Toyota recalls and related issues: BusinessWeek-Media owes Toyota an apology
02-04-10, 10:50 PM
#391
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Is this the article on Toyota admitting that they knew the Prius had brake problems? People were bashed on for raising the issue to Toyota because it seemed like they were trying to take advantage of Toyota. However, the Prius issue might actually be a legitimate case. I wonder if the owners had not said anything, would Toyota come out and admit the problem?
Vehicles are not perfect, and automakers quietly fix problems *all the time*. It has been done that way for decades.
Why are you so focused on Toyota? Why don't we start discussing the problems that Honda, GM, Chrysler, Ford vehicles have, problems that the automakers known about but have not publicly admitted.
02-05-10, 12:55 AM
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walkthru of fix/retro fit for CTS potentially sticking pedals and Prius "issue"
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/04/t...npage_autoblog is a walk thru of the fix for the potentially sticky CTS accelerator pedals.
Video at http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/04/f...-doug-the-mas/.
Good stuff!
As for the Prius braking "issue", the behavior/quirk is not new and has been known since the 1st gen Prius (started w/model year 2001 in the US). Rather rewrite everything, see my post at http://my350z.com/forum/8119899-post2.html.
Video at http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/04/f...-doug-the-mas/.
Good stuff!
As for the Prius braking "issue", the behavior/quirk is not new and has been known since the 1st gen Prius (started w/model year 2001 in the US). Rather rewrite everything, see my post at http://my350z.com/forum/8119899-post2.html.
Last edited by cwerdna; 02-05-10 at 01:08 AM.
02-05-10, 03:02 AM
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Not sure if this has been posted in this thread but Consumer Reports and Car and Driver did tests of stopping cars at full throttle while trying to use the brakes. Results below:
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/car...-the-test.html
http://www.caranddriver.com/features...tion-tech_dept
On a side note, although no Priuses have been recalled for sticky accelerators other than previous gens for the floor mat "issue", http://lusciousgarage.com/blog/floor..._investigates/ did a test of all 3 strategies to stop a car at full throttle, complete w/YouTube videos. I've personally tried all 3 in my Prius except at lower speeds (<45 mph) and not on a highway. Turning off the power was by far the least desirable method.
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/car...-the-test.html
http://www.caranddriver.com/features...tion-tech_dept
On a side note, although no Priuses have been recalled for sticky accelerators other than previous gens for the floor mat "issue", http://lusciousgarage.com/blog/floor..._investigates/ did a test of all 3 strategies to stop a car at full throttle, complete w/YouTube videos. I've personally tried all 3 in my Prius except at lower speeds (<45 mph) and not on a highway. Turning off the power was by far the least desirable method.
02-05-10, 05:12 AM
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The Obama administration doesn't realize what they've gotten themselves into. If they think they're giving a great advantage to GM and Chrysler they're fooling themselves.
Toyota will come back from this with a vengeance, stronger than ever.
Every time Toyota has suffered difficulties or major problems, it has always come back stronger than before.
Toyota will come back from this with a vengeance, stronger than ever.
Every time Toyota has suffered difficulties or major problems, it has always come back stronger than before.
02-05-10, 05:13 AM
#395
i understand the importance of getting your new Toyota back in the dealership to get the issue fixed, but the news is just totally murdering the image of Toyota cars until there's nothing let. Talk about forcing the rise of domestic cars. Pushing domestic cars back on the streets. Why didn't the news ever mentioned about Chevy's exploding gas tanks or the recommended tires on ford cars that had tire blow outs? This just sounds like a witch hunt to blame on Toyota.
Well forget about old stuff... we have Fusion Hybrid issue which actually is an brake failure, and it gets 5 seconds on the news vs Prius which is not an failure at all. Or NTHSA investigating 40 cases right now, only 3 from Toyota... 3 other high profile cases include 3 million cars total, all from GM and Ford, all fixed year or 4 years ago on production but manufacturer never recalling the car...
