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Comments
Host? That sounds uncalled for. Is that sour grapes? Or bitter lemons?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I suppose we could simply do it the internet way and add a half dozen more question marks to the title, and throw in a few exclamation points up there too.
Will Toyota still hate newsmen at the end of 20 10?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
:surprise:
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
We haven't heard that from our Toyota salesman friend for a couple of days.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
But Toyota will find a way out; Ford did after the Explorer/Firestone problem last decade.
I'm surprised that Toyoda hasn't required the head of Toyota USA to commit seppuku.
That's the first step to healing - ending the denials !!!
It WAS my fault. The gas pedal is stiff and I mistook it for the brake, because I had different shoes on, and so I tromped on it and hit the person in front of me.
I've never had trouble with it since.
I now have a Tundra 2008 and I'm going to keep my eye out for this although they said it is VERY RARE... and hasn't happened all that much.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
"Your Toyota dealer is glad to announce the Toyotathon Static Display Event! The Toyotathon Static Display Event provides an extended period for Toyota vehicle lovers to look at, but don't touch, their favorite from among select new 2010 Toyota models that we're not allowed to sell at any price! Go home and talk it over with your wife! You've got a lot of time to think about making a new Toyota vehicle yours as soon as we work the bugs out of it."
Will it be safe to drive vehicles to and from the exhibition locations? Will it be safe to drive them inside the hall to get them onto the display? Will they have to truck them there and use towmotors to move them around inside the hall?
Maybe they could just put large pictures of the vehicles up for display? And they could have salesmen around telling potential buyers it was just the floor mats the customer put in or it was the customer's mistake not changing the oil enough.
This has got to be a come down for a lot of Toyota salesmen whom I found to be extremely arrogant when visiting the showrooms.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Send to: karen@edmunds.com
when growth or other aspirations result in a lack of complete attention to all the details this too will find its own level and balance itself. it is a shame that people were injured from these alleged malfunctions.
karen@edmunds.com
Toyota's President Worried About Company Reputation on Quality (Wall St. Journal)
All the affected models have been recalled for repair, which will be free to you if you visit your dealer.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
While this is true, Toyota will stop manufacturing until a permanent fix is available. Question is the temporary fix good enough? If so, why stop manufacturing?
I too noticed kdh's sudden and very conspicuous departure from the board - I suspect he is up to his chin in doo-doo at the dealership as they try and figure out how they are going to stay afloat selling only half the usual models (and the less popular half at that!).
And I would echo what many here have said regarding the Firestone/Explorer mess - people eventually forgot and the impact to Ford was short-lived. There's just something about these really large automakers that they have a momentum that is hard to kill once they get big enough, almost regardless of what happens.
Even after a notorious bankruptcy and supposed widespread dissatisfaction with the large bailout, GM is still selling more vehicles in the U.S. than anyone else....
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I predict the end of the 2009 model year, there will be quite a few more "leftovers" than usual :P
Supposedly the Lexus RX which is built in Canada uses Denso pedals exclusively, not the American made ones. :shades:
The CAUSE is still driver ineptness.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
"On a related note, Toyota dealers are also reportedly getting instructions from the Mother Ship on how to answer questions related to the recall. AN editor James B. Treece reports that when asked if any accidents have been reported, dealers are encouraged to respond, "The number of accidents is still under investigation" without further confirmation. As Treece notes, the spin continues, as just a simple yes or no would suffice."
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
He's around, but I bet he is rather busy.
kdhspyder, "Afraid Camry Owner - Toyota found to keep tight lid on potential safety" #235, 27 Jan 2010 2:11 am
And here comes GM:
GM Offering Incentives To Toyota Owners To Switch Vehicles (CNN Money)
Good post by Cooterbfd over in GM News about the spin:
cooterbfd, "GM News, New Models and Market Share" #9467, 27 Jan 2010 1:12 pm
The statement from Toyota says everything that can be said at the moment. What can and is being done locally is selling the vehicles that are made in Japan, including several of the ones in the N American recall.
Corollas, Camrys, etc and all 'J' vehicles are being sold as usual.
Silver lining edition ( a prerequisite for any sales person in any industry ): More Prius' should be in demand for those looking to buy a Toyota. We have 75% of this market here in hybrid sales. Used vehicles not involved in the recall are being sold daily as usual. Life moves on, we deal with it.
