So what does everybody think of the Toyota recall?

jframe

jframe

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Toyota's reputation is tarnished; no doubt. As a former Toyota parts guy, I know they are good cars as a whole, but I think the biggest problem they have now is that they don't actually KNOW what is causing this problem. So far, they've ignored it up until lately, and now they want to blame it on hardware. I think it's a software problem more than anything. I hate to see this happen to a manufacturer that prides themselves on quality and safety, but in all honesty, I think they might have gotten too big for their britches. ANYTHING mechanical can and will fail; Toyotas are no exception. In my seven years in one of their dealerships, they seemed to spend most of their time badmouthing other auto manufacturers instead of addressing some of their own issues, such as the fact that many of their vehicles seem to be seriously underbraked. I can only hope that they get a handle on this and quick, since they do have a substantial investment in this country.
 
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They are not doing well at all IMO they hid the fact for many years. One guy in Minnesota is in jail for the past 8 years after his car hit someone he claimed it was an uncontrolled speed-up his wife and kids where in the car with him he hit another car and just about everyone was killed but him...now they are looking at the case.
 
I think part of this is the hype Obama's federal agencies and congress are adding in an attempt to help out Government Motors.
 
Nathan Forrest said:
I think part of this is the hype Obama's federal agencies and congress are adding in an attempt to help out Government Motors.
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I agree they have all covered up problems. I still trust the quality of a Toyota over other manufactures
 
Seems like not too long ago Ford was in a difficult position with their rollovers. They "righted" themselves and moved on, look at them today. It may take Toyota a while to get the correct "fix" done, but I believe they can do it. Otherwise they'll cease to exist. No one is going to buy runaway cars, no matter how much they offer in incentives.
 
Buy a Ford - as good as any Toyata or Honda. Been driving Ford products for the past 25 years and never had a problem.
 
this situation sucks and is likely going to cost them in the long run if they do not stop playing poker with the full scope of the problem.
Prius is not on the recall list but suffered from the same problem.

can I get a good loud "Buy American"?
 
We bought new a 2007 avalon. No problem yet, still havent heard from toyota. Maybe I got to dust off my tin foil hat, why did we hear nothing over the years, but once the ball started rolling it seems there is two new cases a day? I really dont know what to belive. I cant help being a little skeptic as one woman was all over tv saying how she almost got killed, investigation showed she never got the car fixed, sold it to someone else, they never got it fixed and its running fine. Do you think some of these complaints are lies, and trying to get money? Has there been one proven case? I just saw on the news that in san diego another case where a chp was helping to stop a runaway. He seen the car speed with the brakelights on. Yet isnt it possible to get busted, your driveing a toyota, so get on the phone say you cant stop, stand on the brake and excellarator at same time, get out of the ticket, and stand a chance of cleaning up in a law suite?
Maybe I got too suspicious of a mind. When was the 1st complaint? Three weeks ago? None before that, and now many. I smell a duck.
 
It would appear as though they may have dug a hole from which they won't be able to escape. Every day another problem is on the news. It's very hard to believe that a company of this size had no idea that these problems existed. But whether they did or didn't, I'm afraid their reputation has been tarnished to the point where it'll be very difficult to ever get back to the public confidence they once had. Would I have my family in a Toyota? I'm afraid not. There are just too many problems cropping up with solutions that may or may not be working. Dangerous enough out there on the road without taking risks that you can avoid.
 
My dad had a Toyota Corolla. I never liked it. No accelaration problems but the windows kept fogging up--for no reason. Had to run the air on 45 degree days to be able to see out of the front window.
Never had that problem with any other car or truck.

It does look like the company should have been paying more attention to the complaints that have been coming in.
 
"Can I get a good loud buy American"? Sure! BUY AMERICAN! Most Toyotas sold here, are built here.

Or you could buy a 'American' car like my Mopar. Proudly assembled in Canada, with genuine Mexican parts.
 
Fifty-fifty blame between the company and the Government and media trying to take down government motors largest competitor.
 
Maybe I'm missing something here, but if I were driving a car that suddenly began to accelerate on it's own, I'd just put it in neutral and switch off the engine. But that's just me. I don't get what is so hard about that.
 
I don't understand the throttle mechanics of these vehicles. If I did perhaps I could make an intelligent response. I used to be able to sync up six deuces on a 430 Lincoln in a '56 T bird. I bet this crap is a little different. What is "fly by wire " if it applies here to Toyota.
 
Firehouse said:
Maybe I'm missing something here, but if I were driving a car that suddenly began to accelerate on it's own, I'd just put it in neutral and switch off the engine. But that's just me. I don't get what is so hard about that.
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Sounds about right to me, although I don't know how easily all those autoloaders shift. I have a manual-transmission Honda Civic which actually did the deed to me in the mountains of PA or NY just a few days before the Toyota thing hit the news. Didn't even have to think about it - I shifted into neutral without regard for the engine, and tromped the accelerator and let go. End of problem.

I think that folks who drive cars with automatic transmissions ordinarily don't interact anywhere near as quickly with their transmissions. Maybe that makes it quite a bit more of a problem for them.
 
government motors

Forester said:
Fifty-fifty blame between the company and the Government and media trying to take down government motors largest competitor.
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I think that the biggest part of the problem is that GM is something like 60 per cent owned by the government. I don't think they like competition from Japan messing with our own economy. I have had a few toyotas and they seemed to be about average. You don't want to shut the engine off though until your stopped, the steering wheel can lock, still better than crashing I guess.
gordon
 
Saw on the news today that a runaway Toyota in CA was stopped by police advising driver to apply emergency brake (in addition to regular brake, one assumes) and when car slowed/stopped to turn off engine. The cops put/stopped their cruiser in front of the Toyota....

I think Toyotas are good cars, and I drive one, an RX about five years old. But they clearly messed up big time with this problem by not jumping on it, hard, earlier...
 
If you guys think this is scary, just know that many heavy trucks are fly by wire, throttle and transmission. Many pieces of heavy equipment as well are electronic over hydraulic. Heavy equipment and trucks with automatic transmissions have had these systems for a decade or more in some situations. I am convinced that someone has hacked Toyota's main corporate computer system and planted a bug that is randomly installed in their ECUs. Just my opinion and surely not a defense of Toyota or their reaction to the problem.
BJM
 
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