Spider are you not connected with reality. The AP is just reporting what is happening in the real world. This a recall not started by the AP but because of quality issues and with America's heightened sensitivity over Toyota's loss of quality a very valid story.

Funny how it's Obama causing all this and a sign of the impending socialism when the first recall was done for the same problem in Japan. No U.S. influence. According to another post, liberals are ignorant. But I though the rabid right didn't like us because we were intellectual. Obviously liberals are lots of things, as are conservatives. Unfortunately the hate filled extreme right is very visible. The extreme left has, unfortunately decided to follow suit. I don't agree with the view of either end but it's scary how much hatred and loathing is rampant in our country, directed at one another.

We have so many real problems that face us, our society, and our political systems but virtually no politician will say or do anything that really addresses things because they are afraid of the reaction from the extremists, from the other side or from their own party. Sad. I need to quit reading these things. On another blog someone just suggested that a liberal slap his mother and then kill himself. It seems like an incredibly ignorant thing to say but then I think about how many might be cheering him on.....

it's scary how much hatred and loathing is rampant in our country, directed at one another

Obama probably didn't go around breaking Toyotas. He can, however, claim credit for this.

Spider this is not an AP attack on Toyota, they are only reporting another recall and it is about time they issued the recall scince they have known about the problem for 4 years and have already fixed many vehicles affected by this recall "under warranty" (a common tactic Toyota uses to avoid recalls and keep the illusion of quality, they have been doing it for years but they started doing it with safty issues and that is why they are in trouble now))

I suppose you will say they are being picked on when they get called to the stand over this...and they will...becuase here is yet another case in which Toyota know about a safty related (it is important to be able to steer your car) issue for years and did not report it within 5 days like NHTSA requires.

Make no mistake...Toyota has made their own bed!

We were going to get a new car for my spouse but the trade-in value of her Toyota has tanked to where it does not make sense right now. We need to wait for the Toyota recall storm to die down a little for the trade-in value to come back up. Only Toyota is giving good trade-in amounts for their used cars and we don't really want another Toyota right now.

Toyota did this to themselves not the AP or any other organization. Please keep buying their crap maybe you to can be a statistic.

JS, it might be best to just suck it up and get rid of your Toyota. If your model is one that was on one of the ever increasing recalls, it's resale value may never recover. And if it hasn't, it'd be best to get rid of it before it is on a recall and the resale value drops even further.

Toyota and Lexus has problems with Oxygen sensors. My Lexus GS300 has four of them and one in every 20,000 miles goes bad and I ended up paying nearly $600.00 each totaling so far $1,700.00.

I complained to Lexus by sending emails to them. They have not even recognized my email let alone answering it. Arrogant and pompous, that is what I think of Toyota now after having been a good customer with four vehecles purchased. I have been considering buying one of their hybrids, but I am not going to.

spider if you want someone to blame look at the name Toyota!! If they hadn't played games about the brake pedal issues, this would merely be a little bit of a bad year. As is, they screwed themselves by not living up to their reputation as the maker of safe and reliable vehicles

Nissan is the Chrylser of Japanese cars. Garbage all around.

Thats what you get for buying JUNK!

I've worked on a lot of different cars and these problems sound more like poor maintenance. This just a first impression though. Without having been there and seeing the vehicles, one can't be sure.

I purchased a 2007 Nissan Altima and had it returned under the Florida Lemon Law - (Thank God for the program)! I will never ever purchase anything that Nissan makes, not even a cute toaster.

Its not a recall but a "Special Policy" bulletin,Heres a copy of it,The reimbursement info is at the bottom...

Document ID# 2037454

Subject: Special Coverage Adjustment-Instrument Panel Cluster Gauge Needle Functions #07187A - (11/08/2007)

Models: 2003-2004 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT

2003-2004 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE

2003-2004 GMC SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL

see ref -www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=70134

I hope this helps......

I am sure GMs CEO will pay that bill for you Brian. Further I guess I would rather have a dis-functional dash than sticking throttle, no brakes and a car that won't turn.

Brian is this the only news story you've read in the last few years? Toyota has been fined 16.4 million dollars for delays in reporting problems to the government and that translates into delayed fixes for the consumer. GM has not been fined for doing this. Additionally poor Mr. Lee was tried and convicted for vehicular manslaughter when the his Toyota ran away killing others. Please explain to Mr. Lee how wonderful Toyota is!!!!

Brian, I agree that GM is crap. I had a new 98 Silverado that the windshield wipers quit working. Of course I only found out this during a storm. Have you ever had to drive with your head out the window in storm? I took it in and the service manager acted like he had never heard of this problem. So, of course, I paid like $267 parts and labor to replace the wiper motor. I found out after I had got rid of the truck (because I got tired of replacing things on it) that they did have a recall for the exact same thing. Never again will I trust these people. My Mom had a 80 Ford Mustang that blew out 3 trannys. I still can't get the smell of burning transmission fluid out of my senses and everytime I hop in a Ford it's like I can smell it. I had 2 girlfriends in the early 90 with Hyundai Excels that burned more oil than gas. So, I knew that Toyota would have many more recalls because they would be combing over their inventory with a fine tooth comb. I've got 2 Lexus and a Toyota 4runner with 230k that I don't hesitate to drive anywhere I go. My newest car is 10 years old and I still get compliments on it. Even if all car companies have improved I just can't erase all those bad memories I have so I'll stick with my Toyota's.

if you cant tell the difference between 60 mph and 20 mph without looking at your speedometer, then you shouldn't even be driving.

