Toyota on the mend?

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Comments

  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    We have plenty of custom kitchen shops. Most order from the big cabinet companies and then install. Or the one we liked, wanted to sell us their cabinets Unfinished. Or they had a guy who would come finish them. He had a Mexican name so I am assuming he comes up and uses illegal finishes. You will never convince me that CA is not over regulated.

    No one including Toyota want to build anything here. CA the LEAST business friendly state in the UNION.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited November 2011
    If NUMMI wasn't union, Toyota may have passed on Mississippi.

    In hindsight, it would have saved them freight shipping cars the other direction. That part of the world is a 52 hour bus ride from the Bay Area (and don't ask me how I know, lol).
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Only people in the South will be able to afford cars before long. I would imagine Toyota was fed up with UAW and CA in general. Think about it. The trains coming back to CA ports are probably empty. Makes shipping cheaper coming this way after they offload all the Chinese crap in the Midwest and South.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,510
    Having just spent a couple weeks in many southern middle class, I can't say a lot of what I saw hints at some return of a booming prosperous working class just yet. Although you do have more to spend on cars when your 4 bedroom house on 2 acres cost 85K.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Gotta love the McMansion short-sales. Good time to buy, ironically. Sis got a house for about 40% less than the previous owner had paid.

    Did I read correctly that Fannie Mae will have lost 1/4 trillion by the time all is said and done?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Despite the spin telling us everything is fine and dandy...

    NA production is way down for the year. YTD is 1,003,068 cars, while last year they had built 1,235,140.

    So down 19%. Is Toyota sugar coating it? They are not back to speed, even October was down 4%.

    Meanwhile total North American output is up 11% for the year.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,510
    Actually, you gotta love the vinyl siding and face brick mcmansion subdivisions which are 50% empty, with many of the poorly built houses becoming teardowns in the next several years as the environment destroys them. I guess backhoe operators and junk haulers are new jobs to be created.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Fortunately her 'hood did not suffer that fate. They just got a little ambitious with home values that were not sustainable.

    At all.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,510
    The friend I visited in GA works for the county planning/building dept...he says most home values in his area are back to early 90s levels. Ambitious indeed.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It was a nice party while it lasted, and it (artificially) helped everyone.

    Owners had equity, and used that to borrow even more $ to buy Hummers and hot tubs.

    Banks were lending left and right, even 110% of equity.

    Local municipalities loved it because property taxes gave them HUGE budgets.

    Real Estate agents raked in the big commissions.

    Then the party crashed and Fannie Mae eats the huge loss. Our kids will pay interest on that loss for decades.

    That's why I think we will recover very slowly and never really reach that level of prosperity, because it was all artificial economic growth anyway.

    17M auto sales/year? Not likely.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,510
    That's why the oughts were a mirage, and those who complain that things suddenly crashed in 08 are on crack. Many saw it coming - I laughed when my coworkers urged me to buy in 06 "while I could still afford it". And prices continue to fall, and I don't see an end to that in real world areas where real incomes are still soft or failing.

    I bet Toyota sold every Sequoia and LC it could make back then, too :shades:
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    At 17,000,000 annual auto sales, just about everyone was selling everything they could make.

    In a way, Toyota was lucky the tsunami came in 2011 and not 2007. Can you imagine the disruption back then?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "Natural disasters and a muscular yen are taking their toll on Toyota Motor Corp.’s bottom line.

    Little from the Thailand flooding shows in the company’s first-half results, yet global vehicle sales already were off 18.5 percent in the first half of Toyota’s fiscal year, which ends next March."

    Toyota Profit Plummets 72 Percent (AutoObserver)
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    One good thing about the Philadelphia housing market is that we didn't get the big run up in prices during the 2000s like other regions. Then there are places where the housing market was already dismal and prices continued to fall. I think if I save up for a few more months, I'll be able to buy Detroit, or at least a few of its neighborhoods.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The surprising part is that they made any profit at all.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,510
    I am sure they banked a reserve of cash from those times too, helps with those issues today.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,510
    You could buy a block for the price of a Camry. But you'd rather have the Camry. The future of Detroit is a mystery - it has potential, but endless problems. I like prewar and early postwar housing stock, which Detroit is still full of, but after being neglected for 30 years, a lot of it is the same as a car sitting in a field for 30 years, hopeless.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Well, like I said, I'm surprised they're making any money at all, given an entire region of their home country was under water earlier this year.

    New Orleans hasn't recovered even years later. Different circumstances, of course, but still.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,510
    If NO was in Japan, it would have either been mostly rebuilt or bulldozed with the residents resettled several years ago.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, remember that quick highway fix they made? Just a couple of days...and that's with all the chaos surrounding it.

    I bet if similar damage was done to the Autobahn it would also be fixed before the locals could photograph the damage.

    *Sigh*
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,510
    That's what you get with national pride and $7-8 gas. Infrastructure. We don't has it so much anymore.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'd share a Kanye West tidbit but it seems unnecessary. :D
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    That's a shame, but at least they are making some money.

