Toyota suspends sales of Rav4 following engine problems
10-30-07, 09:30 PM
#16
Lexus Fanatic
You're beginning to sound like me more each day, bit, when it comes to car interiors. 
Like you, I long for the good old Lexus and Acura days, although I still think the new RL is superb.
Like you, I long for the good old Lexus and Acura days, although I still think the new RL is superb.
10-30-07, 11:41 PM
#17
Lexus Fanatic
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Or maybe we're just two grumpy old men, lol.
Like you, I long for the good old Lexus and Acura days, although I still think the new RL is superb.
10-31-07, 01:40 PM
#19
it is something with Aussie specific version, since GR engines have been built into millions of Toyota's by now...
10-31-07, 01:42 PM
#20
I have yet to see problem with those engines, and we have sold bunch of petrol Rav4's...
10-31-07, 02:04 PM
#21
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Exactly. Cutting costs is tricky - you can do it by finding inefficiencies and resolving or automating them but Toyota is already considered very efficient. Or you can do it by using less expensive materials and HOPE the consumer doesn't notice or mind. This is VERY hard and what got GM into such huge trouble in the past - consumers can be fooled some of the time but they're not stupid and they WILL notice when cheaper materials are used.
As a side note, I was behind a new Camry today. Anyone else noticed how the center mounted stop light above the trunk is now 4 LED 'dots' instead of a solid light? It looks like something you could get off eBay for $2.
And once consumers notice a car maker going 'cheap' it can ruin a reputation quickly and it's VERY hard to recover.
I think Toyota AND its Lexus division are suffering here not only on increasing defects but on visually cheaper materials. I hope they change soon.
Another brand, Acura, made this mistake. My '87 and '94 Acura Legends had BEAUTIFUL wood inside and nice switch gear. The RL that came next (not the new one) looked like a piece of crap inside in comparison particularly the rock hard plastic dash. So I switched to the 2GS (very very nice interior for its time, including that soft rubbery plastic for the dash that felt expensive). Now the 3GS has gone to the hard cheaper looking plastic and awful out of place aluminum trim. The 1RX went from nice wood inside to that God AWFUL aluminum trim. The LS460 is very nice except the front/rear bumpers have almost no detail and look like the same swath of plastic a Camry has, and the center stack seems more 'plasticky' than previous LS. Anyway... </rant>
As a side note, I was behind a new Camry today. Anyone else noticed how the center mounted stop light above the trunk is now 4 LED 'dots' instead of a solid light? It looks like something you could get off eBay for $2.
And once consumers notice a car maker going 'cheap' it can ruin a reputation quickly and it's VERY hard to recover.
I think Toyota AND its Lexus division are suffering here not only on increasing defects but on visually cheaper materials. I hope they change soon.
Another brand, Acura, made this mistake. My '87 and '94 Acura Legends had BEAUTIFUL wood inside and nice switch gear. The RL that came next (not the new one) looked like a piece of crap inside in comparison particularly the rock hard plastic dash. So I switched to the 2GS (very very nice interior for its time, including that soft rubbery plastic for the dash that felt expensive). Now the 3GS has gone to the hard cheaper looking plastic and awful out of place aluminum trim. The 1RX went from nice wood inside to that God AWFUL aluminum trim. The LS460 is very nice except the front/rear bumpers have almost no detail and look like the same swath of plastic a Camry has, and the center stack seems more 'plasticky' than previous LS. Anyway... </rant>
I test drove the new V6 Accord Coupe and the new Infiniti G37 and the material is much better than Toyota or Lexus. I already made my decision and I figured if I am going to get non-luxury look interior I am not paying for luxury prices, so I just got myself a Nissan last week (350Z!) and traded in my RX300, one of the last models that actually had a great interior.
10-31-07, 02:15 PM
#22
Engine problems, transmission problems (take a look at the E-330/350 Forum), wind noise and cheap interior problems (Take a look at the E-460 Forum), and it's no surprise Lexus is declining in Customer Satisfaction Polls. I think I have owned my last one.
10-31-07, 02:21 PM
#23
p.s. it is kind of interesting that ppl are bashing Toyota stopping sales before they started so they can fix the issue they found in field testing. If anything, they should be applauded for doing so, because no customers will not experience that issue.
10-31-07, 02:28 PM
#24
10-31-07, 03:02 PM
#25
10-31-07, 03:20 PM
#26
I'm delighted for you. I was merely pointing out Toyota GB couldn't fix our 2.0l 4 cylinder and it wasn't the first they have bought back.
10-31-07, 03:34 PM
#27
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10-31-07, 03:43 PM
#28
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by bitkahuna
Exactly. Cutting costs is tricky - you can do it by finding inefficiencies and resolving or automating them but Toyota is already considered very efficient. Or you can do it by using less expensive materials and HOPE the consumer doesn't notice or mind. This is VERY hard and what got GM into such huge trouble in the past - consumers can be fooled some of the time but they're not stupid and they WILL notice when cheaper materials are used.
Exactly. Cutting costs is tricky - you can do it by finding inefficiencies and resolving or automating them but Toyota is already considered very efficient. Or you can do it by using less expensive materials and HOPE the consumer doesn't notice or mind. This is VERY hard and what got GM into such huge trouble in the past - consumers can be fooled some of the time but they're not stupid and they WILL notice when cheaper materials are used.
10-31-07, 03:54 PM
#29
10-31-07, 04:15 PM
#30
And I have to see BMW ranked anywhere close to Lexus :-).
edit: bimmerfest, 1st page of 5 series forum:
- 2004 545i: service engine light: transmission problem. weird sounds, jerking.
- 2007 530i: Vanos lifter noise. Changed the engine, still the same.
- 2006 535xi: BMW Assist Failed. service cant find part in the country.
- 2006 530xi: whine in back while coming to full stop.
- 2006 530xi: air suspension: one side of the car 3-4" higher than other
- 2008 535xi, build date of april '07 - fuel pump replaced
- 2008 535i: jerky transmission, cant select D after R
2nd page:
- 2006 550i: running rich, blowing fire and smoke :-).
- 2008 550i: TPM Malfunction light (problem with the antenna in the system)
- 2008 550i: idrive freezing sometimes, front suspension makes groaning noise in low speed turns
- 2007 530i : check engine light, o2 sensors replaced
- 2006 525i: recall done for Telematics Control Unit (TCU).
Other things like acceleration lag, squeaks in the interior, rainsensing wipers, idrive gone, etc, etc.
Looking at GS forums here... 3 pages: 3 posts about squeaks is all about issues ppl reported here.
you were saying something? I am not saying BMW's are bad, but lets put things into perspective a bit. If this happened to single lexus model, man would this forum be interesting to watch.
Last edited by spwolf; 10-31-07 at 04:47 PM.