LOS ANGELES — Suddenly it seems like Toyota, long the good-news juggernaut that became the envy of other automakers, has lost its Teflon shield, according to USA Today.

Just last week, the automaker's splashy launch of its Sequoia SUV at the Los Angeles Auto Show was marred when the general manager of the Toyota brand knocked a camera from the hands of an environmental activist who sneaked into the presentation.

The executive, Bob Carter, says the camera bump was inadvertent. But the incident followed other troubles in recent weeks, including warnings that Toyota's once-vaunted quality rankings are weakening and the defection of three key executives to Detroit automakers.