But interesting thing in all this is that Toyota customers are not rushing back to fix their cars... we have articles now since repairs have started that they can not get enough customers in ;-).
02-05-10, 05:26 AM
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^
This in particular from the article is ridiculous:
Most modern vehicles with standard gas or diesel engines have electronic throttle controls. This is not just limited to hybrids.
Another exaggeration and twisting of the facts by the media or some obscure group.
This in particular from the article is ridiculous:
"This is going to affect the entire notion of hybrids, which must incorporate electronic throttle controls (and regenerative brake controls) in a manner that standard gas or diesel engines do not necessarily have to do," says Patrick Anderson, president of Anderson Economic Group. "I myself want a real, live cable or lever attached to both my accelerator and my brake."
Another exaggeration and twisting of the facts by the media or some obscure group.
02-05-10, 05:32 AM
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Akio Toyoda issues his long-awaited apology
Toyota chief apologizes for global recalls
By YURI KAGEYAMA, Associated Press Business Writer
TOKYO – Toyota's president apologized Friday for the massive global recalls over sticking gas pedals as the automaker scrambles to repair a damaged reputation and sliding sales.
But Akio Toyoda, appointed to the top job at Toyota Motor Corp. last June, said the company is still deciding what steps to take to fix brake problems in the popular Prius gas-electric hybrid.
Speaking at a hastily announced news conference that lasted an hour, a stern-looking Toyoda promised to beef up quality control.
"We are facing a crisis," he said, publicly confronting the automaker's safety problems for the first time since the global recalls were announced Jan. 21.
He said the company is setting up a special committee he would head himself.
It would review internal checks, go over consumer complaints and listen to outside experts to come up with a solution to the widening quality problems.
"I offer my apologies for the worries," he said. "Many customers are wondering whether their cars are OK."
Toyoda, grandson of the automaker's founder, said the company was moving quickly on the global recalls covering 4.5 million vehicles for sticking gas pedals, about half of them in the U.S.
Dealers are scrambling to make repairs on the gas pedals, which need a new steel part to solve the sticking problem.
Toyota would fully cooperate with the investigation by U.S. federal authorities into Prius problems, Toyoda said.
There have been nearly 200 complaints in Japan and the U.S. of drivers experiencing a short delay before the brakes kick in — a problem that can be fixed with a software programming change.
The automaker has fixed the programming glitch in Prius models that went on sale since last month, but has done nothing yet on 270,000 Prius cars sold last year in Japan and the U.S. The remodeled third-generation Prius went on sale in May last year.
A less-than-perfect Prius, the vehicle of choice for Hollywood movie stars like Leonardo Dicaprio, threatens to be an even more serious blow for Toyota's image than the gas pedal recalls. The hybrid is a symbol of Toyota's technological prowess and ambitions to lead the auto industry in green, low-pollution cars.
Toyota is also investigating possible brake problems with its luxury Lexus hybrid and the Sai compact sedan, both of which use the same brake system as the Prius. Toyota has not received any complaints about the Lexus HS250h and the probe is to ensure safety, it has said. The Sai is not sold outside Japan.
Toyoda, 53, has been criticized for not coming out sooner to answer questions about the flood of quality problems that have hit Toyota.
Masaaki Sato, an auto industry expert who has written books on Toyota and its Japanese rival Honda, said Friday's public appearance was the company's last chance to keep the situation from worsening.
"He should have come out a week ago," Sato said of Toyoda during an appearance on a popular late night news program following the press conference. "After all the foot dragging, he was pushed into a corner."
Sato also criticized Toyoda for having to be prodded into action in the U.S. by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who called the Toyota president for talks.
"The issue is a huge problem in the U.S., far more serious than you might think," Sato said. "Those who are driving Toyota cars must be worried, and as Toyota CEO he has a responsibility to address their concerns and provide an explanation to the U.S. government."