What would you do? Am I obligated to still buy? Do you think I could negotiate some money from this?
Thoughts...
Regarding this second stiction problem, I am not aware of any confirmed deaths or injuries from this. Everyone points to the Dec 26 crash where an Avalon went into a lake and drowned 4 people. The floormats were found the trunk, but where is the evidence that the crash was caused by a sticky accelerator pedal? I don't even know if one could tell once the car was submerged in water.
According to both companies, the problem is gas pedals that become too hard to press down, or fail to pop back up quickly enough – and that potentially could get “stuck in a partially depressed condition.”
CTS, which has also produced components for Ford and GM, won an award from Toyota in 2005 for delivering 100 per cent of its parts on time with zero defects. It received another award a year later for exceeding quality expectations.
What would you do? Am I obligated to still buy? Do you think I could negotiate some money from this?
First, talk to the dealer. I doubt you'll get money, but they may be willing to rescind the deal and return any deposit. If not, you may need to talk to a lawyer since contract laws can differ in states. If the contract you signed specifically states in it that you were supposed to pick it up today, I think the inability to deliver probably negates its validity. If not you are dealing with a grey area of whether the dealer's inablity to give a specific date nullifies contract validity which may be impacted by the contract language. Good luck!
It also underlines the fragility of the automotive supply system, in which problems in delivery or quality at a single supplier can cause production at an auto maker to come to a screeching halt.
Certainly not like the old days, when manufacturers made just about everything in-house. Those days are long gone, for better or worse.
at this point, at the core, this is a software issue.
the mat and pedal issues only make it more likely to be experienced.
it is still a rare occurrence.
overall, this is a case of buying time so the engineers can figure out a real solution (imo).
'ghosts in the machine' can be a tough nut to crack.
ABC News stated 20 deaths on the newscast at 6:30 this evening.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
What would you do? Am I obligated to still buy? Do you think I could negotiate some money from this?
If you don't want the car any more I would try to get out of the deal.
However, it's a shame that for any little thing in this country, people think they can "get money". I don't see how you've been wronged in any way that deserves damages. That sounds greedy to me.
Driver: Toyota 'Accelerated' Into Pa. Laundromat (CBS 3)
Note that "certain" 2007 Camrys are on the recall list. (AutoObserver)
You know one has to wonder what would have happened if this would have been any other company. Many people have been complaining for some time that the perception of Toyota quality hasn’t completely translated to reality in the last few years. I would have expected to see the alarm coming from these forums months ago but brand loyalty sometimes makes it hard to see.
We are used to hearing about recalls on domestic vehicles and we have heard that the quality control at the Japanese companies is far too great for anything like the domestic recalls to take place.
Articles like the one in the LA times and other papers show that it is harder to be number one than anyone thought. To stop production on 8 models and not have any idea when they will restart is history making to say the least.
I retired last year and have been traveling a lot in the last few months. I am surprised to see not much has changed since I was gone.
By DAN STRUMPF
NEW YORK (AP) - Toyota dealers across the country were swamped with calls Wednesday from concerned drivers but had few answers a day after the company announced it would stop selling and building eight models because of faulty gas pedals.
Toyota insisted the problem - sudden, uncontrolled acceleration - was "rare and infrequent" and said dealers should deal with customers "on a case-by-case basis." But drivers of Toyotas and those who share the road with them were left with uncertainty.
In an unprecedented move, the company said late Tuesday it would halt sales for the eight models - which make up more than half of Toyota's U.S. sales volume - to fix the gas pedals. Last week, Toyota issued a recall for the same eight models, affecting 2.3 million vehicles.
A private firm said it had identified 275 crashes and 18 deaths because of sudden, uncontrollable acceleration in Toyotas since 1999.
In North Palm Beach, Fla., Clare Roden showed up at a Toyota dealership worried about the 2010 Camry she purchased recently. She was relieved when she was told her accelerator was not a problem part.
"I didn't want to get out on I-95 because people are not very safe drivers there anyway," Roden said as she waited in the lobby while mechanics checked her car. "I wanted to get it down here as soon as possible."
