Toyota's Woes

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · January-27-10, 01:13 PM

Unless I have missed it, Toyota's recent problems have not been discussed here. Is this really possible?

http://www.freep.com/article/2010012.../1270396/1318/

....Let me edit my somewhat confusing question. It is not that I thought Toyota's problems were not possible - I was surprised that they were not being discussed.

**EL Jimbo** · January-27-10, 01:18 PM

Very possible. Look for Ford to benefit from this the most as this comes at a great time for them with the positive marks they have been getting.

**davewindsor** · January-27-10, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Unless I have missed it, Toyota's recent problems have not been discussed here. Is this really possible?

http://www.freep.com/article/2010012.../1270396/1318/

....Let me edit my somewhat confusing question. It is not that I thought Toyota's problems were not possible - I was surprised that they were not being discussed.

So I guess there is merit to the "sudden unintended acceleration" class action lawsuit filed against Toyota back in November. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cla...ion-2009-11-06

Are there caps on class action lawsuits against automakers in the states?

Buy American · January-27-10, 01:41 PM

They've been hiding problems for years...it's about time the truth is told.

WHAT YOU DRIVE DRIVES AMERICA!
OUT OF A JOB YET? KEEP BUYING FOREIGN.

**rb336** · January-27-10, 01:45 PM

at least this one is impossible for the national media to ignore. remember the oil sludging problem that was destroying Toyota and Lexus engines? hardly a word about it, even though it affected a couple million cars

**Whitehouse** · January-27-10, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

Unless I have missed it, Toyota's recent problems have not been discussed here. Is this really possible?

Judging by the 16 posts you submitted since August, you haven't discussed very much in general. And this is the Detroit forum, not Japan.

**ndavies** · January-27-10, 02:00 PM

There's been several threads on the Toyota recalls on the non-Detroit side. I started one last October when this issue originally surfaced.

**drjeff** · January-27-10, 02:35 PM

I don't recall any automaker ever being forced to stop production on 8 different models. This is a huge deal.

**Fury13** · January-27-10, 02:35 PM

This should be in the non-Detroit side of the forum.

And plenty has been posted about Toyota's missteps.

Oh, and...

OUT OF A JOB YET?
KEEP RELYING ON A ONE-INDUSTRY ECONOMY!

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · January-27-10, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

Judging by the 16 posts you submitted since August, you haven't discussed very much in general. And this is the Detroit forum, not Japan.

I guess the auto industry is not a Detroit-related topic, and the Latest Chrysler News thread should be moved as well [[perhaps to the Italian news section?)

**Fury13** · January-27-10, 02:39 PM

Not solely. Ford, GM, and Chrysler ARE Detroit-related.

The auto industry as a whole no longer = Detroit.

**Hermod** · January-27-10, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by drjeff

I don't recall any automaker ever being forced to stop production on 8 different models. This is a huge deal.

Yes, but it is the right thing to do. They have a life-threatening safety deficiency in some of their cars caused [[they currently believe) by a part from a single supplier.

I do have to give them credit for taking this drastic measure [[like grounding an entire fleet of aircraft) while they try to chase down the source.

It is especially hard to trace down if it is a sometimes happening thing under certain conditions. When they find the problem, it will probably require a complete redisgn of the part and retrofit of all sold and waiting sale cars containing the part.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · January-27-10, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by Whitehouse

Judging by the 16 posts you submitted since August, you haven't discussed very much in general. And this is the Detroit forum, not Japan.

Actually, after I rejoined in August under a new name, I seldom post anymore due to the overwhelming snarkiness that infects this site.

**pffft** · January-27-10, 02:46 PM

Toyota didn't do it voluntarily, because it was the "right thing" to do -- the company knew about this five days ago.
They were legally required by the U.S. government to do it...

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...selling-models

**ndavies** · January-27-10, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

I do have to give them credit for taking this drastic measure [[like grounding an entire fleet of aircraft) while they try to chase down the source.

Credit for what? Following the law. They had no choice in the matter. They were legally required by NHTSA to shut down sales as soon as the recall was announced.