    I'm sure the Toyota hate group is cheering though. I feel sorry for the hate group - sad that they live like that. I'm cheering for all companies to do well, as it makes us ALL better.
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    Well, we do have to keep in mind the atrocities that happened just a measley 70 years ago...

    We can't move on from that... ever. :sick:

    2012 is going to be a make or break year for Toyota IMO.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,691
    edited November 2011
    "Toyota has received a total of 79 reports about the defect dating back to 2007, said Corbett. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries related to the problems, he said.

    "The recall affects 447,000 vehicles in North America, as well as 38,000 in Japan and another 25,000 in Australia and New Zealand, said Toyota spokesman Dion Corbett. In Europe some 14,000 vehicles are being recalled along with 10,000 in the Middle East and 14,000 in Asia outside Japan.

    "The latest recall is due to the possibility that the outer ring of the engine's crankshaft pulley may become misaligned with the inner ring, causing noise or a warning signal to light up, the company's U.S. sales unit said in a press release. If the problem isn't corrected, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley, making it suddenly more difficult to turn the steering wheel."

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/09/toyota-recall-steering-problems_n_10833- - 21.html

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    edited November 2011
    I told you they felt a bit disconnected. :D

    Actually looks like it affects earlier Siennas, but not mine.

    Remember - loyalty among owners who came in for recalls is higher than those who did not. This doesn't hurt Toyota the way you might think it does. Don't be surprised to see an uptick in sales in the next month or two, especially since the new Camry will be in showrooms.

    In fact, makes you wonder if this is just a conspiracy...and they just want half a million customers back in dealerships at this specific time. ;)

    You could be right - they stalled until the Camry was in showrooms.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Yes, I agree !!! I can see it here on the internet forums and in my personal, face-to-face conversations. And not just Japan vs. US, but Hispanic vs. Caucasian, etc. etc. Very sad. Again, I hope these people would stop the hate and channel their energies into something more productive. They would be happier and everyone would benefit.

    Sorry, I will stop now - back to cars.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I think you can blame 99% of the discord on Main Stream Media. As well as problems blown out of proportion with cars, Toyota included.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    "My car is running fine" stories don't generate headlines. Shoot, they don't even generate many posts around here.

    It really does help to kill your TV though. :shades:
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Well, the media wants controversy, since all they want is attention. More hits/views sells more ads, equals more $$$.

    I feel like even the news has become unwatchable.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Facebook is just about there too. :sick:
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, they are trying their best to ruin it.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited November 2011
    Please go to Google+ and Plus us.

    And buy a car using our quote service. :P

    Would you like fries with that? :D
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Beach fries with vinegar and Old Bay seasoning. :shades:
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited November 2011
    I can do that. Got all the ingredients and the beach is just a couple of blocks away. Balmy 37°F (and the water temp is probably around that too).

    More bad news for Toyota (gotta keep the hits up, lol).

    The Edmunds 2012 Buying Guides are out. No Toyota was recommended in the Sedans section. No coupes. The Taco was #2 to the Frontier. No wagons. No SUVs. No convertibles. No diesels. Prius got the nod in the Hybrids section and the Sienna essentially tied the Odyssey. And Toyota did well in the Mobility section.

    I didn't count Lexus models. A brief glance indicates that Honda/Acura did even worse with our editors.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,691
    >they stalled until the Camry was in showrooms.

    Odd that you suggest they stalled off reporting until the new Camrys were stocked. Those Japanese are really devious in their planning is what you must be suggesting. ;)

    It sounds like the recall has a symptom of a loose pulley before it gets to the stage of shedding the belt. That's not as dangerous as it sounds.

    I was next to a semi of Camrys in traffic on I75. Actually not too bad from the back. Better taillights than before to my own personal taste. There's something odd to the pattern of a spear going downward. I'll have to look at a local dealership to see it from ground perspective. The front has mitigated the oddness of the previous design. I really liked the alloy wheels on one of the cars at the back of the semi.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • xluxlu Member Posts: 457
    This year, GM is poised to retake the mantle as No. 1 automaker that it fumbled away to Toyota in 2008 as the Detroit giant careened toward bankruptcy.

    With 6.79 million sales through September of this year, GM leads Toyota by 1 million vehicles. Germany's Volkswagen AG is the surprising second with 6.17 million vehicles sold this year.

    Still, GM may be able to keep the sales crown even after Toyota recovers from the effects of the earthquake and floods because Toyota buyers have had reasons to look around, Keller said.

    Winning market share back won't be as easy for Toyota as it was over the past two decades, when Detroit's Big Three all had financial problems and quality issues, Keller said.

    "GM is in a better position in China than Toyota. That could do it for them," Hall said. "To keep the lead in the long term, GM will have to match VW's growth here and push more sales in China."