The dealership owner, Earl Stewart, said about half his cars are affected by the recall, a huge hit to business. He said customers had been flocking in with concerns about the accelerator on all of the models. He sent some home with loaners.
"They're very frightened," he said. "Many people are concerned their accelerator pedal is going to stick and they're going to be involved in an accident."
At Walser Toyota in Bloomington, Minn., owner Doug Sprinthall took calls all day Wednesday from people wanting to know if cars they once thought were dependable were affected by the freeze. He didn't have much to tell them.
"It's hurry up and wait," he said. "We've got a lot of faith in Toyota. They're a good company. These things are not unheard of. ... What's different about this is it's just so many vehicles."
Toyota has said the problem appears to be related to the buildup of condensation on sliding surfaces in the accelerator system that help drivers push down or release the gas pedal. The gas pedal mechanism can wear down, causing the accelerator to become harder to press, slower to spring back or stuck.
Outside safety experts say it could also have to do with the complicated electronic sensors that relay the message from the gas pedal to the engine, the design and location of the sensor system and a lack of an override mechanism.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told WGN Radio in Chicago the government had urged Toyota to stop making the cars while it investigated the problem.
The sales and production halt involves some of Toyota's best-known lines, including the Camry and Corolla sedans and the RAV4 crossover, a blend of an SUV and a car. RAV4's sales surged last month.
In addition, the problem could spread to Europe, where a similar accelerator part is being used, said Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi. She declined to give the number of cars affected. The company was studying possible responses there, including a recall.
Toyota had little to say about how common the problem is.
"It's rare," Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said. "I'd like to say even more than that but right now I'm held to rare, rare and infrequent."
Asked whether the problem was worse for older cars, he said: "There's so many factors involved. That's why we're a little careful with our words here. We are finding it in some lower mileage vehicles depending on the environmental conditions."
Compounding Toyota's problems, the carmaker said late Wednesday it will recall an additional 1.09 million vehicles in the United States due to the risk of floor mats interfering with accelerator pedals. Toyota has already recalled 4.26 million vehicles in the U.S. over the floor mat problems.
Sean Kane, director of Safety Research and Strategies, a consumer group that conducts research into motor vehicle safety issues, said his firm has identified 2,274 incidents of sudden unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles leading to at least 275 crashes and 18 deaths since 1999.
The firm cites as sources the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, direct reports from drivers and incidents mentioned in lawsuits. Toyota would not confirm the numbers.
The supplier of the gas pedals used in the recalled car and trucks, CTS Corp. of Elkhart, Ind., said it knew of only a few cases of drivers having problems with accelerators. It said it's working with Toyota to design a new pedal.
Safety experts said drivers should watch for warning signs, such as when the act of pressing the gas pedal starts to feel rougher or when the pedal does not fully return to its regular position.
"If you don't have that problem, I would probably say it's probably fine to keep driving your Toyota because this really only happens in rare instances," said Rik Paul, automotive editor at Consumer Reports. "If you do experience any roughness in the accelerator pedal, don't drive it any more and take it to your dealership."
Consumer Reports testers found the best thing to do is to hit the brake hard and hold it firmly, then shift into neutral and steer the car off the road. Drivers should not pump the brake, Paul said.
The fallout for Toyota was nearly immediate. The companies that own the Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise and National rental car chains said they were removing all their cars that fell under the recall. Hertz also said it would temporarily stop renting vehicles involved in the recall.
For the company that runs Avis and Budget, that amounts to 20,000 cars. It stressed that Toyotas made up only a small percentage of its fleet.
Competitors were already rushing to take advantage of Toyota's misfortune. General Motors said it planned to offer Toyota drivers deals on its Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac cars and trucks. And Toyota will almost certainly face lawsuits.
The recall and sales are another blow to battered automakers, and a bruise for the image of Toyota, which spent decades building its image as a maker of safe, reliable cars and cultivated a fiercely loyal customer base made up largely of baby boomers.
For years, Toyota has dominated big-name quality studies by groups like Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates, and other automakers sought to emulate the company's production methods.
Now some Toyota drivers are worried about repeats of what happened last month to Michael Teston, a physical therapist from Maunelle, Ark. He was driving a 2006 Toyota 4-Runner - a brand not included in the recall - and pulling into a gas station when the car suddenly lunged forward.
"Fortunately, there was a