Toyota recalls and related issues: BusinessWeek-Media owes Toyota an apology
04-08-10, 10:51 AM
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Among the media, WardsAuto.com, IMHO, has emerged as a particularly levelheaded and informative source of news, and this article by Christie Schweinsberg is no exception:
Toyota: Smart Tech to Blame for Some Repeat Complaints
A transmission that adapts to individual driving styles is to blame for many of the repeat complaints of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles, a top Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. official tells Ward’s.
Toyota has been installing a brake override system at the same time many of its models are at dealerships to receive fixes per two recalls, one for sticking accelerator pedals and another for gas pedals that could be caught on floor mats.
Re-flashing a vehicle’s engine control unit to add the brake override software will return the transmission’s electronics back to its factory settings, says Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager-Toyota Div., and that has a few owners thinking something has gone wrong with their vehicle once they get it back from their dealer.
“Our (ECUs) have an intelligence factor in them that learns the way a customer drives,” Carter says in a recent interview here. “So if I have a heavy foot, and you have a light foot, the car will adjust over time to meet your driving style vs. mine.
“When dealers re-flash the ECU to put in the safe brake, what is also happening simultaneously is the vehicle goes back to factory settings.”
While the car may feel different, Carter says the transmission will re-learn the owner’s driving style in a “couple of weeks.”
About 100 complaints were lodged in the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin.’s database from Toyota owners who received recall fixes but still were experiencing problems.
“That was an area we had to do a better job explaining to the consumer,” Carter says.
Rare in investigations of repeat complaints are two cases in which Toyota discovered the carpet was not properly reattached to the lower center stack, allowing it to interfere with the accelerator pedal.
Reattaching the carpet is part of the fix specified under the pedal-entrapment recall. As part of that recall, Toyota service technicians shave down the accelerator pedal and remove carpet padding to increase the accelerator’s clearance by about 0.75 ins. (1.9 cm).
Carter attributes the two instances to “an unfortunate technician’s error,” but notes Toyota has repaired nearly 2 million vehicles under both recalls, as well as one involving braking in the Prius hybrid.
Carter says a smaller issue cropping up involves complaints about “subtle” changes in accelerator feel after reinforcement is added under the sticky-pedal recall.
“I don’t notice it,” he says. “I think most people don’t notice it. It’s subtle. If (owners complain), we’ll replace the pedal assembly.”
Kristen Tabar, general manager-electronics systems for Toyota Technical Center, believes intense media attention regarding the recalls has given Toyota owners a “heightened sensitivity.
“They’re paying more attention, so any change in how the car felt before and after (is noticeable).”
Asked if dealers need to do a better job explaining technology intricacies to Toyota owners, Carter says, “There’s always better.”
With that in mind, the auto maker has released what he calls “a consumer-friendly talk sheet” for service managers to use in explaining how the repairs will affect the adaptable transmission.
Toyota also is beefing up its consumer website, Toyota.com, to incorporate technical videos, including one starring Tabar, that explain features in greater detail than they are likely to get at the dealership.
“Even though our salespeople for the most part do wonderful deliveries, you can’t (describe) every feature – you’ll just overwhelm people,” Carter says of the increased “heavy-lifting” of Toyota.com.
Toyota is exploring contacting vehicle owners directly, via email for instance, with information about their car, although Carter notes some buyers don’t want to receive any communication from their vehicle’s manufacturer.
In the case of Toyota’s Lexus luxury brand, Tabar says models with the new Enform telematics system someday may be able to transmit instructional videos to the vehicle along with the text messages Lexus now sends.
Also under consideration is an expansion of Enform to Toyota-brand models. Currently, those vehicles offer only the Safety Connect functions of Enform, not its concierge-like services.
Last week, at the first meeting of Toyota’s Special Committee for Global Quality in Japan, the auto maker said it would expand application of its Japan-market G-Book telematics service to “convey vehicular self-diagnostic information to drivers.”
Toyota U.S. spokesman John Hanson says there is “strong consideration” being given to using telematics to connect with customers here, as well.
“One of the primary issues is how do we listen to the customer better, and maybe part of that is being able to listen to the car better too,” he says.
Hanson doesn’t know whether Toyota may add the capability of disabling a vehicle remotely, a feature of General Motors Co.’s OnStar telematics system.
Despite the distraction caused by the sudden-acceleration issue, Carter insists Toyota will not delay any vehicle introductions.
Both he and Hanson admit the fallout from the recalls is “not over,” and Toyota now is analyzing how media attention was allowed to snowball to such levels.
