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Toyota fiasco, what's your take?

post #1 of 45
1/28/10 at 9:35pm
Thread Starter 
Toyota got a big problem going on here and yet their decision to stop selling 8 models of their car just amazed me. I'm just wondered for those who have toyota, will you still buy another toyota? How bad will this incident damage toyota image? So what's your take guys?
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post #2 of 45
1/28/10 at 10:19pm
And also, What about Lexus? Its just a fancy Toyota really.
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post #3 of 45
1/28/10 at 10:20pm
Most likely people still buying toyota. One guy at work had Tacoma with this problem, but only in reverse. He was not very upset about it, and turn around bought a Tundra. He is like: Oh, so that was the problem.....
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post #4 of 45
1/28/10 at 11:19pm
I think Honda sales will go up.
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post #5 of 45
1/28/10 at 11:26pm
Even with this recall they are still the best manufacture.
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post #6 of 45
1/28/10 at 11:38pm
Can someone post a link? I haven't heard anything about this ....
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post #7 of 45
1/28/10 at 11:42pm
Too soon? (Honda Dealer)



Quote:
Originally Posted by Primetime1337 View Post
Can someone post a link? I haven't heard anything about this ....
Some info:
Sticky accelerator forces Toyota recall - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

911 recording:
http://consumerist.com/2009/10/toyot...floormats.html
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post #8 of 45
1/29/10 at 12:04am
Feeling pretty glad I went for Subaru last summer and picked up a Legacy for the wife and a Turbo Forrester for me. Got rid of a boat and a truck to pay for them, but soooo worth it.
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post #9 of 45
1/29/10 at 12:07am
A couple dozen serious incidents out of HOW MANY MILLIONS OF CARS they sell annually? Nah, this is way overblown!!
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post #10 of 45
1/29/10 at 12:39am
I always have, and probably always will, stick to GM. Chevy just does it right. It's about time for Toyota to step down.
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post #11 of 45
1/29/10 at 12:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by RPHC View Post
A couple dozen serious incidents out of HOW MANY MILLIONS OF CARS they sell annually? Nah, this is way overblown!!
Actually this is starting to look pretty serious. It nearly killed Audi in the '80s, and their problem was entirely due to dumb drivers and a faked 60 Minutes piece. The Toyota problem is actually real, and there have been what, 3 recalls over this now? And suspended sales, and rental companies announcing that they wont rent Toyotas, and a Congressional hearing. This is about as bad of publicity as you could ask for.

Toyotas are bland, soulless driving appliances. People buy them because they expect them to be the most reliable cars on the market. Toyota has been coasting on their reliability rep for too many years, and has been cutting too many corners. Now they are paying the price.
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post #12 of 45
1/29/10 at 2:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3602 View Post
I always have, and probably always will, stick to GM. Chevy just does it right. It's about time for Toyota to step down.
I wish more Americans agreed with you. Maybe GM would stop losing money.

I haven't seen anything much other than the recall on this...what about them totally ending production of some of their cars?

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveBSC View Post
Toyotas are bland, soulless driving appliances. People buy them because they expect them to be the most reliable cars on the market. Toyota has been coasting on their reliability rep for too many years, and has been cutting too many corners. Now they are paying the price.
Toyota isn't the only company with this problem. I have a '98 Honda Civic and a mechanic at our local Firestone personally told me that he drove the same vintage car I did because the older ones were better made and the newer ones were slipping in quality and had more problems. Believe it or not, I think right around now is Ford's time. Their new cars barely resemble their old ones...I've personally driven my grandfather's stickshift 2009 Focus and besides a few minor problems (like the fact that I barely fit in that car), I think it's a fantastic car. Chevy's doing better but GM needs to cut down on their redundancy with their multiple lines and learn how to make their products more attractive. I'm sure Honda and Toyota will bounce back eventually but right now they're only par for the course with everyone else, even "Fix Or Repair Daily".
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post #13 of 45
1/29/10 at 3:00am
My mother owns an '10 Camry and previously had an '05 of the same. The mechanic at the dealership told her a couple years ago that the newer models aren't nearly the same quality as the old and I'd have to agree.

I don't know much about the mechanical aspects of the car but the fit and finish of the cabin on the '10 is certainly cheaper. For example, if you reach between either front seats and the center console you'll find that the (thinner) cloth isn't secured to the side at all. Toyota's design paradigm of cutting things the customer can't see is beginning to hurt them.

Overall though, my personal image of Toyota hasn't diminished much as a result of the accelerator problem. Engineering defects like this happen. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Toyota's CEO (I believe) has publicly expressed his regret and the company is backing it up with recalls. There isn't much more they can do than that in the short term.
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post #14 of 45
1/29/10 at 3:00am
A California state trooper died with his family in an accident due to a related flaw in a loaner Lexus:
Fatal Santee Crash Prompts Letters to Toyota and Lexus Owners - San Diego 6

The second recall is for a flaw in the accelerator pedal itself that can cause it to stick. They also had a recall for a problem where brakes could lose hydraulic pressure. You have to release the brake pedal and re-engage it, but most people taken by surprise would not know what to do.

This is a huge black eye for Toyota, and threatens to undo their hard-won (and mostly justified) reputation for quality. The company's slowness in responding to driver reports will also cause it to be excoriated. As DaveBSC points out, this is a genuine flaw in Toyotas, unlike the unfounded Audi scare of the 80s.

I'm quite glad I opted for a BMW 525i instead of a Lexus GS 450h.

On the other hand, in Europe at least the brakes and handbrakes have to be specified so they have more stopping power than the engine torque, so even if your car goes out of control, you should be able to stop even if you can't get the transmission into neutral.
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post #15 of 45
1/29/10 at 3:19am
Does this tarnish my view of Toyota's image? Not particularly. Every major car brand has issues that come up and every time a new brand makes it to the top, their issues become most prominent in the public's view. Toyota will bounce back from it, and if and when another brand succeeds them as number 1, we will see something very similar go down when they have a major issue.

Personnally, we had been considering buying two Toyota Highlanders a year back, but after looking around, opted for a Grand Cherokee and a Wrangler, keeping in line with a family backing for Jeep vehicles. They too are not without their problems (over time, they seem to develop small leaks that never quite disappear), but in the last 8 years, we've owned 4 Jeeps (99 Grand Cherokee, 01 Cherokee Sport, 09 Grand Cherokee, 09 Wrangler Unlimited), and not one has let us down yet.
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