Shinichi Sasaki, executive vice president overseeing quality control, told the news conference he was grateful that LaHood had pressed Toyota to go ahead quickly with the gas pedal recalls in the U.S.
Toyota did not have a fix for the problem at the time, and it is relatively unusual to announce a recall without a plan for a remedy. Toyota did not come out with a fix for more than a week, further frustrating customers. It also suspended sales and production on eight models in the U.S.
"It would have become even harder to win back the trust of customers, and the damage to the Toyota brand would have been greater," Sasaki said solemnly. "It was hard but in hindsight I am grateful to Mr. LaHood."
U.S. officials have blessed Toyota's solution to the gas pedal problem, a small piece of steel designed to eliminate excess friction in the pedal mechanism, but have criticized Toyota for being too slow in responding to customer complaints.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100205/.../toyota_recall
By YURI KAGEYAMA, Associated Press Business Writer
TOKYO – Toyota's president apologized Friday for the massive global recalls over sticking gas pedals as the automaker scrambles to repair a damaged reputation and sliding sales.
But Akio Toyoda, appointed to the top job at Toyota Motor Corp. last June, said the company is still deciding what steps to take to fix brake problems in the popular Prius gas-electric hybrid.
Speaking at a hastily announced news conference that lasted an hour, a stern-looking Toyoda promised to beef up quality control.
"We are facing a crisis," he said, publicly confronting the automaker's safety problems for the first time since the global recalls were announced Jan. 21.
He said the company is setting up a special committee he would head himself.
It would review internal checks, go over consumer complaints and listen to outside experts to come up with a solution to the widening quality problems.
"I offer my apologies for the worries," he said. "Many customers are wondering whether their cars are OK."
Toyoda, grandson of the automaker's founder, said the company was moving quickly on the global recalls covering 4.5 million vehicles for sticking gas pedals, about half of them in the U.S.
Dealers are scrambling to make repairs on the gas pedals, which need a new steel part to solve the sticking problem.
Toyota would fully cooperate with the investigation by U.S. federal authorities into Prius problems, Toyoda said.
There have been nearly 200 complaints in Japan and the U.S. of drivers experiencing a short delay before the brakes kick in — a problem that can be fixed with a software programming change.
The automaker has fixed the programming glitch in Prius models that went on sale since last month, but has done nothing yet on 270,000 Prius cars sold last year in Japan and the U.S. The remodeled third-generation Prius went on sale in May last year.
A less-than-perfect Prius, the vehicle of choice for Hollywood movie stars like Leonardo Dicaprio, threatens to be an even more serious blow for Toyota's image than the gas pedal recalls. The hybrid is a symbol of Toyota's technological prowess and ambitions to lead the auto industry in green, low-pollution cars.
Toyota is also investigating possible brake problems with its luxury Lexus hybrid and the Sai compact sedan, both of which use the same brake system as the Prius. Toyota has not received any complaints about the Lexus HS250h and the probe is to ensure safety, it has said. The Sai is not sold outside Japan.
Toyoda, 53, has been criticized for not coming out sooner to answer questions about the flood of quality problems that have hit Toyota.
Masaaki Sato, an auto industry expert who has written books on Toyota and its Japanese rival Honda, said Friday's public appearance was the company's last chance to keep the situation from worsening.
"He should have come out a week ago," Sato said of Toyoda during an appearance on a popular late night news program following the press conference. "After all the foot dragging, he was pushed into a corner."
Sato also criticized Toyoda for having to be prodded into action in the U.S. by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who called the Toyota president for talks.
"The issue is a huge problem in the U.S., far more serious than you might think," Sato said. "Those who are driving Toyota cars must be worried, and as Toyota CEO he has a responsibility to address their concerns and provide an explanation to the U.S. government."
Shinichi Sasaki, executive vice president overseeing quality control, told the news conference he was grateful that LaHood had pressed Toyota to go ahead quickly with the gas pedal recalls in the U.S.