This week, NHTSA said it planned to fine Toyota $16.38 million for failing to disclose sooner its sticky-pedal problem. Toyota has until April 19 to challenge the fine but has not indicated if it will do so.
http://wardsauto.com/home/toyota_tech_blame_100408/
Toyota: Smart Tech to Blame for Some Repeat Complaints
A transmission that adapts to individual driving styles is to blame for many of the repeat complaints of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles, a top Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. official tells Ward’s.
Toyota has been installing a brake override system at the same time many of its models are at dealerships to receive fixes per two recalls, one for sticking accelerator pedals and another for gas pedals that could be caught on floor mats.
Re-flashing a vehicle’s engine control unit to add the brake override software will return the transmission’s electronics back to its factory settings, says Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager-Toyota Div., and that has a few owners thinking something has gone wrong with their vehicle once they get it back from their dealer.
“Our (ECUs) have an intelligence factor in them that learns the way a customer drives,” Carter says in a recent interview here. “So if I have a heavy foot, and you have a light foot, the car will adjust over time to meet your driving style vs. mine.
“When dealers re-flash the ECU to put in the safe brake, what is also happening simultaneously is the vehicle goes back to factory settings.”
While the car may feel different, Carter says the transmission will re-learn the owner’s driving style in a “couple of weeks.”
About 100 complaints were lodged in the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin.’s database from Toyota owners who received recall fixes but still were experiencing problems.
“That was an area we had to do a better job explaining to the consumer,” Carter says.
Rare in investigations of repeat complaints are two cases in which Toyota discovered the carpet was not properly reattached to the lower center stack, allowing it to interfere with the accelerator pedal.
Reattaching the carpet is part of the fix specified under the pedal-entrapment recall. As part of that recall, Toyota service technicians shave down the accelerator pedal and remove carpet padding to increase the accelerator’s clearance by about 0.75 ins. (1.9 cm).
Carter attributes the two instances to “an unfortunate technician’s error,” but notes Toyota has repaired nearly 2 million vehicles under both recalls, as well as one involving braking in the Prius hybrid.
Carter says a smaller issue cropping up involves complaints about “subtle” changes in accelerator feel after reinforcement is added under the sticky-pedal recall.
“I don’t notice it,” he says. “I think most people don’t notice it. It’s subtle. If (owners complain), we’ll replace the pedal assembly.”
Kristen Tabar, general manager-electronics systems for Toyota Technical Center, believes intense media attention regarding the recalls has given Toyota owners a “heightened sensitivity.
“They’re paying more attention, so any change in how the car felt before and after (is noticeable).”
Asked if dealers need to do a better job explaining technology intricacies to Toyota owners, Carter says, “There’s always better.”
With that in mind, the auto maker has released what he calls “a consumer-friendly talk sheet” for service managers to use in explaining how the repairs will affect the adaptable transmission.
Toyota also is beefing up its consumer website, Toyota.com, to incorporate technical videos, including one starring Tabar, that explain features in greater detail than they are likely to get at the dealership.
“Even though our salespeople for the most part do wonderful deliveries, you can’t (describe) every feature – you’ll just overwhelm people,” Carter says of the increased “heavy-lifting” of Toyota.com.
Toyota is exploring contacting vehicle owners directly, via email for instance, with information about their car, although Carter notes some buyers don’t want to receive any communication from their vehicle’s manufacturer.
In the case of Toyota’s Lexus luxury brand, Tabar says models with the new Enform telematics system someday may be able to transmit instructional videos to the vehicle along with the text messages Lexus now sends.
Also under consideration is an expansion of Enform to Toyota-brand models. Currently, those vehicles offer only the Safety Connect functions of Enform, not its concierge-like services.
Last week, at the first meeting of Toyota’s Special Committee for Global Quality in Japan, the auto maker said it would expand application of its Japan-market G-Book telematics service to “convey vehicular self-diagnostic information to drivers.”
Toyota U.S. spokesman John Hanson says there is “strong consideration” being given to using telematics to connect with customers here, as well.
“One of the primary issues is how do we listen to the customer better, and maybe part of that is being able to listen to the car better too,” he says.
Hanson doesn’t know whether Toyota may add the capability of disabling a vehicle remotely, a feature of General Motors Co.’s OnStar telematics system.
Despite the distraction caused by the sudden-acceleration issue, Carter insists Toyota will not delay any vehicle introductions.
