Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Toyota

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Toyota

    If you have ever had a Toyota, was the car ever a problem for you? I had one once, it was a standard shift Corolla and it was a great car, it never had any problems, it lasted over 150,000 miles. Friends with the Prius love theirs. So the problems now hitting the news about Toyota come as something of a shock.

    It seems that the company had a problem of not dealing with quality control issues. It put them off, ignored them, or explained them away rather than dealing with them. One executive was credited with saving the company $100 million by avoiding recalls. Unfortunately that seems to have been false economy, at the least. My friends and I are of the opinion that runaway acceleration probably involves a problem in the electronics of the car, rather than a mechanical problem with the gas pedal or the floor mats.

    In any case, the Toyota experience makes it pretty clear that its better to deal directly with problems early, when they are first recognized, rather than putting it off or expecting them to just go away on their own. Evidently one insurance company even alerted the US government to unusual problems with Toyotas starting around 2004. Dealing with the problem back then would have cost Toyota some money, but it's a pittance compared to the expenses they face now, including loss of future customers.

  • #2
    Re: Toyota

    Have you noticed that Toyota's slogan these days is "Moving Forward"? Maybe they should add "Without Stopping."

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Toyota

      Since being adults, my husband and I have had nothing but Toyotas and neither have my sister and her husband. From our experiences, they require little maintenance if you keep up with the basics. Toyota is a good company too. When a rat took up residence in my sister's car, the dealership took it completely apart to find the rat and didn't charge her a thing. (Unfortunately, the rat had eaten through major wiring and couldn't be repaired) I've always had good experiences with their dealerships.

      And no, I do not work for Toyota, I promise! And the rat was cold and trying to find a warm home. It was almost big enough to saddle up and ride!

      Can't think of anything creative this time

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Toyota

        Originally posted by Kalalau View Post
        My friends and I are of the opinion that runaway acceleration probably involves a problem in the electronics of the car, rather than a mechanical problem with the gas pedal or the floor mats.
        I share the same opinion, one news article puts 70% of the reported runway acceleration or crashes did not even fall in the category of gas pedal or floor mat related. A curious question to those who report having great experiences with their Toyotas, what year was your car? All these problems did not seem to escalate till 2002 and onwards when they started using electronic throttles on all their cars and they started to gun for the #1 spot in terms of car volume.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Toyota

          Mine current car is a 2007. My husband's last two have been 2002 and 2007. Sister's ratmobile was a 2005 and her new one is a 2008. Mine wasn't a recall, but my husband's was. And I could easily see how the floormat itself could get jammed up under the gas pedal. The floormats on my husband's truck were very thick, and if they slid forward under the space between the floor and the gas, it could have rolled up and lodged the gas. I seriously doubt it was an electronic issue. I have never had any type of problems as you guys have described with my car and neither have any of my family members.

          Can't think of anything creative this time

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Toyota

            My Toyota is from 1988, with only 150,000 miles on it, and it runs like a champ!! I love it!
            ~ This is the strangest life I've ever known ~

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Toyota

              I have an 04 Corolla. Only issue with it was an A/C switch that failed. My car still gets on average 32-35mpg, and a lot has to do with the fact I take care of it.

              The only issue I have with Toyota is Servco centers. Showing up 15 minutes early to an appointment and watching walk-ins go ahead of me was disappointing. Waiting in line with two customers who had to return for the second or third time in 2 weeks makes me suspicious.

              But that doesn't mean I boast the quality of very many other mechanics around here either.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Toyota

                My first experience with a Toyota was when my mom got one back in '86 or so. The thing ran for at least 15 years with no problems. I also bought a Camry around '93 and also experienced no problems in the three years I owned it.

                Fast forward to 2007... Decided I'd try a Camry again after owning everything from a BMW to a Mazda. After about a year, the Camry developed a problem with the throttle (not a runaway situation, quite the opposite actually) where at stops the throttle would keep the engine idle too low. I took it to Servco where they replaced it and now it works fine. No other problems.

                As far as Servco is concerned, when I lived in Honolulu I took my Toyota there exclusively for servicing. And boy was it expensive - about $150 or so for routine maintenance. Moved up to Seattle last year and took my car to Toyota of Seattle for maintenance (same job as Servco) and it cost me $50, and I got a free car wash. But otherwise I only had good experiences with Servco.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Toyota

                  Originally posted by surlygirly View Post
                  I seriously doubt it was an electronic issue. I have never had any type of problems as you guys have described with my car and neither have any of my family members.
                  I'm glad you haven't experienced any of the reported issues. However, just curious, what makes you feel that confident it's not electronic? I respect your belief but am just curious. A couple of things make me feel there's probably a ghost in the shell issue here.

                  - The 2010 Prius has already been recalled for a software correction in regards to the brakes. Label it however you want but that's electronic related. I've driven an 09 Camry hybrid and 09 Prius. I can tell you I really don't feel confident in either's brakes because I can sense that split second of "no brakes" when it transitions from regenerative motor resistance to traditional brakes. A split second is a lot of time in a panic stop situation.