Toyota did not have a fix for the problem at the time, and it is relatively unusual to announce a recall without a plan for a remedy. Toyota did not come out with a fix for more than a week, further frustrating customers. It also suspended sales and production on eight models in the U.S.
"It would have become even harder to win back the trust of customers, and the damage to the Toyota brand would have been greater," Sasaki said solemnly. "It was hard but in hindsight I am grateful to Mr. LaHood."
U.S. officials have blessed Toyota's solution to the gas pedal problem, a small piece of steel designed to eliminate excess friction in the pedal mechanism, but have criticized Toyota for being too slow in responding to customer complaints.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100205/.../toyota_recall
Last edited by jruhi4; 02-05-10 at 06:11 AM. Reason: Updated version of article
02-05-10, 05:43 AM
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Finally we see the expected apology from Akio himself. This should hopefully reduce the media frenzy a little bit right now.
Here is some particularly good news:
I'm not surprised. Just as I imagined, he is taking a very hands-on approach in many aspects of the company and will be overseeing quality himself as much as he can, unlike the previous two Toyota presidents who were very traditional and "hands-off" with their approach.
Here is some particularly good news:
Speaking at a hastily announced news conference, a stern-looking Toyoda promised to beef up quality control.
He said the company is setting up a special committee he would head himself.
It would review internal checks, go over consumer complaints and listen to outside experts to come up with a solution to the widening quality problems.
He said the company is setting up a special committee he would head himself.
It would review internal checks, go over consumer complaints and listen to outside experts to come up with a solution to the widening quality problems.
02-05-10, 06:12 AM
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Just revised my post #381 for a much-expanded, revised and updated version of Yuri Kageyama's original article.
02-05-10, 07:01 AM
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(Official) Address by TMC President Akio Toyoda
http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/announcement/100205.html
Address by TMC President Akio Toyoda
February 5, 2010
Toyota Motor Corporation
Address by TMC President Akio Toyoda
I, Akio Toyoda, deeply regret the inconvenience and concern caused to our customers and others by our recent recalls of multiple vehicle models across multiple regions.
Today, as so many people have expressed their sense of unease, I realized the necessity of asking you all here on short notice to share with you the following.
As Toyota revealed yesterday, new Prius now in showrooms include an improvement. For Prius in the hands of customers, I have instructed that consideration be made as soon as possible regarding the way to address such units. Once a decision is made we will inform the public.
As for the accelerator-pedal recall in the United States, Europe, China and other countries and regions, repair-work preparations are being made at our dealers. As soon as these preparations are complete, once again, we will inform you.
From Toyota’s beginning, “contributing to society through the manufacture of automobiles” has been its key principle. To that end, since taking office in June last year, I have endeavored, based on our “customer first” and “genchi genbutsu” fundamentals, to thoroughly establish a product-focused management.
However, we, the ones supposed to relay to people the attractiveness of automobiles, have, instead, imparted on them worry. I regret this more than anything.
Under the banner, “Let’s build better cars”, we will go back to the basics of “customer first” and “genchi genbutsu”, and once more, deeply consider what “customer first” really means. All our employees around the world, all of our dealers and all of our suppliers will unify in their utmost efforts to regain the trust of our customers as soon as possible.
As for specific actions, our Executive Vice President Shinichi Sasaki will soon brief you. Let me just say that I will take the lead toward improving quality around the world, by establishing a global quality special task force that will conduct regional quality improvement activities.
END
Concrete action plans
The Committee headed by the President will conduct various improvement initiatives.
The key initiatives are, First, while verifying the causes that led to the recalls, Toyota will once again inspect every process – quality in design, quality in production, quality in sales and quality in service.
Second, Toyota will enhance the customer information research offices to improve regional information collection and genchi-genbutsu activities.
Third, to develop quality-management professionals, Toyota will establish an “Automotive Center of Quality Excellence” in key regions.
