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Toyota on the mend?

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    gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Can't make enough of them, yet there are 363 brand new ones that are currently unsold on the market

    There are currently 91 available in So CA. That would not be a large number for a hot selling car. Yet it does not sound like it fits that category. CA was a target market, yet anyone with half a brain in San Diego would check to see what it would cost to run that little hummer.

    The Nissan Leaf seems to be suffering for buyers. They claimed all were pre-sold, yet I show 16 available in So CA. Again our 34 cent per KWH would be a show stopper for anyone that thinks before jumping.
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    lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    34 per cent KWH! You can't win no matter how you look at it!
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    gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    34 per cent KWH! You can't win no matter how you look at it!

    Our electric rates set by the state of CA, make $4 gas seem cheap. A Volt traveling 40 miles on EV only will cost about $8. Makes the Prius seem like a decent alternative. Looks like GM tried to pull a one-ups-man-ship on Toyota and ended up with a one-downs-man-ship. :sick: GM cannot even match Ford on hybrids.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    At least the Cruze Eco should do well. They hedged their bets.
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    nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Yeah, except the steering wheels are already falling off the Cruze's. That can't be good for Government Motors, yet the media is saying almost nothing about it. Big difference between the Toyota disaster which the NHTSA investigation revealed was bogus, and user error. The media also didn't pick that story up. I smell an administration bias led conspiracy against Toyota here to help out Government Motors. Still, Ford has the game right now, at least until the UAW strikes them. Can't let a company that's doing well against GM win. Of course, I could be all wet. :surprise:
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    imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,154
    edited April 2011
    >I smell an administration bias led conspiracy against Toyota here to help out Government Motors.

    Pass the tinfoil for helmets, please! ROFLMAO

    >Yeah, except the steering wheels are already falling off the Cruze's.

    One steering wheel--really scary, NOT.

    Did GM hide it? Did GM mislead the NHSTA about the real content of the problem? Did GM try to mislead the public: "It was just the horn button that didn't work," e.g., for 8 years (2002-2010). Did GM try to say it must have been the customer's fault for not having the steering wheel checked as regularly as the owner manual says it should be done? Or that customers were abusing the steering wheels causing sludge?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

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    nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Toyota denied they had a problem, because they couldn't find a problem and it turns out, they didn't have a problem, after millions were spent in recalls. Admitted the Japanese are always reticent to believe they could make a faulty product, Honda didn't believe they had bad transmissions a few years ago either. I knew this would get a reaction, and I'm actually glad the government saved GM, despite their incompetence in management and product for decades. I have 2 Toyotas, 6 Fords and 2 Chryslers right now so clearly, I do buy American and all of them were made in American plants. I don't like most GM products, I freely admit that. I'm just wondering why the Government witch-hunted Toyota over their alleged problem, and ignores GM's piston slap engines in their trucks, failed Hybrid systems that don't save any gas, and their defects. And as I said before, OF COURSE, I COULD BE ALL WET! I'm a pretty reasonable guy, and I don't live in a Tin Foil covered hut in Montana.
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    imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,154
    >they couldn't find a problem and it turns out

    Althought I appreciate your position, I still think there is/was a problem in _some_ of the vehicles. But I've already been ridiculed for that thinking.

    >and I'm actually glad the government saved GM,

    Along with many others of us. I think some people who don't think they would have been affected if a normal bankruptcy process had been effected for GM would have affected negatively. But here in the upper Midwest, we definitely have had more than our share of fallout.

    >2 Toyotas, 6 Fords and 2 Chryslers right now so clearly, I do buy American and all of them were made in American plants.

    I was thinking that you weren't necessrily anti-GM or US brand autos.

    >GM's piston slap engines in their trucks,

    I remember piston slap in engines back to when I was a youth--quite a while ago. I think a difference is that is a quality or parts problem rather than a safety problem when a car runsaway and has the potential to hurt people. I don't think there are many truck buyers who haven't heard about piston slap in some GM motors. But it also didn't affect the longevity of those motors, or did it?