                  - While not privy to design specs, I seriously wonder how much EMF protection the electronics on modern cars get? Are the components shielded? The electronics may be fine under normal circumstances but what about when subjected to a variety of external factors? Interference, weather, heat, vibration, etc?

                  - Toyota made it a point to say the defective gas pedals were made by CTS. Yet cars in Japan with Denso gas pedals also experienced unintended acceleration. So far, their explanation and recalls just don't cover the entire picture and that is unsettling.

                  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100223/.../toyota_recall

                  But when pressed by Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., on whether the two recalls Toyota put in place to deal with the issue would completely solve it, Lentz replied: "Not totally."

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Toyota

                    Originally posted by Kalalau View Post
                    It seems that the company had a problem of not dealing with quality control issues. It put them off, ignored them, or explained them away rather than dealing with them. One executive was credited with saving the company $100 million by avoiding recalls. Unfortunately that seems to have been false economy, at the least.
                    That internal "savings over safety" memo is a very damaging P.R. blow to Toyota. It's one thing for a company to have inadvertently sold products with defects. It's quite another matter for that company to have been aware of the defects, but tried to deny or delay dealing with the problem, just to save money. This has shades of Ford Motor Company during the 1970s, when internal memos were released showing that executives were aware of gas tanks on Pintos being easily suspectible to catching on fire in crashes. And yet, an $11 per car fix to take care of the problem was initially rejected because it was deemed too costly. It took Ford well over a decade to recover from that P.R. faux pas.

                    Originally posted by surlygirly View Post
                    Since being adults, my husband and I have had nothing but Toyotas and neither have my sister and her husband. From our experiences, they require little maintenance if you keep up with the basics.
                    Toyotas are a joy to own, as long as the vehicle is under warranty. And if you're the type who trades-in your car every few years, then I guess Toyotas are a viable choice. But if you plan to keep your Toyota long term after the warranty expires, keep in mind that replacement parts can be very expensive. In fact, the cost can oftentimes be comparable to what BMW and Audi charges for their parts. This is why most of my car mechanic friends who like to repair problems on their own don't buy Japanese cars.
                    Last edited by Frankie's Market; February 23, 2010, 11:21 AM.
                    This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Toyota

                      Looks like another unintended acceleration case. I wonder what year is the Prius involved. 2010 models have a recall for the ABS software. 2004-2009 models have a recall for floormats. None for gas pedals. But it seems the pedal was stuck on this one.

                      http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_runaway_prius

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Toyota

                        2006 Corolla. Love it. Dependable. Quick. Nimble. I even race it in the Autocross once in a while, and do rather well.

                        And besides, if you are in a vehicle where the throttle sticks open, how about turning off the motor, or yanking on the E-brake, or shifting out of gear. Sure, the car might have a little problem, but all the stories sound more like driver panic/error to me.
                        FutureNewsNetwork.com
                        Energy answers are already here.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Toyota

                          Well, I guess Toyota has other options...

                          http://www.onenewsnow.com/Business/D...aspx?id=928120

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Toyota

                            Originally posted by timkona View Post
                            2006 Corolla. Love it. Dependable. Quick. Nimble. I even race it in the Autocross once in a while, and do rather well.

                            And besides, if you are in a vehicle where the throttle sticks open, how about turning off the motor, or yanking on the E-brake, or shifting out of gear. Sure, the car might have a little problem,
                            Uncontollable acceleration surges are a "little problem" in your estimation? R-i-i-i-g-h-t.

                            Originally posted by timkona View Post
                            but all the stories sound more like driver panic/error to me.
                            Hmmm. So I guess this 56 year old woman in New York also "panicked" when her '05 Prius crashed into a wall when pulling out of her driveway today?

                            Gee Tim. Either you're in serious denial about Toyota's safety problems...... or Toyota owners are the lousiest drivers in the world. What's your verdict?
                            This post may contain an opinion that may conflict with your opinion. Do not take it personal. Polite discussion of difference of opinion is welcome.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Toyota

                              Originally posted by timkona View Post
                              [...]
                              And besides, if you are in a vehicle where the throttle sticks open, how about turning off the motor, or yanking on the E-brake, or shifting out of gear. [...]
                              This is exactly what I was wondering. I don't know if the ignition can be turned off with the car in gear but my first reaction would be to try it. If that didn't work then pop the car into neutral and turn the ignition off.

                              I once had brakes go out while driving and used the emergency brake. It was one of those center console lever type that allowed me to pull up gently, release, pull up again, etc., etc. 'til the car stopped. Now I have a pedal style emergency brake that would make that scenario much more difficult.

                              In the latest Toyota mishap in San Diego, I heard the owner used his emergency brake and the back bumper of the patrol car in front of him.

                              ETA: This latest incident was just covered on NBC News. Evidently, the 911 operator asked the driver if he tried putting the car in neutral. He said he hadn't because he was afraid the car would flip.
                              Last edited by tutusue; March 9, 2010, 05:08 PM.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X