Both he and Hanson admit the fallout from the recalls is “not over,” and Toyota now is analyzing how media attention was allowed to snowball to such levels.
This week, NHTSA said it planned to fine Toyota $16.38 million for failing to disclose sooner its sticky-pedal problem. Toyota has until April 19 to challenge the fine but has not indicated if it will do so.
http://wardsauto.com/home/toyota_tech_blame_100408/
04-10-10, 11:37 AM
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Throughout this ordeal, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood has annoyed the hell out of me, and I'm glad to see I'm not alone:
Is the Government Out to Get Toyota?
By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog via U.S. News & World Report
It may just be that U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood forgets to engage his brain before he puts his mouth in gear. Either that or he is deliberately trying to make it harder for Toyota to maintain its share of the American automobile market.
Right now, thanks to the way the media has hyped the story, it would be hard to blame a consumer who questioned the overall safety of Toyota's passenger car fleet. LaHood has not helped matters, missing wherever he can the opportunity to calm the fears of the American public.
Back in February, he raised more than a few eyebrows when he suggested the proper response for anyone concerned about the safety of Toyotas was to "stop driving" them, a comment he was later to retract as an embarrassing misstatement. Now LaHood, who has just announced the Japanese automaker faces a record $16.4 million fine, is accusing the company of being "safety deaf" and says he would not be surprised if further reviews of internal company documents find additional problems with the vehicle fleet.
It sure sounds like he is trying to convince people not to buy Toyotas, which is a seemingly odd move considering the number of people in the United States whose jobs depend on that one company, its manufacturing facilities, and its dealerships. Then again, Toyota workers are not members of the powerful United Autoworkers Union, a key part of the Democrats' electoral coalition. And the U.S. government--of which LaHood is a most senior official--is not a part owner of the company.
These are just some of the reasons to wonder about the way in which this investigation has been conducted and if its spokesmen, including LaHood, have been impartial and even-handed. Their job is not to alarm the public but to reassure the American people that everything is being handled in an appropriate and judicious manner. Like the one they have regarding the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's preliminary investigation, announced earlier this month, into the possibility that vehicle brake lines have corroded in 6.2 million General Motors Co. vehicles.
According to the Detroit News, "NHTSA's investigation--made public today--includes 6 million 1999-2003 GM pickups and SUVs and 189,000 2003 2500 heavy-duty pickups. The investigation covers all models built--not all models remaining on the roads--so the actual number could be lower than 6.2 million."
"The complaints allege the loss of braking effectiveness due to brake line rupture because of corrosion," NHTSA investigator Chris Lash said in a government filing. "In 37 of these complaints, the brake line failure was confirmed by a dealer inspection." This is a calm and reasonable way to approach the problem about which no one, including the folks who run Government Motors--excuse me--General Motors should have any complaint. It's just too bad the standard does not seem to be equally applied.
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/peter-ro...et-toyota.html
Is the Government Out to Get Toyota?
By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog via U.S. News & World Report
It may just be that U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood forgets to engage his brain before he puts his mouth in gear. Either that or he is deliberately trying to make it harder for Toyota to maintain its share of the American automobile market.
Right now, thanks to the way the media has hyped the story, it would be hard to blame a consumer who questioned the overall safety of Toyota's passenger car fleet. LaHood has not helped matters, missing wherever he can the opportunity to calm the fears of the American public.
Back in February, he raised more than a few eyebrows when he suggested the proper response for anyone concerned about the safety of Toyotas was to "stop driving" them, a comment he was later to retract as an embarrassing misstatement. Now LaHood, who has just announced the Japanese automaker faces a record $16.4 million fine, is accusing the company of being "safety deaf" and says he would not be surprised if further reviews of internal company documents find additional problems with the vehicle fleet.
It sure sounds like he is trying to convince people not to buy Toyotas, which is a seemingly odd move considering the number of people in the United States whose jobs depend on that one company, its manufacturing facilities, and its dealerships. Then again, Toyota workers are not members of the powerful United Autoworkers Union, a key part of the Democrats' electoral coalition. And the U.S. government--of which LaHood is a most senior official--is not a part owner of the company.
These are just some of the reasons to wonder about the way in which this investigation has been conducted and if its spokesmen, including LaHood, have been impartial and even-handed. Their job is not to alarm the public but to reassure the American people that everything is being handled in an appropriate and judicious manner. Like the one they have regarding the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's preliminary investigation, announced earlier this month, into the possibility that vehicle brake lines have corroded in 6.2 million General Motors Co. vehicles.