    >failed hybrid systems

    I view that as a result of not having the lush profit net that toyota has to use for developement. GM was, indeed, struggling because of many problems, some their own fault in management and unions, and GM developed a product which wasn't that effective.

    I just don't see that the government did a witch hunt on toyota. If anything foreign car companies have had a smooth ride into this country. I personally think the government should have helped GM more, much the same as they did with the banking industry despite their misrepresentations and their funny paper systems of trading.

    >I don't live in a Tin Foil covered hut in Montana.

    I have to retract my tinfoil comments. Your response showed that's not the case.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    edited April 2011
    except the steering wheels are already falling off the Cruze's

    Yeah, bummer!

    It's a fuel-saving feature, since you can't use the car but you can always walk! ;)

    Ford's self-deploying air bags are a bigger concern, among recent problems for the domestics.
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    imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,154
    http://www.autonet.ca/autos/news/2011/04/27/18072976-autonet.html

    The number of Canadian owned trucks is pegged at approximately 3,450.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited April 2011
    "Overall at this point, Toyota has about a 2.5-month supply of vehicles in its global inventory. About 150 critical parts are posing the biggest problems for Toyota as it seeks to get all of its production back on-line, Niimi and another executive said. And the most problematic types among those crucial “parts” are microchips, rubber-related items, and paint additives. The company enjoys multiple sourcing of many of its parts among Tier One suppliers, they said, but they rely upon single sources for many of these difficult parts. “The [suppliers of these parts] are known for their high engineering capabilities, so we don’t think it will be easy for us to switch to other sources,” one executive said through a translator."

    Toyota Stuck in Distress Until Year's End (AutoObserver)

    image
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    According to Toyota, an estimated 0.05% of the vehicles may include a faulty slip yoke that was improperly cast during the foundry process. The total number of affected production trucks involved in the recall is 51,000, which would put the number of total affected vehicles in North America at 25.

    Stop the presses...LOL.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Toyota will likely drop to #3 this year globally because of all the disruptions.

    Oh, and dibs on those rims. :D
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    iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    utter a low-level yawn?

    Yawn. Low-level, that is. :blush:

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

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    gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Wake up Iluv. Another Toyota (Scion) to get excited about.

    Scion unveiled the rear-wheel drive FR-S Concept sports coupe at the 2011 New York International Auto Show. The Scion FR-S Concept will inspire a new model coming to the Scion brand in 2012.

    image

    No 4 Door For U
    image
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    iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,704
    looks as tempting as a big plate of spaghetti when you're so hungry you could eat a...umm...horse! :)

    image
    YUMMY!!

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,173
    Too bad that's just a computer generated image and not a real car.

    I hope this thing doesn't turn out to be a tC part II.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    tC sales have perked up lately, so it seems unlikely the FT-86 (or whatever the name ends up being) will replace it. They'll sell side-by-side in showrooms.

    Wonder where it'll be made, though? Subaru's Gunma plant is still not at full speed, and they're short of supply of Foresters, so if they want to build it there that'll only make the problem worse.

    SIA (in Indiana) would only have room if they kicked out Camry production from the 2nd production line, and a rear drive coupe won't justify the volume required.
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,173
    I'm still in the "gotta see it to believe it" camp. It'll probably end up FWD with a Corolla engine and impossible to find manual.
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    gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Toyota leads drop, with a 69 pct fall

    WRAPUP 1-Quake sinks Japan April car sales to record low; Hyundai gains

    OKYO/SEOUL, May 2 (Reuters) - Japanese new vehicle sales in April halved, sinking to the lowest monthly tally on record, as domestic automakers felt the full brunt of the March 11 earthquake that caused unprecedented disruption to car production.

    In stark contrast, the fortunes of South Korea's Hyundai Motor and affiliate Kia Motors brightened, as they benefited from the Japanese automakers' woes to post double-digit growth in global sales for the month

    If Toyota was really building cars here this would not have happened. They are not building all the parts here. Single sourcing certain components has come around to bite them in the butt.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    LOL

    I sure hope not.