Brian you lamer....Toyota fixed cars in Japan and did not fix them here until they were caught, they are not that great.

The sooner you realize you are just a source of $$$ to all, yes all the car companies no matter where they are built or parent company is from. I have had tons of cars, and trucks.

Have had problems with some while the same brand a different model and had none. But to say Toyota is wonderful they fix stuff....where have you been? Had an Astro van with 157K, Toyota Turck 123K (rusted away brfore the motor was dead), Skylark in the 70s with 120k and now a Ford with 145k runs like a champ and yes I got a recall notice and I wasn't the original owner.

Some how you must believe that Obama did it.

And driving with your head out the window during a storm......well that speaks for itself.

Brian,

You said "The audacity of GM to tell me that going through a 20 MPH school zone at 60 MPH is not a safety issue surpasses any problems Toyota will ever have."

REALLY? You think a broken speedometer is anywhere near as serious as a car that accelerates by itself uncontrollably or not being able to stop (brakes issue) not being able to steer(steering column comes apart on corolla & avalon) or having your gas tank fall out while you are going 80MPH down the expressway (structural intergrity issue affect gas tank on some models and spare tires on some models, rust so bad they fall out)

So what are you saying, you would rather drive a car that takes off by istelf that you can't steer or stop so you have to keep going until you crash or the gas tank falls out? Than drive a vehicle that has a broken spedometer!?! GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!!!

I happen to have a 2006 GM truck and have had not one of the problems you have mentioned. Its has been a great truck with no issues at all. Besides a non working speedo is not a safety issue. Non working lights, self acceleration, brake issues, steering issues those are all safety issues. You are just looking for a free ride in getting the speedo fixed after the warranty ran out. Next time go buy a Toyota and see what they tell you, LOL

But I do have to say if you can't tell without your speedometer the difference between 20mph and 60mph get off the bleeping road before you kill someone.

I own two Honda Preludes. 3rd Gen, 1988 2 door coupes. One is a SOHC the 2.0S model and the other is the DOHC 2.0Si they both have 350000km + on them and they both run great. However both are manual trans with a very slippery 3rd gear.

After 350,000 miles your 3rd gear will be slipping too.

:))

He said km which if correct translates to 217,000 miles.

Not always so on the recalled domestic cars. For example: GM recall for windshield wiper system that can cause/caused fires:

According to the Detroit Free Press the recall effects the following cars:

"...Buick Lucerne, Cadillac DTS, Hummer H2; the 2008-2009 model year Buick Enclave and Cadillac CTS; the 2007-2009 model year Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Acadia, Sierra, Yukon, Yukon XL, Saturn Outlook and the 2009 model year Chevrolet Traverse."

Most windshield wiper systems from GM, Ford, Nissan, Toyota share components as it would be more cost effective to have a single unit for the full line as it would be for a particular vehicle.

Why is it that only Toyota recalls are being publicised? Every other manufacturer has recalls on almost a daily basis. Check this one out its for the same problem Toyota had and guess who makes the part. What! no, could we have some reasonable doubt that it was the part manufacturer and not the car company who's at fault. I love the second recall that says you can be ejected from your car. Also, take notice of the dates as we're talking about recent stuff not year old information.

http://www.lemonauto.com/complaints/daimler_chrysler/dodge_caliber.htm

AC Robertson to answer your question as to why it's across the whole line of cars that they have issues. It's because Toyota uses a process called Lean Manufacturing. It's a way of reducing cost and increasing efficiency by not making 20 different versions of the same product. It reduces cost and increases consistency in the product. If Toyota engineered the parts wrong then they are to blame for this mess but if its their supplier that cut corners that's a different story.

Joker is right. GM has over 5200 recalls, Toyota has about 600 recalls

Why do we keep hearing only about Toyota's problems?

Incidentally, Intellichoice selects the best and worst cars and trucks. Intellichoice said that even with their recall problems, Toyota is a good buy for consumers.

Consumer Reports again selected Toyotas as best buys but then suspended their recommendation because of the recalls.

But Toyotas are still listed in Consumer Reports as very reliable.

Consumer Reports top 4 cars are Honda, Subaru, Toyota & Hyundai.

I know lots of you people hate Consumer Reports because they are a communist, liberal, socialist bunch of engineers. But their findings are accurate and they have records on cars and trucks going back over 20yrs.

Sorry you people can't handle the truth!

Why is it that only Toyota recalls are being publicised?

Because people are dead.. Period.

Oh, but people have died in other vehicles, for example:

"GMC SUV Number of Rollover Deaths:

October 3, 2000

The Insurance Institute has compiled the number of GMC rollover deaths for Highway Safety using federal data for 1995 to 1997 in deaths per million vehicles registered.

• Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4-door had 44 all deaths/ 22 rollover deaths
• Chevrolet S10 Blazer 4-door had 195 all deaths/ 102 rollover deaths
• Chevrolet Tahoe 4-door had 45 all deaths/ 15 rollover deaths
• Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4-door had 53 all deaths/ 16 rollover deaths
• GMC T15 Jimmy 4-door had 68 all deaths/ 34 rollover deaths
• Chevrolet T10 Blazer 4-door had 72 all deaths/ 45 rollover deaths
• Chevrolet T10 Blazer 2-dorry had 153 all deaths/ 112 rollover deaths"

OR:

"Ford Had 20 Acceleration Deaths as Regulators Cited Human Error
By Jeff Green, Margaret Cronin Fisk and Angela Greiling Keane - March 15, 2010 00:59 EDT

March 15 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. regulators have tracked more deaths in vehicles made by Ford Motor Co., Chrysler Group LLC and other companies combined than by Toyota Motor Corp. during three decades of unintended acceleration reviews that often blamed human error.

Fifty-nine of 110 fatalities attributed to sudden acceleration in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration records occurred in vehicles other than those sold by Toyota, whose recalls have drawn widespread attention to the issue, according to data compiled for Bloomberg News by the NHTSA.

The agency received 15,174 complaints involving unintended acceleration in the past decade and has run 141 investigations of the phenomenon since 1980, closing 112 of them without corrective action. NHTSA’s repeated conclusion that crashes occurred because drivers mistakenly stomped the accelerator became a policy position that caused investigators to take complaints of runaway vehicles less seriously than they should have, safety advocates say."

Other car companies are in the news, just need to know where to look. Although, the press loves to go on the witch hunt against foreign car companies to try to pump up our country---especially in times of economic hardship.

Robert many recalls do go a cross many of its brands they are usually have an equivalent in the car line up. Chrysler will recall a stratus and a Sebring will both have the same recalls or a ford and a Mercury with the same recall If you want I can look them up. it is not that hard.

here is one small recall 1,000,000 cars.

CHRYSLER / 300M

1998-2002

CHRYSLER / CONCORDE

1998-2002

CHRYSLER / INTREPID

1998-2002

CHRYSLER / LHS

1998-2001

DODGE / INTREPID

1998-2002

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number:
03V035000

Summary:

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, SEAT BACK RECLINER BOLT BREAKAGE CAN OCCUR RESULTING IN THE SEAT BACK RECLINING UNEXPECTEDLY.

here is a nother on on 20,000 cars and trucks.

Vehicle Make / Model:

Model Year(s):

CHRYSLER / SEBRING

2010

DODGE / AVENGER

2010

DODGE / NITRO

2010

DODGE / RAM

2009-2010

JEEP / COMMANDER

2010

JEEP / GRAND CHEROKEE

2010

JEEP / LIBERTY

2010

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number:
10V009000

Summary:

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 CHRYSLER SEBRING; DODGE AVENGER AND NITRO; JEEP LIBERTY, COMMANDER AND GRAND CHEROKEE; AND MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 DODGE RAM TRUCK. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH AN IMPROPERLY FORMED OR MISSING BRAKE BOOSTER INPUT ROD RETAINING CLIP.

here is one on 40,000 cars

Vehicle Make / Model:

Model Year(s):

CHRYSLER / 300

2010

DODGE / CHALLENGER

2010

DODGE / CHARGER

2010

DODGE / RAM

2010

JEEP / COMMANDER

2010

JEEP / GRAND CHEROKEE

2010

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number:
10V200000

Summary:

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2010 CHRYSLER 300, DODGE CHALLENGER, CHARGER, JEEP COMMANDER, GRAND CHEROKEE AND DODGE RAM VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH A WIRELESS IGNITION NODE (WIN) MODULE EXHIBITING A BINDING CONDITION OF THE SOLENOID LATCH.

here is one on 13,000 cars

Vehicle Make / Model:

Model Year(s):

CHRYSLER / 300

2009-2010

DODGE / CHALLENGER

2009-2010

DODGE / CHARGER

2009-2010

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number:
09V420000

Summary:

CHRYSLER IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 THROUGH 2010 PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH REAR WHEEL DRIVE. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITHOUT A FRONT WHEEL SPINDLE NUT.

cyoteman_2095454,

Consumers reports is a Japanese owned co that said in 2007 "we will no longer recommend Toyota as a best buy based on thier reliability history due to recent declines in quality" This was after their reader base started complaining about Toyota reliability. It is no secret that Toyota is Japans "crown jewel" and that the japaneese are much more loyal than US folks are. Consumers report basically addmitted they were not doing their job when they made this statement.

Now that Toyota is #1 is sales in US they are getting picked on just like Ford & GM when they were in that spot. Just a few years ago all gme & ford recalls were front page no matter what the recall was for. I remember seeing a front page recall on a tailgate strap for GM trucks on the front page and a Toyota recall for structural integrity in some models that could cause the GAS TANK TO FALL OUT if the vehicle rusted too much and this was on page 15. This "kill the big guy" is an old game our journalists play Toyota is just a new player

They have done a very good job of fixing things "under warranty" instead of issuing recalls to keep the quality image up. It worked great for about 20 years untill they screwed up and started doing this for problems that killed people. (steering linkage issue among others)Now the cat's out of the bag...that is why you are seeing so many recalls now. Toyota knows that they can no longer play that game and get away with it.