According to the Detroit News, "NHTSA's investigation--made public today--includes 6 million 1999-2003 GM pickups and SUVs and 189,000 2003 2500 heavy-duty pickups. The investigation covers all models built--not all models remaining on the roads--so the actual number could be lower than 6.2 million."
"The complaints allege the loss of braking effectiveness due to brake line rupture because of corrosion," NHTSA investigator Chris Lash said in a government filing. "In 37 of these complaints, the brake line failure was confirmed by a dealer inspection." This is a calm and reasonable way to approach the problem about which no one, including the folks who run Government Motors--excuse me--General Motors should have any complaint. It's just too bad the standard does not seem to be equally applied.
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/peter-ro...et-toyota.html
04-12-10, 11:16 AM
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So, how much are the recalls expected to cost Toyota? This Automotive News story attempts to answer that question:
Experts: Price of Toyota's troubles will soar
by Hans Greimel
TOKYO -- For now, the flurry of recalls has stopped. But the costs confronting Toyota Motor Corp. as a result of its quality crisis will keep climbing, analysts say.
By Toyota's own count, the string of worldwide recalls will cost the company $2 billion.
But that only covers the floor mat and sticky-pedal actions from last autumn through January -- not the Prius antilock brake recall in February. It also ignores the spiraling incentives, advertising bills and looming wall of lawsuits that have piled up in the last two months. And then there's the record $16.4 million fine imposed April 5 by the U.S. government.
Factoring in all that could put the total bill above $4.43 billion, some analysts say.
The world's biggest automaker, still digging out after its first operating loss in seven decades, suddenly finds itself in even softer financial quicksand.
To deal with this, Toyota is making a number of operational changes, including:
-- Delaying U.S. Prius production.
-- Cutting labor costs by reducing hiring in Japan.
-- Realigning its Japanese manufacturing base.
-- Suspending production in Europe.
A task force was launched March 30 to improve global quality control. Changes recommended by that group, along with actions triggered by consumer complaints and other internal quality-control committees, also could add cost.
"Toyota was a company in need of restructuring and cost reduction before this issue," says Kurt Sanger, an auto analyst at Deutsche Securities in Tokyo.
"The pressure that could come on earnings now makes that even more challenging."
Counting the costs
Sanger estimates that the total cost for all of the recalls will have a ¥290 billion ($3.09 billion) impact on Toyota's earnings in the fiscal year that starts April 1.
But others see a larger number.
Total costs could reach $4.43 billion, including repair bills, lost sales and litigation settlements, according to Kohei Takahashi, an auto analyst at J.P. Morgan in Tokyo.
Fixing the floor mats and sticky pedals that led to the recall of more 6 million vehicles in the United States since last fall for possible unintended acceleration will cost $1.07 billion, Takahashi says. Repairing the antilock brake problem that triggered the global recall of the Prius will cost an additional $160 million.
Lawsuits could eat up another $1.07 billion, Takahashi predicts. On top off all that, lost sales will cost Toyota $2.13 billion, he says.
But the real danger is the possibility of new problems surfacing.
Additional defects could amplify today's problems and derail future product plans. Says Takahashi: "That's a huge risk."
On Wednesday, April 7, Toyota extended the floor mat and pedal recall to South Korea, calling back an additional 13,000 there and bruising its image and customer confidence in yet another market.
In the United States, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is still investigating causes of unwanted acceleration in Toyota vehicles, including possible electronic control glitches.
The U.S. federal government is already making Toyota pay. The Transportation Department fined Toyota $16.4 million, the largest such penalty ever, saying it hid the sticky pedal defect and belatedly alerted regulators. Further investigations could bring additional penalties, it warned.
Air of uncertainty
A storm of unresolved lawsuits still hovers over the company. Toyota faces at least 177 lawsuits seeking class-action status and at least 56 suits claiming personal injuries or deaths caused by unintended acceleration, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News.
Toyota is predicting net income of $852.2 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, compared with a net loss of $4.65 billion a year earlier. Toyota has taken big strides toward profitability thanks to major cost cuts. It had targeted $745.6 million in cost reductions alone for the fiscal year ended March 31.
But the recalls create an atmosphere of financial uncertainty.
The cloudy future already has forced Toyota to delay plans to bring production of the Prius hybrid to the United States. And in March, Toyota temporarily halted production at plants in Britain and France, partly because of slumping demand in the wake of the global recalls.