    Source
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'm not surprised, Editors will pick driver's cars every time. The public is a different matter.

    I always say, if we were allowed to design a car, it would be a diesel-only station wagon that was only available with a manual transmission. They'd sell 3 of them. :D
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Odd that you suggest they stalled off reporting until the new Camrys were stocked

    Jokingly, yes. I knew you'd buy right into that. FWIW they said noone was injured. How many people died in GM pickup fires due to the side saddle gas tanks which they still have not addressed?

    http://www.autosafety.org/history-gm-side-saddle-gas-tank-defect

    over 1,800 people were killed in fire crashes involving these trucks from 1973 through 2000

    1973 is slightly before 2007. :P
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    We'll have wait and see. GM beat Toyota while Toyota had one hand tied behind their back (tsunami) and one eye blindfolded (Thai floods). Let's see when they're at full strength.

    Detroit's Big Three all had financial problems and quality issues

    Wasn't GM's outlook just downgraded?

    Also, Ford has had quality issues with newer transmissions and with MyFord Touch. My co-worker had to replace the entire trans on her Fiesta.

    Grab some popcorn, let's watch what happens next year. Should be interesting, for sure. Toyota will finally have fresh models (Camry, Yaris, Prius V, and Lexus GS).
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited November 2011
    Sure feels like yesterday though. :blush:

    NA production should return to normal next week. Hm, sounds ambitious. (nasdaq.com)
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,691
    edited November 2011
    >Jokingly, yes. I knew you'd buy right into that.

    Oh, you were trying to manipulate the situation? :P ;)

    When I looked back, it seems it's a problem that shouldn't happen, but it's not going to happen without some noise or vibration. And only the power assist would be lost for the steering as the belt came off or shredded.

    Which is worse, that or the electric motor on the steering assist going out.

    >the side saddle gas tanks which they still have not addressed?

    Are you trying to say that toyota uses side saddle fuel tanks? :blush:

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Since you're back, care to comment on the Malibu's recent sales?

    In the middle of the year you wrote:

    Chevrolet Malibu is the new best selling car in May; No. 3 overall.

    Toyota Camry slipped to No. 12 overall.


    How about now?

    You can't just cherry-pick the info you like and share just that.

    Malibu sold 181,505 as of the end of October while Camry was over a quarter million, for the record.

    Perhaps you expect them to make up the 70,000 car deficit? :P
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    edited November 2011
    How many people died in GM pickup fires due to the side saddle gas tanks which they still have not addressed?

    I think you will find the Percentages of deaths to the number of vehicles sold quite low during those 27 years. I believe the GM PU trucks sold better than just about any other vehicle in that period. Most lasted a lot longer as well. 66 deaths per year as a percentage of the 40,000 auto deaths per year is rather insignificant.

    I personally think we waste a lot of money on safety. Last I read we spend $30,000 per life saved with seat belts and a whopping $1.3 million per life saved with air bags. And the biggest rip-off is car seats for kids over the age of two. Where the studies show a kid strapped into a back seat is less likely to be injured than in a car seat. Worthless Laws probably pushed by the car seat manufacturers.

    http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_levitt_on_child_carseats.html
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    A little NVH on a Toyota gets flagged, while fiery deaths in a GM do not. Yeah, that's fair. Or perhaps it reflects owners' expectations? ;)

    That was a joke.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You're being inconsistent, Gary.

    You made a big deal when 4 people died in that Lexus, with the police officer behind the wheel, now 66 deaths mean nothing? You made a huge deal of the SUA saga.

    Criticize Toyota all you want, but making excuses for GM? C'mon...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Looks good, but anyone else see an Avalon greenhouse there? With Art & Science everywhere else.

    http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/09/cadillac-xts-makes-early-unintended-appearanc- e/

    I like it, FWIW.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,691
    >Or perhaps it reflects owners' expectations?

    I think gagrice address your concerns adequately.

    I'm still trying to determine which rims on the Camry on the hauler yesterday. I will have to stop at an area dealership and try to find one on the lot with those rims. They are reminiscent of the Chrysler 300M chrome rims. However, they were covered with a thin cover on the car hauler. so they were hard to see.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    You're being inconsistent, Gary.

    Hardly, we need to look at it from cars sold to deaths. I think we can agree that the cop and family dying was a combination of poorly designed accelerator and dealer screwup.

    Also the deaths attributed to Toyota accelerators was over a shorter period of time.

    I owned 4 GM trucks in that period and found them very safe. Including hitting a very large deer with one of them and suffered no injuries. A Buck that would have probably come through the windshield of a car like a Camry and caused injury.

    My point being some one that drives sensibly will fare better in a PU truck or SUV than any sedan including the Camry/ES350.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    We're talking about 4 deaths over a 5 year cycle for that Lexus, and toss in 5 years' worth of Camrys since they are clones.

    I don't recall anyone caring about overall death rates back then, just the 4 deaths in that officer's loaner.
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