Im not sure how things work in the US but my advice is to work closely with your rep weather he be a Cat, Toyota, Hyster or any other dealer and make sure you have spelled out exactly what you expect from the dealer written into your contract. Make sure that things like residuals and customer damage are spelled out exactly and if you dont see something you want or do see something you don't like discuss it with him upfront. All dealers will charge for abuse and dont kid yourself if you think that only one manufacturer will. We are a Toyota dealer but we deal with an outside lease company. The lease company trusts that the equipment will be worth at least what the residual is at the end of the lease. This only makes sense. If the truck is destroyed or needs major damage repairs, the value could be less than the residual. No dealer wants to absorb damage repairs. It has to be spelled out clearly in the contract that damage repairs are to be paid by the customer. Sometimes there are grey areas like is a ripped seat damage. It is if it occurs on a regular basis. We usually allow for replacement of one seat as normal wear and tear. Some customers will go through two seats a year. Definitely not normal wear and tear. Also if you feel something is not damage you should always discuss it with the dealer.
If anyone is interested I can send them a copy of a blind survey done by Plant Magazine that asked questions about the major brands of forklifts. The questions ranged form quality, dealer support, range of products, reliability, safety etc.
Toyota has scored number one in every categoriy for nine consecutive years. That has to tell you that there are a lot of satisfied Toyota owners.