Fourth, Toyota will seek confirmation and evaluation from outside experts—in line with industry's best practices—of its newly improved quality-control management, based on the above improvements.
In addition, Toyota will work to increase the frequency of communication between itself and regional authorities.
To provide customers with satisfying products in each and every region, Toyota has long promoted the autonomy of its regional subsidiaries. From now on, we intend to further this autonomy, listen carefully to each and every customer and improve quality.
END
February 5, 2010
Toyota Motor Corporation
Address by TMC President Akio Toyoda
I, Akio Toyoda, deeply regret the inconvenience and concern caused to our customers and others by our recent recalls of multiple vehicle models across multiple regions.
Today, as so many people have expressed their sense of unease, I realized the necessity of asking you all here on short notice to share with you the following.
As Toyota revealed yesterday, new Prius now in showrooms include an improvement. For Prius in the hands of customers, I have instructed that consideration be made as soon as possible regarding the way to address such units. Once a decision is made we will inform the public.
As for the accelerator-pedal recall in the United States, Europe, China and other countries and regions, repair-work preparations are being made at our dealers. As soon as these preparations are complete, once again, we will inform you.
From Toyota’s beginning, “contributing to society through the manufacture of automobiles” has been its key principle. To that end, since taking office in June last year, I have endeavored, based on our “customer first” and “genchi genbutsu” fundamentals, to thoroughly establish a product-focused management.
However, we, the ones supposed to relay to people the attractiveness of automobiles, have, instead, imparted on them worry. I regret this more than anything.
Under the banner, “Let’s build better cars”, we will go back to the basics of “customer first” and “genchi genbutsu”, and once more, deeply consider what “customer first” really means. All our employees around the world, all of our dealers and all of our suppliers will unify in their utmost efforts to regain the trust of our customers as soon as possible.
As for specific actions, our Executive Vice President Shinichi Sasaki will soon brief you. Let me just say that I will take the lead toward improving quality around the world, by establishing a global quality special task force that will conduct regional quality improvement activities.
END
Concrete action plans
The Committee headed by the President will conduct various improvement initiatives.
The key initiatives are, First, while verifying the causes that led to the recalls, Toyota will once again inspect every process – quality in design, quality in production, quality in sales and quality in service.
Second, Toyota will enhance the customer information research offices to improve regional information collection and genchi-genbutsu activities.
Third, to develop quality-management professionals, Toyota will establish an “Automotive Center of Quality Excellence” in key regions.
Fourth, Toyota will seek confirmation and evaluation from outside experts—in line with industry's best practices—of its newly improved quality-control management, based on the above improvements.
In addition, Toyota will work to increase the frequency of communication between itself and regional authorities.
To provide customers with satisfying products in each and every region, Toyota has long promoted the autonomy of its regional subsidiaries. From now on, we intend to further this autonomy, listen carefully to each and every customer and improve quality.
END
Last edited by TRDFantasy; 02-05-10 at 07:05 AM.
02-05-10, 07:51 AM
#404
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The thing that makes me sick is that Toyota decided to build only boring cars that had no other selling points other than being safe, comfy, and reliable. And now all that's in the crapper. :/
The Prius and Lexus HS will be recalled shortly, count on it. This isn't over.
The Prius and Lexus HS will be recalled shortly, count on it. This isn't over.
02-05-10, 07:55 AM
#405
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Well Akio said back last year Toyota hit state 4 or meltdown. Now we get the recalls.
If ANYTHING this cements to people Akio was 100% right. He said Toyota was out of control and lost its plot and then wham, here are recalls. This REINFORCES HIM and will only help him achieve his vision.
The recalls need to be done so Toyota can move on. They will be better for this.
If ANYTHING this cements to people Akio was 100% right. He said Toyota was out of control and lost its plot and then wham, here are recalls. This REINFORCES HIM and will only help him achieve his vision.
The recalls need to be done so Toyota can move on. They will be better for this.
Last edited by LexFather; 02-05-10 at 08:21 AM.