Toyota is in for serious trouble

[Fiyero]

Have you heard the 911 call from the panicked family whose pedal stuck and they couldn't stop?

Warning: it includes the crash where everyone screams and dies.

http://consumerist.com/2009/10/toyot...floormats.html

[Coach McGuirk]

Have you heard the 911 call from the panicked family whose pedal stuck and they couldn't stop?

Warning: it includes the crash where everyone screams and dies.

http://consumerist.com/2009/10/toyot...floormats.html

I am sorry, I won't/can't listen and I am not absolving Toyota of responsibility but why does 911 come in your mind and not turn the car off?

[Surfah]

I am sorry, I won't/can't listen and I am not absolving Toyota of responsibility but why does 911 come in your mind and not turn the car off?

Same. IIRC the guy was a CHiP, no? Why would he call 911? Why wouldn't you just shift the car into neutral? I guess when you panic you just don't think but this guy was supposed to be trained extensively behind the wheel and to not panic in situations like this. This thing is sad.

[il Padrino Ute]

I might be mistaken on this, but all of the models mentioned in this article that have problems are made in the US with only a minority of the parts (mainly the transmission) made in Japan. The Japanese/Asian made models the 4Runner, Landcruiser, Scions and (I believe) Yaris aren't having issues. I've never bought an American made Toyota, but specifically looked for and bought a model made in Japan. I believe the light pickups are still made overseas, no?

If this is the case, then it's a blow to unions everywhere, as it's another argument that the unions don't allow incompetent people to lose their jobs.

[Fiyero]

Here's a huge black eye:

Only one month before the 100 mph crash where the accelerator got stuck and killed the whole family onboard, Toyota execs passed around an internal document boasting of a "win" for the company, because they saved over $100 million by negotiating their way out of recalling those vehicles.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/21/autos/toyota_document/

[Indy Coug]

Here's a huge black eye:

Only one month before the 100 mph crash where the accelerator got stuck and killed the whole family onboard, Toyota execs passed around an internal document boasting of a "win" for the company, because they saved over $100 million by negotiating their way out of recalling those vehicles.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/21/autos/toyota_document/

That's the kind of stuff that will kill a company.

[FN Phat]

If this is the case, then it's a blow to unions everywhere, as it's another argument that the unions don't allow incompetent people to lose their jobs.

The large Toyota plants in Tennessee are non-union.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Here's a huge black eye:

Only one month before the 100 mph crash where the accelerator got stuck and killed the whole family onboard, Toyota execs passed around an internal document boasting of a "win" for the company, because they saved over $100 million by negotiating their way out of recalling those vehicles.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/21/autos/toyota_document/

There goes the argument that Toyota issues more recalls because it's concerned more with quality than other makes that are deemed less reliable. For the foreseeable future I will only look at Toyota models that are at least in the 3rd year of production and still made in Asia. As far as I can tell only the Yaris, Prius, Landcruiser and 4Runner are still made in Asia.

[il Padrino Ute]

The large Toyota plants in Tennessee are non-union.

My bad.

[Solon]

There goes the argument that Toyota issues more recalls because it's concerned more with quality than other makes that are deemed less reliable. For the foreseeable future I will only look at Toyota models that are at least in the 3rd year of production and still made in Asia. As far as I can tell only the Yaris, Prius, Landcruiser and 4Runner are still made in Asia.

I read last week in the dentist's office about Toyota being reluctant to share information acquired through vehicle 'black boxes' (event data recorders)

http://www.newsweek.com/id/233585

They're screwed, and they deserve it.

[old_gregg]

i wonder if this could get me out of a ticket...

[venkman]

I'm sure the timing is just coincidental, but isn't it interesting that the seemingly do no wrong Toyota's nosedive happened soon after the U.S. gov't took ownership of two of it's biggest rivals? Just interesting.

For the record, I've never liked Toyota's and always thought they were overrated.

[pellegrino]

I'm sure the timing is just coincidental, but isn't it interesting that the seemingly do no wrong Toyota's nosedive happened soon after the U.S. gov't took ownership of two of it's biggest rivals? Just interesting.

I don't see the connection. Please, elaborate.

[TripletDaddy]

I don't see the connection. Please, elaborate.

I was hoping the same thing. I don't see the connection, either, but am interested.

There is a big spread in today's LAT about the deck reshuffle amongst the car giants....and how Ford of all brands will likely gain the most from this.

It is a pretty good read, a series of 3 articles about the DC hearings and also an insider perspective about the fractured and inefficient nature of Toyota's US operations (a common setup amongst Japanese companies).

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,4702379.story

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,7430975.story

[Donuthole]

There is a big spread in today's LAT about the deck reshuffle amongst the car giants....and how Ford of all brands will likely gain the most from this.

While gassing up the minivan on Saturday night, my head was turned by a very sexy looking sedan filling up at the pump next to mine. I didn't recognize it, so I nonchalantly meandered over and took a peek at the rear, making sure not to crane my neck and give away my investigatory intent.

To my surprise, the vehicle was a . . . Ford Taurus? Really? Wow. As strange as it feels to say it, the Ford Taurus is one of the best looking sedans on the road right now.



IMO, the Chevy Malibu and the Ford Taurus are both better looking than the Accord and/or Camry.