Japanese generally do not do development well??? Hybrid Synergy drive - Toyota's development, and regarded as the most advanced hybrid system currently available. And outside automotive - have you never read any stories about how much farther Japan is ahead of North America with advancement in electronics? Our cell phones are mostly old technology to them...man, do some research before you make statements like that. I am not anti-North American by any means, but I am realistic.

Actually Lord Stanley the Hybrid Drive system in the Ford Fusion is generally regarded as the most transparent, smoothest operating and well thought-out version currently in use. All developed in house by Ford. And as far as the cell phone and electronics statements...the majority of what we all assume are Japanese inventions are usually developments that were made right here in the good old USA at places like MIT or NASA. It's thanks to our tendency to line the pockets of Asian manufactures that our industries that might have developed or manufactured these items have disappeared and these items are now heavily accociated with Japan and Korea and soon China.

Think before u speak what u don't know about! toyota sold their technology to other car companies that was one thing we learned in the orientation at toyota's plant , You think u know everything maybe u should do some research before spouting off on here or go to a orientation at a toyota plant then u would know for sure what toyota stands for.

FRUSTRATED.........we already know toyota is sh!t and has been from day one!

Frustrated,

Clearly the company you work for, Toyota, would tell you they sold their technology to other's. Duh. Did you think they were gonna tell you how they bought the technology from somewhere else cause they didn't come up with it 1st? No company would tell you that! Good to see that Toyota makes sure to hire intelligent employees with good old fashion common sense! Sheesh!

Your Dead Right.

Frustrated

We know what Toyota stands for, crappy cars, poor engineering, lies, coverups, negligence etc!

Thank you, Spike. I have two Toyotas in my driveway, and both are excellent vehicles. This from a guy who grew up 100% pro-GM, hating Japanese cars. By my late-twenties, I had had too many problems with GM quality and started looking at Ford and very briefly at Chrysler - even in the showrooms, their cars at the time seemed poorly put together, so I decided to buy an import. Haven't looked back since - been almost 10 years now.

That said, I think it's truly a brand vs. brand thing now and not so much import vs. domestic. I give Ford credit for the new products they're putting on the road: new F-150 is beautiful and solid...Edge is way better than I ever expected (rented one for a week on business) and the new Taurus - wow, hope its quality matches its style, especially the interior. GM is also doing better, I believe - just need to see how their new cars hold up over time. Unfortunately, Chrysler/Dodge are still way behind...

I have a '93 MR2 Turbo and a '98 Landcruiser driven daily and without any mechanical problems so far. I also drive the MR2 at the tract and only at the tract, for speed events without troubles. How about drivers' errors and irresponsibilities related to driving as cause for car troubles, not just for Toyota owners but other makes in general?

I agree, RH. If your accelerator sticks, turn the ignition off, shift into neutral. If the brakes fail, if you have time, turn the ignition off with the car in the drive gear. It will stop. If the brakes fail at an intersection or something, though, you're screwed. I couldn't believe the 911 call of the off duty cop with his family that called to report their car was speeding out of control and then they crashed and died. Turn the ignition off! Shift into neutral! Come on, machines fail. Maybe all manufacturers should install big red "E-stop" buttons like they do for industrial equipment. Something goes wrong, hit the e-stop and everything shuts down.

I have checked some of the cars in the Taurus class (Avalons, Lacrosse, Genesis, Taurus). If you get a top end v (25k - 40k ) vehicle, I expect everything to work perfectly ext molding and int molding to align properly and door frames to have minimal gaps. These are how I test quality of a vehicle. Its the best test for IQS because generally, electronics and engines are not going to fail right out of the factory. BUT molding will be misaligned etc.

Of these the Buick was absolutely AWFUL, the worst. It is a fail of a GM luxury product. Cheap interior reminding me of a Dodge Caliber. It's really hard for me to take GM cars seriously, MAYBE the Camaro or a GMC Yukon,.. but even the Camaro seemed kinda cheaply built. I can't believe the amount of molded plastic in the lacrosse. Blew me away..

Next was the Genesis, Actually, it seemed like a pretty decent car, but after driving it, It felt like a boat. Its soft suspension killed the ride... The darn thing bounced nearly 1 mile down the road after hitting steel place on the road. I was actually surprised the size of the backseat was as small as it was for such a large car.

The Taurus was actually not too bad a car. The HUGE center console however made me feel claustraphobic. The molding lines did not line up hardly at all betwen the bumpers. Worst of all, THIS brand new vehicle at the dealership had a major major problem.... the rear passenger window FELL down and wouldnt come back up!!!I immediately got out of the car. The salesperson shrugged it off and said he could fix that rather quickly. Umm.. NO

The 2011 Avalon felt cheap in some areas of the interior. HOWEVER, it was the only one with perfect molding lines. If they would wood panel the entire front console to style with the side wood paneling, the interior would feel 100% better made.