In Japan, the company is reining in labor costs. This year it hired 3 percent fewer white collar workers than in 2009, for it smallest incoming class of engineers and administrators since 1994, according to Japanese media reports.
And Toyota is realigning its domestic manufacturing base across its small-car subsidiary Daihatsu and its truck unit Hino to consolidate production of similar vehicles, regardless of brand.
That move is part of a goal to shave $1.07 billion in annual production costs by 2012 by increasing the use of common parts, Japan's Nikkei business daily reports.
RECALL RECOIL
One analyst's cost estimate of Toyota's quality crisis
• Repair of floor mats, sticky pedals: $1.07 billion
• Repair of Prius brake glitch: $0.16 billion
• Litigation settlements: $1.07 billion
• Lost sales, production: $2.13 billion
Total: $4.43 billion
Source: Kohei Takahashi of J.P. Morgan
http://www.autonews.com/article/2010...2/304129969/-1
Experts: Price of Toyota's troubles will soar
by Hans Greimel
TOKYO -- For now, the flurry of recalls has stopped. But the costs confronting Toyota Motor Corp. as a result of its quality crisis will keep climbing, analysts say.
By Toyota's own count, the string of worldwide recalls will cost the company $2 billion.
But that only covers the floor mat and sticky-pedal actions from last autumn through January -- not the Prius antilock brake recall in February. It also ignores the spiraling incentives, advertising bills and looming wall of lawsuits that have piled up in the last two months. And then there's the record $16.4 million fine imposed April 5 by the U.S. government.
Factoring in all that could put the total bill above $4.43 billion, some analysts say.
The world's biggest automaker, still digging out after its first operating loss in seven decades, suddenly finds itself in even softer financial quicksand.
To deal with this, Toyota is making a number of operational changes, including:
-- Delaying U.S. Prius production.
-- Cutting labor costs by reducing hiring in Japan.
-- Realigning its Japanese manufacturing base.
-- Suspending production in Europe.
A task force was launched March 30 to improve global quality control. Changes recommended by that group, along with actions triggered by consumer complaints and other internal quality-control committees, also could add cost.
"Toyota was a company in need of restructuring and cost reduction before this issue," says Kurt Sanger, an auto analyst at Deutsche Securities in Tokyo.
"The pressure that could come on earnings now makes that even more challenging."
Counting the costs
Sanger estimates that the total cost for all of the recalls will have a ¥290 billion ($3.09 billion) impact on Toyota's earnings in the fiscal year that starts April 1.
But others see a larger number.
Total costs could reach $4.43 billion, including repair bills, lost sales and litigation settlements, according to Kohei Takahashi, an auto analyst at J.P. Morgan in Tokyo.
Fixing the floor mats and sticky pedals that led to the recall of more 6 million vehicles in the United States since last fall for possible unintended acceleration will cost $1.07 billion, Takahashi says. Repairing the antilock brake problem that triggered the global recall of the Prius will cost an additional $160 million.
Lawsuits could eat up another $1.07 billion, Takahashi predicts. On top off all that, lost sales will cost Toyota $2.13 billion, he says.
But the real danger is the possibility of new problems surfacing.
Additional defects could amplify today's problems and derail future product plans. Says Takahashi: "That's a huge risk."
On Wednesday, April 7, Toyota extended the floor mat and pedal recall to South Korea, calling back an additional 13,000 there and bruising its image and customer confidence in yet another market.
In the United States, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is still investigating causes of unwanted acceleration in Toyota vehicles, including possible electronic control glitches.
The U.S. federal government is already making Toyota pay. The Transportation Department fined Toyota $16.4 million, the largest such penalty ever, saying it hid the sticky pedal defect and belatedly alerted regulators. Further investigations could bring additional penalties, it warned.
Air of uncertainty
A storm of unresolved lawsuits still hovers over the company. Toyota faces at least 177 lawsuits seeking class-action status and at least 56 suits claiming personal injuries or deaths caused by unintended acceleration, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News.
Toyota is predicting net income of $852.2 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, compared with a net loss of $4.65 billion a year earlier. Toyota has taken big strides toward profitability thanks to major cost cuts. It had targeted $745.6 million in cost reductions alone for the fiscal year ended March 31.
But the recalls create an atmosphere of financial uncertainty.
The cloudy future already has forced Toyota to delay plans to bring production of the Prius hybrid to the United States. And in March, Toyota temporarily halted production at plants in Britain and France, partly because of slumping demand in the wake of the global recalls.
