA MONICA, Calif. -

Now that a year has passed since Toyota’s highly publicized issues with unintended acceleration, Edmunds.com declared that some potential buyers are still avoiding the brand.

Edmunds.com reported that the number shoppers using its tools to consider Toyota vehicles dropped 2.3 percentage points to 17.9 percent this past month compared with December 2009.

Overall, Edmunds.com found that 2010 consideration for Toyota vehicles was down year-over-year by about 3.8 percentage points.

Last year, analysts discovered Toyota was the only major automaker to see a drop in overall sales — a decline of 0.3 percent. The downtick sent the OEM from No. 2 to No. 3 in U.S. market share.

Edmunds.com pointed out the decline came even as Toyota offered the highest year-over-year jump in dealer incentives — a spike of 33 percent.

Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds.com’s director of pricing and industry analysis, explained this trend means many consumers shunned Toyota even as the company offered bigger discounts.

“Toyota needs to overcome not just the PR damage sustained by last year’s recalls, but also the reality that many of its models are stale,” Caldwell surmised.

“In the last few years Toyota’s lineup has remained relatively untouched compared to the changes its top competitors have made to their fleets,” she continued. "In today’s competitive marketplace, updating the product line is more important than ever, especially as most new car buyers cross-shop online without much product loyalty, and many dismiss the cars that are lacking desirable new technology features.”

Analysts contend consumers interested in traditional competitors such as Nissan and Honda considered Toyota vehicles less often in 2010.

Meanwhile, Suzuki shoppers — who Edmunds.com thinks typically qualify for higher APR loans, accept longer loan terms and make lower down payments, suggesting a lower economic status — increased their Toyota consideration significantly in the last year.

The company emphasized that some specific Toyota models are elbowing back in on traditional competitors in recent months.

The rate of site visitors cross-shopping the Nissan Altima with the Toyota Camry, for example, has approached levels seen before the reports of unintended acceleration captivated the media last year. 

Earlier this month, Edmunds.com’s sister site, AutoObserver.com, reported that Toyota — including Lexus and Scion — plans to release 11 new or redesigned models this year. The sites believe updates to the Camry and RAV4 — two of Toyota’s traditional top sellers — will be included in the 2011 Toyota redesigns.

“In the end, new products and new designs attract car buyers,” Caldwell insisted. “Incentives work, too, but new products are a far better investment for car companies long term.”