So all of these vehicles (except buick) had voice recognition navigation and stereo systems. The ONLY vehicle that recognized my voice was the 2011 Avalon in the nav system

Is that why Toyota was fined 16+ mil because they were such an upstanding car company? Keep purchasing their crap and you to can become a statistic, maybe even a fatal one. LOL

I don't Like Toyota's designs I have found that Lexus is a very relabel brand and is the quietest vehicle I have every driven with mileage over 150K. I Like the performance and ride of the RS6 the most (a 2004 A6 2.7 is my dream car). I have found that my Subaru Is the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. 2008 Outback with 55K only oil changes and services the brakes are still above 6 mm.tires are at 5/32 Nothing has failed on the vehicle. I don't know why they are 22nd on reliability

Yeah, but so are GM, and Chrysler, and Nissan, etc. Some are being recalled for the very reason as some Toyota models (ex. sticking brake pad). It is just the matter of what is being published in papers/shown on television to sway people into what they should think. Go ahead, Google it: GM 2010 recalls, Chrysler 2010 recalls, etc. Toyota is not the only company under the gun and doing massive recalls.

The point is, Toyota is recalling more cars

Perhaps because Toyota builds and sells more cars? Just an observation.

Your observation is correct!!! AT last someone that thinks beyond the media and realizes if u sell more cars your recalls are going to be bigger!!!

Toyota has only been #1 in sales for 1yr. Even at that...they haven't sold that many more vehicles to even try to say that's why their recalls are bigger. 1yr ppl...do you even think to look & see what year vehicles are being recalled? They aren't all 2009's & 2010's. So now what's your reasoning? Maybe they just plain old screwed up. Is it that hard to admit? All companies screw up....not 1 is perfect!

Tom your hard earn dollars are yours to spend as you see fit however buying a Toyota at the nadir of their quality seems to be a poor decision. Better to have bought them years ago when they were a wise purchase. Did ya also buy Enron during their downward spiral?

I agree with Mike 100% this is only the start of Toyota problems. I have been in the autorepair field for over 25 years and owned a shop for over 10 years and Toyota is the best at hidding problems and know thay got cought with threre pants down. The only thing good about Toyotas and Lexas is I make alot of money from them. American cars are as good or better!!!!

Tom, I will pray for you and your death trap you have just pruchased. These deaths and injuries are real. I read and see them everyday. Just because you haven't heard about the acceleration problems, don't they it has disappeared. I bet they salesman laughed at you as pulled off the lot, but why should he care about your safety, he got paid.

Took out a big insurance policy on your wife eh? Good scam because you can't be charged as a accessory. Are all you other guys listening who want to off their wives this guy thought it out. LOL

Wrong. The only thing the Toyota pedals and the Chrysler pedals had in common is they were built by the same company. Different designs. And the company built them to the specifications set by Toyota and Chrysler. Where the main difference lies is Chrysler jumped on it as soon as a problem was realized. Toyota tried to cover their problem up.

So did GM look at their recall for the same problem with the pedals and amazingly enough they were built in the GM/Toyota plant called nummi in cali....u can't deny GM had to know about the problem if toyota did!!! But when GM recalled their car i didn't see a big headline or them being sued for keeping it quiet they actually didn't recall their cars til a few months later...So be quiet unless u know what your talking about

GM's headline was probably masked by Lindsay Lohan's court/jail issues. LOL!

Frustrated, I realize you feel the need to be loyal to the company that pays your bills & honestly, I respect that. But, I hate to point out to you that the Vibe was recalled at the same time as the other Toyota's, not a few months later. My best friend owns 1 & got his recall notice pretty quickly actually. My guess would be because the Vibe sold few vehicles comparatively speaking. The Vibe was junk anyway & never deserved to have a Pontiac emblem on it. There were headlines, but not big ones like there was for the Toyota recalls. Maybe because of the fewer # of vehicles being recalled the news didn't find it as newsworthy? I don't know.

It was not Toyotas fault? Just because they didn't manufacture the part, are flipping nuts?

That like saying the nut who shot and killed several people wasn't responsible because he didn't manufacture the gun. I think you may have a short in your thinking processer.

It's one thing for the company to use the defective product and not know about its problems initially, but it is another to make and sell that defective product to another manufacturer. Most testing for the pedal would have been done at the pedal manufacturing/testing facility, not with Toyota, Chrysler, or GM's.

almdmb25

Are you nuts? Companies that Toyota contracts make parts that meet the specifications and design DICTATED BY TOYOTA. So if the part is meeting the spec set by Toyota it is Toyota's problem if it was not designed or speced out properly.

almdmb25,

Your comment that a manufacturer contracts a company to make a part and then rely on the same company to make sure it meets specs is BS. Even if it wasn't BS... any company that would let this happen deserves to get burnt if the part fails, it is still their responsibility.

I'm sure that Toyota will/has gotten hit by this, but so should the manufacturer of the pedal---especially since it has been recalled in other products that are non-Toyota. Just need to see what portion each participant in the design process (legally going upstream or downstream in the contractual relationship/responsibilities) will be held accountable.