In Japan, the company is reining in labor costs. This year it hired 3 percent fewer white collar workers than in 2009, for it smallest incoming class of engineers and administrators since 1994, according to Japanese media reports.
And Toyota is realigning its domestic manufacturing base across its small-car subsidiary Daihatsu and its truck unit Hino to consolidate production of similar vehicles, regardless of brand.
That move is part of a goal to shave $1.07 billion in annual production costs by 2012 by increasing the use of common parts, Japan's Nikkei business daily reports.
RECALL RECOIL
One analyst's cost estimate of Toyota's quality crisis
• Repair of floor mats, sticky pedals: $1.07 billion
• Repair of Prius brake glitch: $0.16 billion
• Litigation settlements: $1.07 billion
• Lost sales, production: $2.13 billion
Total: $4.43 billion
Source: Kohei Takahashi of J.P. Morgan
http://www.autonews.com/article/2010...2/304129969/-1
04-12-10, 11:21 AM
#1295
Yikes, fortunately they have large cash reserves...the lawyers are gunning for that though. But they will come through this---they have to. Also:
Reporters with no integrity; their Toyota hit-jobs were finalists, but lost out to the NY Times' expose on dangers of texting while driving. At least the NY Times piece was on a genuine danger with real large impact on car safety, not trumped-up claims and misleading, innuendo-based reporting.
Moreover, the LA Times is currently claiming that Toyota's accident SWAT ("Smart") teams are "confrontational" -- kettle, meet pot! Confrontational--how about the LA Times claims of Toyota lying, or hiding 'electronic defects', or of their hostile questionnaires, or other bs? It's also incredibly rich that the LA Times runs hit-pieces on Exponent Inc. and gives a free pass to "Safety Strategies Inc." and others that fit their biased viewpoint.
No way did they deserve an award and I'm glad they lost. A desperate newspaper with slashed newsroom staff and declining circulation, seeking to prove its relevance by hyping up and misleading readers on the recall story. I'm glad I and others cancelled their subscription to this formerly useful, now disgraced newspaper (now combined stories with the Chicago Tribune).
Los Angeles Times Shut Out Of 2010 Pulitzer Prize Awards
By Dennis Romero, Monday, Apr. 12 2010 @ 1:33PM
Categories: community, media
The Los Angeles Times was shut out of the list of 2010 Pulitzer Prize winners. The paper was a finalist for a joint entry with ProPublica for "their exposure of gaps in California's oversight of dangerous and incompetent nurses, blending investigative scrutiny and multimedia storytelling to produce corrective changes."
http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/ci...s-no-pulitzer/
Also, the LAT's Ken Bensinger and Ralph Vartabedian were finalists in national reporting for their Toyota coverage: "tenacious reporting on how design flaws and weak federal oversight contributed to a potentially lethal problem with Toyota vehicles, resulting in corrective steps and a congressional inquiry."
By Dennis Romero, Monday, Apr. 12 2010 @ 1:33PM
Categories: community, media
The Los Angeles Times was shut out of the list of 2010 Pulitzer Prize winners. The paper was a finalist for a joint entry with ProPublica for "their exposure of gaps in California's oversight of dangerous and incompetent nurses, blending investigative scrutiny and multimedia storytelling to produce corrective changes."
http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/ci...s-no-pulitzer/
Also, the LAT's Ken Bensinger and Ralph Vartabedian were finalists in national reporting for their Toyota coverage: "tenacious reporting on how design flaws and weak federal oversight contributed to a potentially lethal problem with Toyota vehicles, resulting in corrective steps and a congressional inquiry."
Moreover, the LA Times is currently claiming that Toyota's accident SWAT ("Smart") teams are "confrontational" -- kettle, meet pot! Confrontational--how about the LA Times claims of Toyota lying, or hiding 'electronic defects', or of their hostile questionnaires, or other bs? It's also incredibly rich that the LA Times runs hit-pieces on Exponent Inc. and gives a free pass to "Safety Strategies Inc." and others that fit their biased viewpoint.
No way did they deserve an award and I'm glad they lost. A desperate newspaper with slashed newsroom staff and declining circulation, seeking to prove its relevance by hyping up and misleading readers on the recall story. I'm glad I and others cancelled their subscription to this formerly useful, now disgraced newspaper (now combined stories with the Chicago Tribune).
Last edited by encore888; 04-12-10 at 03:56 PM.
04-12-10, 11:16 PM
#1296
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Another overhyped story IMO regarding what the total cost of this situation will be for Toyota.