The fact that they had to also shut down production shows they are still scrambling to find a real solution to the problem.

**EL Jimbo** · January-27-10, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by Fury13

This should be in the non-Detroit side of the forum.

And plenty has been posted about Toyota's missteps.

Oh, and...

OUT OF A JOB YET?
KEEP RELYING ON A ONE-INDUSTRY ECONOMY!

You are absolutely right. However, that doesn't happen overnight so we got to ride the horse we have as long it takes until we grow the herd a bit more.

**cman710** · January-27-10, 03:01 PM

Given the place that Toyota holds in terms of sales in the domestic auto market, and given that the fate of the domestic auto market materially affects the metro Detroit area, I do not see how one could consider this non-Detroit related. In the most literal sense, it is not Detroit related, but the issue does relate very much to Detroit.

To a large extent, a widespread belief that only the domestic automakers affect Detroit was part of the problem in the first place.

**ndavies** · January-27-10, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by cman710

Given the place that Toyota holds in terms of sales in the domestic auto market, and given that the fate of the domestic auto market materially affects the metro Detroit area, I do not see how one could consider this non-Detroit related. In the most literal sense, it is not Detroit related, but the issue does relate very much to Detroit.

To a large extent, a widespread belief that only the domestic automakers affect Detroit was part of the problem in the first place.

The Detroit /NonDetroitedness of Toyota's issues are strickly at the whim of this board's owner/moderators. Automotive threads are routinely moved to the non-Detroit side of the board.

**East Detroit** · January-27-10, 03:22 PM

So, this probably makes Ford the de facto leader in safety, quality and value... rather than having to wait for the news to catch up with the reality.

We can't really celebrate this, though, since people have been killed by these Toyota products and the company responded with a false claim of "floor mats" causing it until they were forced by law to stop production. They have no moral high ground and this is sad news. Sad news for many Toyota owners who now can not trust the vehicle in their driveway.

http://www.freep.com/article/2010012...CrMWuHn1wCY%3D

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · January-27-10, 03:34 PM

GM is jumping on this with an incentive aimed at Toyota owners. Interesting.

http://www.freep.com/article/2010012...-Toyota-owners

**Traveller1** · January-27-10, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

GM is jumping on this with an incentive aimed at Toyota owners. Interesting.

http://www.freep.com/article/2010012...-Toyota-owners

GM and Ford may benefit from Toyota's troubles a little bit, but someone who just bought a brand new Toyota is not just going to sell it and buy another brand new car because of this. This incentive will help GM consumers that are in the market for a new car at the moment.

There is no doubt though that this will for sure take a chunk out of Toyota's profits in the first quarter of 2010.

Buy American · January-27-10, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by Fury13

This should be in the non-Detroit side of the forum.

And plenty has been posted about Toyota's missteps.

Oh, and...

OUT OF A JOB YET?
KEEP RELYING ON A ONE-INDUSTRY ECONOMY!

If this isn't a Detroit issue, I don't know what is.
The loss of the "one-industry economy" at least in Michigan has caused total devastation here. Just the trickle down effect from the plants closing is huge. Open your eyes and read about the unemployment percentage in Michgian.

**Detroitej72** · January-27-10, 04:43 PM

Maybe this will finally kill the myth that Japanese cars are superior in quality. Toyota has been quietly issuing "silent recalls" for years.

**Fury13** · January-27-10, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by Buy American

If this isn't a Detroit issue, I don't know what is.
The loss of the "one-industry economy" at least in Michigan has caused total devastation here. Just the trickle down effect from the plants closing is huge. Open your eyes and read about the unemployment percentage in Michgian.

I'm well aware of the unemployment percentage. The fact is, we need to wean ourselves off the automotive teat. The long-term economic fix for Michigan does not involve going back to a 1955 paradigm of auto-driven heavy manufacturing; the future lies in diversification with new industries and careers.

OUT OF A JOB YET?
KEEP RELYING ON A ONE-INDUSTRY ECONOMY!