The actual pedal itself should have been tested by the pedal manufacturer to fit within regulations and codes (no matter who they sell it to). And Toyota should test how the pedal works with the brake system in certain driving conditions (according to regulations provided by the car industry---NOT JUST TOYOTA). The tests may have shown that all is good---that doesn't mean that there are a few defective parts/assemblies out there.

And for the pedal manufacturer---they should know their product and they should raise flags when they think that their product may not be appropriate for the design/spec---because they too need to think about the safety and welfare of the end user. And if it clearly does not work, and they proceed to sell the product to the car manufacturer, they are just as liable.

ALMBMB25

Who said the pedals did not meet regulations and codes...this is new news to me. Not only did it meet regular standards and codes it met Toyotas specifications. Toyota never said the pedals were defective and did not replace them. the fix was to install a shim to reduce the posibility of the pedal sticking.

Humm Tundra not a good choice:

Poor design causes the bed to flex into the cab denting the cab.

Frame rot that causes the spare tire to drop from the vehicle at road speed.

Tail gate cracks caused because the bed flexes too much pinching the tailgate.

Required over sized brakes because of poor design. It's emergency stopping distance was too long and even with over sized brakes is does not come to a safe stop as quickly as larger Fords or Chevys.

Wow, Mike. You are all doom and gloom with Richard's/Tom's comment---almost wonder if you are a Ford or Chevy car dealer...

I have driven Fords and Toyotas and the only car issue that I have had has been with my Ford Mustang where the spider gears busted and the frame of my car was barely hanging on. I currently have a 2003 Corolla---100+ thousand miles on it, and it still works wonderfully. Doesn't mean that I would never get another domestic car ever again, just that I am pleased with what I currently have---there is NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, and NOTHING WRONG with the fact that Richard and Tom can disclose that they are happy with their vehicles---be it Toyota or Ford or GM or Nissan.

In 22 years all I've owned is Toyota's with the exception of one year. I bought a Ford Taurus, biggest mistake of my life. In the twelve months I owned the thing, it spent five of them in the Ford Service shop. From starter to transmission to the automatic windows that thing was a hunk of junk. I had to fight with Ford over a few of the warranty problems and the car was new when I bought it. Thank God for the Lemon Law in this state or I would have been stuck with it. I went right back to Toyota and have had my Avalon for 5 years with no problems what so ever. If Ford gave me a free car I'd sell it to buy a Toyota.

Lilly lemon laws only work if the perceived problem actually occurs three times and even then the car in question should be parked as soon as posssible so as not to accrue mileage which can be deffered from the trade or sale value during the litigation process. Your arguments are only in support of your faith in your car. You never owned the Taurus. I can attest that all cars are being hurt by outsourcing parts, another fault with globalization and marketing. The cheapest vendors generally supply the OEMs and then you rely on their quality issues.

Richard.....Mike is rite. The tundra is great if you don't really need a truck. Towing capacity compared to the Avalanche is a Joke and the thing he said about the bed of the Tundra beating the truck to death is true. check out this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWjTbiYo3x0

The tundra is beating itself to death and can barley stay on the road.

I have a Friend that has a tundra. He works his trucks hard at eh CO he owns and the bed and cab of his Tundra already are beat to death. Chevy and ford's he owns that are older and have 2x the miles look way better than his newer Tundra. He told me he will never buy one again because even if the truck was not committing suicide it can only handle a fraction of the work his others can. (towing/hauling capabilities)

almdmb you forgot one thing.... Firestone was owned by the Japanese Company Bridgestone at the time and those tires were made as cheaply as possible by Bridgestone to fulfill a contract they had with Ford. So those tires were only Firestone in name since they were actually produced and manufactured by Bridgestone Tires. Still no one in their right mind would trust the Firestone name today as I think we will not trust the Toyota name in years to come.

Yeah, but there was also the notion that Ford Explorers were prone to rollovers in general due to its design. And you must also remember that when it comes to manufacturing of products---be it foreign or domestic---that each country has it's own regulations and guidelines to creating the product to a certain standard of quality. Even though a company, for example, is domestically owned and has factories overseas (which is quite often the case), the quality of the product may not always be to the US standard.

From Wikipedia:

"The report went on to indicate that Ford also had a major role in the problems stating that The Ford Motor Company had instructed Firestone to add a nylon ply to the tires it manufactured in Venezuela for additional strength and that Ford had made suspension changes to the Explorer model available in Venezuela. Ford did not specify adding the nylon ply for U.S.-made Firestone tires nor did it change the Explorer suspension on US models at this time."

SUV = rollover ....since WWII the jeep has been known for rollerovers, it's only since Gangstas, punks and young yuppie types have been flipping them over that anyone cares. We used to be able to buy a truck for next to nothing until they became the in thing for mothers to go to work in, sucking up gas. Now it's an SUV, when did you ever think a 3 ton truck was meant to go 70MPH and turn quickly?

Remember highschool 101 - higher the center of gravity what happens?

Just another note: those BMW, VW, etc. SUVs ...it's a 4 wheel drive station wagon don't delude yourself into thinking it's not a race car, you're a mom or a dad driving a station wagon. No doubt while talking on the cell or texting also!