    At least not the Subaru version. Think about it - every WRX comes only in manual.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Hang on a second - Camry has more North American content than most of its competitors. Same for Highlander and Sienna. Most have 80+ percent North American parts.

    Trivia - which is more American? Camaro, Mustang, or Eclipse?

    The Mitsubishi.

    Want to know why? Because the Japanese makes build unique models that are only sold here. Remember, the Eclipse, Accord, and Camry are all USA-only models. The European Accord is not the same as ours, it's actually the TSX.

    So, since the cars are made specifically for the US market, they tend to get a lot of North American parts.

    That's not so for "domestic" cars like the Buick Regal, which has much less American content than the Camry (no contest actually). I believe it has more American content than the Fusion or Malibu as well.

    What shocked me was the Tundra has more American content than the F-150 or Silverado. Wow.

    Anyone have last month's Consumer Reports handy? The numbers were simply shocking.

    Ford's out of black paint on the Taurus, which by the way has less American content than the Camry. Go figure.
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    gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    edited May 2011
    It is not the 80% that sunk Toyota sales. It is the 20% needed to finish the cars. This should be a wake up call for all auto makers. Don't put all your eggs in one location. If the Camry door handles for example are made in a factory that was destroyed. They have a lot of cars sitting ready for door handles. Can't sell them very well.

    PS
    Same could happen to Ford, GM and VW in Mexico with a devastating earthquake.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It should be no surprise at all that 20% of the parts, by value, might come from HQ (Japan).

    What surprises me is that the so called domestics are getting even more parts from outside the USA/Canada.

    And the numbers include Canada, BTW. The Domestics have more plants there, while the imports have tended to build plants in the south. So probably not much Canadian content in that 80%.

    BTW plants from Toyota and Mercedes in the south were affected by the tornadoes last week, adding insult to injury.
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,173
    Wasn't there/isn't there a JDM WRX with auto? Or at least there was talk of one at one time.

    I'd love to see Toyota actually have a sporty coupe, not the poserfied tC or the deliriously overpriced LFA. They've done it before.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, and a GT model here (but the GT was not a WRX, technically).

    Subaru is committed to manuals so I'm sure they'll make a few for Toyota.

    What I'm wondering is what flavor will each one have to separate it from its sibling?
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,173
    I'd expect different front and rear fascias, wheels, possibly c-pillar differences, Toyota might have more lux options, etc.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I was hoping Toyota's would be RWD, Subaru's would be AWD. But apparently Subaru will sell a RWD version.

    Selling their souls a bit? I'm bummed.

    Contrary to intuition, Subaru sold more cars by limiting all models to AWD only.
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,173
    Will they have RWD along with AWD? I hope so...I'm one of those who only see Subaru attractive for AWD, not much gets me going about it otherwise.
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    explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,320
    Has anyone ever figured out the definition of 'domestic content'?
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
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    gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I have wondered that myself. Is it by weight or cost? It could be labor cost as well. And if it is parts are they made here in their entirety? My Sequoia says 85% US Content. If the Camry is Number one at 80% we are going backwards. I do understand why the domestics are being built in Mexico. The UAW has not really given them much of a break.
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    explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,320
    edited May 2011
    Don't forget about NAFTA. Like you pointed out, is it cost, number, value, or weight?
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
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    sickofhonda2sickofhonda2 Member Posts: 4
    most toyotas i agree are built in the usa. and if you go on any recall site ford and chevy have some major recalls going on like electrical and brake failures and also axle shafts breaking. kia and hyundai have them too EVERY CAR COMPANY HAS A RECALL OUT. they are just picking on toyota cause people love love love the brand and gee could that be a reason they are still the highest value holding brand.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Agreed, a non-AWD Subaru is like non-alcoholic beer.

    No thanks.
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You don't get much mileage out of either one? :P
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    edited May 2011
    I think they were using the EPA definition, and then listing the content by cost (not weight, since Gary asked) in percentage.