For one, they have massive cash reserves and are estimating to be profitable in the next quarter, even taking into account the costs from this whole situation.
Secondly, even if the total cost is in the 4-5B range, these costs will not hit Toyota all at once. Many litigation or class action suits for example take ages to get through court. The estimated total cost of 4-5B USD will be spread over months or even years for Toyota.
In the grand scheme of things, the overall impact to Toyota's profits will not be significant.
For one, they have massive cash reserves and are estimating to be profitable in the next quarter, even taking into account the costs from this whole situation.
Secondly, even if the total cost is in the 4-5B range, these costs will not hit Toyota all at once. Many litigation or class action suits for example take ages to get through court. The estimated total cost of 4-5B USD will be spread over months or even years for Toyota.
In the grand scheme of things, the overall impact to Toyota's profits will not be significant.
04-16-10, 07:04 PM
#1299
What a crock...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...luKswD9F4FVG80
Spare tires suspended under vehicles break those cables all the time, on all sorts of different models from every manufacturer I've seen... Ford seems to be the worst (truck and van lines)...
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...luKswD9F4FVG80
Spare tires suspended under vehicles break those cables all the time, on all sorts of different models from every manufacturer I've seen... Ford seems to be the worst (truck and van lines)...
04-17-10, 03:13 AM
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Over 800,000 Siennas recalled in total. The spare tire cable rusting is a minor problem, especially given the fact this recall covers Siennas as old as 1998 model years.
This is just another Toyota recall going above and beyond.
Toyota is essentially recalling Siennas for a wear and tear issue that can naturally occur with age.
This is just another Toyota recall going above and beyond.
Toyota is essentially recalling Siennas for a wear and tear issue that can naturally occur with age.
04-17-10, 12:10 PM
#1301
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Over 800,000 Siennas recalled in total. The spare tire cable rusting is a minor problem, especially given the fact this recall covers Siennas as old as 1998 model years.
This is just another Toyota recall going above and beyond.
Toyota is essentially recalling Siennas for a wear and tear issue that can naturally occur with age.
This is just another Toyota recall going above and beyond.
Toyota is essentially recalling Siennas for a wear and tear issue that can naturally occur with age.
04-17-10, 03:20 PM
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I agree....this is probably a simple wear-and-tear issue rather than a truly-needed recall. True, Toyota could have used a corrosion-resistant, stainless-steel cable, but that would have obviously increased the cost, and the average spare is not used (or changed) that often. But, getting back to a matter I often address in my auto reviews, at least the Sienna seems to have a real spare tire instead of those idiotic Donuts/Temporarys or Fix-a-Flat bottles. Some models of the Sienna (I don't remember exactly which ones or when they were built) came with standard Run-Flat tires (without a spare), but were discontinued, due to owner complaints, because of the tires' generally short lifespan and high expense of replacing them.
04-18-10, 11:24 PM
#1303
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AP source: Toyota to agree to $16.4 million fine
WASHINGTON – Toyota Motor Corp. is expected to agree to a fine of more than $16 million, the largest government penalty levied against an automaker, for a four-month delay in telling federal authorities about defective gas pedals on its vehicles, a Transportation Department official said Sunday.
Toyota faces a Monday deadline to accept or contest the $16.4 million fine over evidence it knew about sticking gas pedals in September but did not issue a recall until January.
The Transportation official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke only on condition of anonymity. The official said Toyota is expected to pay the full amount of the assessed fine within 30 days as a means of avoiding going to court against the government.
The official said Toyota did not intend to accept liability explicitly. But from the government's viewpoint, the official said, the agreement to pay the full fine constituted an acceptance of responsibility for hiding the safety defect in violation of the law.
Toyota did not immediately comment on the fine. Under federal law, automakers are required to notify the government within five business days when they find a potential safety defect.
Toyota announced it would recall 2.3 million vehicles in January to address sticking pedals on popular vehicles such as the Camry and Corolla. The Japanese automaker has recalled more than 8 million vehicles worldwide because of acceleration problems in multiple models and braking issues in the Prius hybrid.
Concerns about sticking gas pedals and complaints from Toyota owners in the U.S. were rising at the end of 2009, according to chronologies of the investigation Toyota provided to the government.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said documents provided by Toyota showed the automaker had known about the sticky pedal defect at least since Sept. 29, 2009, when it issued repair procedures to distributors in 31 European countries to address complaints of sticking pedals, sudden increases in engine RPM and sudden vehicle acceleration.