Couldn't agree with you more, Peter. It is common knowledge. The same could be said about driving a van. I used to drive a van for work and had to remember, "hello, doesn't turn on a dime like my mustang." It's driving a brick.

I had a very good buddy roll over his GMC Sierra with those same tires (he's alright) and another funny story was my cousin's boyfriend driving a brand new F150 flattened 2 yea that's right 2 of those same tires on a 200 mile trip (alignment problem NO, those damn same tires). He was stranded on the road with no more spare tire.

Toyota destroyed evidence in rollover lawsuits
Tags: lawsuit, lawyer, litigation, Toyota

It appears that the Japanese automaker Toyota may have done some very bad things in litigation against the company. If the allegations in a recently-filed lawsuit are true, the automaker has some potentially big trouble on its hands. It’s being alleged in this lawsuit by one of its former lawyers that Toyota concealed evidence, destroyed data and conspired to obstruct justice in defending itself against lawsuits involving vehicle rollover. This lawsuit has the potential of affecting lots of rollover lawsuits that Toyota has either settled or tried to a verdict.

Dimitrios Biller, the lawyer who managed Toyota’s defense of rollover cases in the U.S., alleges in the suit that “there are vehicles on the road today” that don’t meet a “required” safety margin when it comes to roof crush issues. The lawyer says in the lawsuit his Toyotabosses “made every effort” to stop, prevent and delay the completion of investigations involving rollover cases between 2004 until he resigned in 2007. In one probe, Biller says he was ordered to destroy electronic documents related to the design, engineering, testing and evaluation of vehicles in the U.S. He also says he wasn’t allowed to complete another investigation, which allowed Toyota’s engineering and manufacturing arm to go ahead and destroy relevant information and documents that should have been turned over in discovery to Plaintiffs’ lawyers in 300 lawsuits.

At the same time Firestone tires was going Toyota made sure the media didn't write about this? Same deceit as Now. CRIMINAL?

Yeah, so what. Still going to buy a Toyota if it suits me and my family---my decision to buy if I wish. If I get a "domestic" car, it was also my decision on how well it suits me and my family. Any vehicle can be a lemon even though the car is rated well---it is a crap shoot.

Otherwise, we are in a sue happy nation. There is always a risk when you operate a vehicle (whether it be internal to the car or by external influence). There is also the risk with any task of daily living. Can't sue for everything thing that happens to you.

Wow an instant transition from reasonable to delusional.

Cogent points right up to the point where almbmb says;

"Still going to buy a Toyota." Sad to see anyone make a purchase when the quality is at their lowest point in their history. Hey almbmb BP stock is a great purchase might be time to jump in!!! Wait I hear Enron stock can still be bought and for next to nothing.... or I've heard of some really cool toys from China that are a steal, what's a little lead paint between friends...

Mike---you don't know the word "IF".

I have driven domestic cars in the past as well, and I have typically not found too many things wrong with the cars that I have driven (minus my FORD MUSTANG with the spider gears busting and the frame barely hanging onto the car, plus replacement of radiator, plus replacement of steering pump, plus rebuild of steering column, engine cutting out while driving, etc.) My Ford Escort's timing belt went out, left me stranded in a podunk town in the middle of the night (pre-cell phone days). I have not had issues with my Corolla that was not of my own doing (busted the driver side mirror off).

This being said, even though the domestic cars that I have had had more issues, I would still get a Mustang b/c I miss driving one (when it works). I have driven Ford Focuses and they are reminiscent of the Toyota Corolla in my opinion. Hell, I would even love a 1967 SS Camero if only the state I live in did not have emission regulations. I have driven a Pacifica and it wasn't too bad.

If, IF, the car/vehicle that I research/try before buying proves to be sufficient for me and my family---SO BE IT---DOMESTIC OR NOT!

The Ford Explorer has been rolling over and killing it's occupants since the first months it was sold. A 1995 redesign with a new suspension slightly raised the Explorer's center of gravity, but it was called inconsequential by a Ford spokesman. Memos by Ford engineers suggested lowering the engine height, but it would have increased the cost of the new design.

In 2006 in a Ford Explorer rollover trial, evidence was introduced that indicated that the Explorer is unstable not only on Firestone tires but also on tires made by Goodyear, Cooper, Michelin's Uniroyal, BF Goodrich, Kelly Springfield, Continental General and other tire manufacturers. The Explorer rollover trial. Such evidence help to support the argument among many plaintiff lawyers that represent Explorer rollover victims that the Ford Explorer and Ford Explorer Sport Trac are unstable and can flip over or overturn when the driver is faced with an emergency maneuver, hard braking or other evasive driving maneuvers to avoid an animal, a pothole, black ice, road hazard or another vehicle.

Further, Explorer lawsuits have been file in court alleging that the Ford Explorer roof is defective as the design creates a weak roof subject to severe roof crush or roof deformation in a rollover resulting in severe spinal cord injuries,neck fractures, head injuries, resulting in paralysis, brain damage and death. see http://www.fordexplorerrollover.com/

Ford Motor Co. on11/28/2007 ended an era of litigation over its rollover-plagued Explorer sport utility vehicles when it agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit covering plaintiffs in four states. The plaintiffs alleged false advertising by Ford and said Ford marketed the vehicles as safe when the company knew they had a tendency to flip.