    To be honest, though, I don't think the word "domestic" means anything any more. The Auto industry is globalized.
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    fezofezo Member Posts: 10,384
    Never thought I'd see the day - fitzmall is now selling Prii for over MSRP! A couple of weeks ago they were still selling under invoice.

    Maybe when all the panic is over....
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    edited May 2011
    Wow, even the "internet price" now.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Up 1% overall, which is a surprise given the squeeze on supply.

    Lexus was down 4%, Scion was way up 60%!

    Ironically I think it's because Scions were not selling well, and they had more inventory of those cars. People walk in and want to buy a Prius, they're out or at least marked at MSRP, so they buy a Scion instead, is my guess.

    I think we're going to see strange sales numbers like this for the next 6 months or so.
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    nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    they are just picking on toyota cause people love love love the brand and gee could that be a reason they are still the highest value holding brand.

    Hyundai is taking a real stab at that now, especially since Toyota is on the ropes a bit right now due to the unjust persecution over the sudden acceleration issue.
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    cannon3cannon3 Member Posts: 296
    the Toyota models and where they are manufactured/assembled?

    "Most" models Toyota sells here in the U.S. are not all made, or should I say assembled here in the U.S. by the way.
    I am tryijng to find the link to the percentage of cars/trucks Toyota makes here in the United States. When I find it I will link it.
    Not picking on Toyota. For decades Toyota as been portrayed as God of reliability and quality. The beacon to reach. Well, the sky has fallen, the truth can no longer be hidden by any auto manufacturer.
    Competition breeds better. Ford, Hyundia, Subaru, even GM and now Chrysler/Dodge have plainly caught up with Toyota/Honda and even in some instances surpassed them in quality, reliability, innovation and creativity. The consumer is catching on to this.
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Wikipedia has a list of Toyota vehicles and for many of them, you can click through and see where they are manufactured.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Most models maybe, even then maybe.

    But the volume models are, so by sales volume I bet the vast majority are made in North America.

    I'll search for a link.

    the truth can no longer be hidden by any auto manufacturer

    But it can be hidden by an angry US military denied a base in another country.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    LOL, hilarious:

    http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=top&subject=ami&story=amMade0710- &referer=&aff=national

    1. Toyota Camry Georgetown, Ky.;Lafayette, Ind. 1
    2. Honda Accord Marysville, Ohio;Lincoln, Ala. —
    3. Ford Escape Kansas City, Mo. —
    4. Ford Focus Wayne, Mich. —
    5. Chevrolet Malibu Kansas City, Kan. 3
    6. Honda Odyssey Lincoln, Ala. 4
    7. Dodge Ram 1500* Warren, Mich. —
    8. Toyota Tundra San Antonio 7
    9. Jeep Wrangler Toledo, Ohio —
    10. Toyota Sienna Princeton, Ind. 6

    Toyota also has 3 in the top ten, Honda has 2, Ford 2, Chevy 1, Dodge 1, and Jeep 1.
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    anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    Toyota workers to build Habitat For Humanity homes when not building Tundra pickups
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    gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    edited May 2011
    I say bravo for Toyota. That shows community spirit as well as looking out for the employees. Honda sounds like they are following GM and their failed Jobs bank debacle. Paying people for doing nothing leads to the entitlement mentality the UAW was famous for.

    PS
    This will also go a long ways to repair their image in America.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Paying people to not work is just crazy.

    When the product is a smash hit they expect to be entitled to bonuses and overtime pay, but when it's a flop and production slows the opposite isn't true...
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    fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,173
    Paying people not to work, isn't that how our executive class and public sector survives? :shades:
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    explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,320
    You expect Toyota to just discard these people out of hand?
    They invested a lot of training in them and I assume these same experienced employees will remember who stuck by them during the lean times.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
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    steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Toyota Profit Drops 77% on Strong Yen, Sluggish Japan Sales (WSJ)
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