The documents also showed that Toyota knew that owners in the United States had experienced the same problems.
The Japanese automaker has been weighing its options since the fine was announced in early April but analysts expected it to pay the penalty.
The company has been named in 138 potential class-action lawsuits over falling vehicle values and about 100 personal injury and wrongful death cases in federal courts. Federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are conducting investigations related to the recalls.
"When you look at the toll it's taken on Toyota's reputation, when you look at the number of vehicles involved, when you look at the hardship it's placed on Toyota's customer base, it's only right for Toyota to take this fine," said Dennis Virag, president of Automotive Consulting Group based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Transportation officials have not ruled out additional fines. The department is reviewing whether Toyota delayed for six weeks the late January recall of the 2009-2010 Venza in the United States to address floor mats that could entrap the accelerator pedal after making a similar recall in Canada.
Toyota recalled the Venza in Canada in December and reported to the U.S. government on Dec. 16 that the floor mats could move forward while the vehicle is in use and "may interfere with the accelerator pedal."
Toyota told U.S. authorities at the time that the floor mats in question were not imported into the U.S. but the Venza was added to the floor mat recall in late January.
WASHINGTON – Toyota Motor Corp. is expected to agree to a fine of more than $16 million, the largest government penalty levied against an automaker, for a four-month delay in telling federal authorities about defective gas pedals on its vehicles, a Transportation Department official said Sunday.
Toyota faces a Monday deadline to accept or contest the $16.4 million fine over evidence it knew about sticking gas pedals in September but did not issue a recall until January.
The Transportation official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke only on condition of anonymity. The official said Toyota is expected to pay the full amount of the assessed fine within 30 days as a means of avoiding going to court against the government.
The official said Toyota did not intend to accept liability explicitly. But from the government's viewpoint, the official said, the agreement to pay the full fine constituted an acceptance of responsibility for hiding the safety defect in violation of the law.
Toyota did not immediately comment on the fine. Under federal law, automakers are required to notify the government within five business days when they find a potential safety defect.
Toyota announced it would recall 2.3 million vehicles in January to address sticking pedals on popular vehicles such as the Camry and Corolla. The Japanese automaker has recalled more than 8 million vehicles worldwide because of acceleration problems in multiple models and braking issues in the Prius hybrid.
Concerns about sticking gas pedals and complaints from Toyota owners in the U.S. were rising at the end of 2009, according to chronologies of the investigation Toyota provided to the government.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said documents provided by Toyota showed the automaker had known about the sticky pedal defect at least since Sept. 29, 2009, when it issued repair procedures to distributors in 31 European countries to address complaints of sticking pedals, sudden increases in engine RPM and sudden vehicle acceleration.
The documents also showed that Toyota knew that owners in the United States had experienced the same problems.
The Japanese automaker has been weighing its options since the fine was announced in early April but analysts expected it to pay the penalty.
The company has been named in 138 potential class-action lawsuits over falling vehicle values and about 100 personal injury and wrongful death cases in federal courts. Federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are conducting investigations related to the recalls.
"When you look at the toll it's taken on Toyota's reputation, when you look at the number of vehicles involved, when you look at the hardship it's placed on Toyota's customer base, it's only right for Toyota to take this fine," said Dennis Virag, president of Automotive Consulting Group based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Transportation officials have not ruled out additional fines. The department is reviewing whether Toyota delayed for six weeks the late January recall of the 2009-2010 Venza in the United States to address floor mats that could entrap the accelerator pedal after making a similar recall in Canada.
Toyota recalled the Venza in Canada in December and reported to the U.S. government on Dec. 16 that the floor mats could move forward while the vehicle is in use and "may interfere with the accelerator pedal."
Toyota told U.S. authorities at the time that the floor mats in question were not imported into the U.S. but the Venza was added to the floor mat recall in late January.
04-19-10, 10:42 AM
#1305
Lexus Champion
I agree....this is probably a simple wear-and-tear issue rather than a truly-needed recall. True, Toyota could have used a corrosion-resistant, stainless-steel cable, but that would have obviously increased the cost, and the average spare is not used (or changed) that often. But, getting back to a matter I often address in my auto reviews, at least the Sienna seems to have a real spare tire instead of those idiotic Donuts/Temporarys or Fix-a-Flat bottles. Some models of the Sienna (I don't remember exactly which ones or when they were built) came with standard Run-Flat tires (without a spare), but were discontinued, due to owner complaints, because of the tires' generally short lifespan and high expense of replacing them.