The settlement applies to Explorers in model years 1991 through 2001 and was to be filed later Wednesday in Sacramento County Superior Court. It will allow vehicle owners to apply for $500 vouchers that can be used toward the purchase of new Explorers or $300 vouchers for other Ford or Lincoln Mercury products. see www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22012541

Hmmmm....I wonder how many Americans would be out of work b/c we stop buying Japanese/other foreign cars...

Assembly line workers, mechanics, secretaries, janitors, security personnel, and the list goes on.

People need to realize that just b/c the company is foreign owned does not mean that all the work is produced in that country.

all of you need to quit JAPAN and buy american - take a good look at Ford. They are rocking the industry with quality and inovation

Let's see, Ford builds in Mexico and Toyota builds in the US and we need to buy American. Got it!

Toyota only employs 25,000 factory workers here .. Ford , Chrysler, And GM over a million... Don't mislead... Toyota man...

The over 300 lawsuits will try to recuperate the loss in value of the vehicles and lives lost as a result of this SHAM?

How many Automotive Jobs and loss in value to America came as a result of this FRAUD affecting our Major Companies and their vendors?

Ford ... GM.... Chrysler?

interesting, Steve. You are sounding like a broken record---except for the fact on another comment, you mentioned Toyota employs 30,000.

How much money did the government give each of the domestic companies to help in this recession?

Let's go bigger---what about all the jobs lost due to the recession? Or what about a lot of workers losing their jobs after 911 who worked for the air industry? Or what about all those companies that are outsourcing? There are bigger fish to fry than Toyota.

Past tense Joe, past tense. Few would argue that in the past Toyota build quality items however they have changed and are now 29th in overall quality behind names like Hyundai, Mazda, GM, Ford and so many others. Sadly, that is the root of these stories... what they make now is not at all of the same quality as what they used to make.

Toyota no longer builds vehicles of quality. In fact their drop in quality is continuing and will soon be lower than 29th.

Mike do you know anything about statistics at all???

Know what the most dangerous airplane ever put into commercial service is???

The Concorde, there are so few of them that just 1 crash made it number one.

ahhh Richard and your point is??? Toyota has made millions of vehicles but in the last couple of years their problems and recalls have leaped enough that the President of Toyota, a Mr Toyoda has apologized for their problems. So if the head of Toyota says what they produce is crap who are we to argue?

Where did he say, "We produce crap"?

ANY product is up for improvements, any manufacturing facility is as well to meet what we deem as the new standard to protect the welfare and safety of people. I am sure that there are design flaws that need to be worked on. But that is true of ANY product.

How many tile companies create flooring that has a higher slip coefficient so that people do not slip and fall and get injured? How many cribs have been recalled b/c it was realized that baby heads were getting stuck in the side rails or being choked by drop-sides? How many people were burned for McDonald's to place a Caution label on their coffee cups?

Atleast, the head of Toyota is willing to step up, apologize, and ensure that steps are being taken in the right direction to provide a better product.

Stepping up after trying to sweep it under the carpet is not exactly a noble response.

But if you think fessing up and apologizing when backed into a corner is ok then you must believe anything.

It is different if they apologized and did NOTHING beyond that. To take steps to fix the problem is a step in the right direction.

I take a lot of things with a grain of salt.

People still buy cradles from companies that have had recalls/product has caused deaths of babies. People still buy toys from companies that have had recalls due to lead poisoning. People still buy pet food and peanut butter from companies that have supplies not produced in a safe manner and has caused poisoning. People buy Tylenol and other over the counter drugs even though they have recalls in the past. They are all products, just like the cars, and people will keep buying them once things are corrected.

Snowjob sorry about the problem. However, from your description of the situation this "known problem" could have resulted in a major crash.

Are you really ready to gamble your family on trust in Toyota??? They haven't been worthy of that kind of trust in the recent past. See the story of Mr. Lee and his Toyota problem and then the 16.4 million dollar fine for starters.

I know, Mike...I have some homework to do. There are many questions...do I try and return the car to the dealership and see if I can void the sales contract? Do I sell it outright and take a hit for the loss? You are correct, the safety of my family is the main concern.

Mary the Toyota blogger..

Mary,

Is not telling you that; she is 18, just received her driving permit, and the Toyota was a graduation gift this June.

I love my Camry, it is quiet, responsive, and a great ride!

Dave the Toyota driver

My parents love their Camry as well! We have driven it on many long trips across the country and have not run into any issues. Great gas mileage, smooth ride, and I agree with Dave on the fact that it is quiet, responsive, and a great ride. Makes my Corolla seem more noisy when I get back to driving it (even though the Corolla is quieter than other models---foreign and domestic---that I have driven). But then again, the Corolla is lower on the spectrum of Toyota models compared to the Camry.

Buy American and America works

Buy American, got it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ford_factories
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_GM_factories