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How Likely Is Bankruptcy For Big Three?


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i guess i'm not an american.

 

I don't understand why everyone gets so upset. they're just vehicles. I didn't realize i would be ridiculed so badly.

 

I have purchased several new cars even at my young age. My first car when i was 16 was a 92 Mustang gt. Blue and grey. I lost my license w/in 9 months after getting that car. when i was a little younger i had it in my head to name my first born son FORD. love the name and the co.

 

When i moved to cal-E-forn--e-a 3 yrs ago i purchased an 05 focus w/in weeks of been here. Now w/ that said i live in a small community. Not like back east where there's a dealer ship every couple of miles. I had very bad service at my local ford dealer trying to buy that focus. I had to drive a couple hundred miles to another ford dealer to get a little respect. Its hard to buy new when you're in your 20's . when my wife totaled that focus i tried to go back to my local ford dealer to buy another vehicle. Right off the bat ^#!!$% service again. So i was walking back to my '03 ranger( replaced $120 thermostat twice btw) and my lady was talking to the toyota/honda guy next door. One of the nicest guy's i've ever met. Respect goes a long way w/ me. I've bought 2 new vehicles in the past 3 year from him, and if i'm still in this small town for my next purchase it will probably be 3.

 

for my gt500 purchase I call a close friend from back east that was a manager a ford dealership. bought the car over the phone and had it shipped sight unseen. If they would of had a used one at the honda/toyota place i would have bought it there.

 

maybe i'll just keep my post to myself from now on. Tired of the politics on this site. I just like my gt500.

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Sorry if you felt that way....am not sure where the train of thoughts got derailed....but as far as that concern i think there is no more domestics nor foreign.....big three are building outside US and foreign companies are building inside and the whole argument whether you are supporting domestic vs foreign is irrelevant...the whole thing is turning scrambled eggs :hysterical:

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maybe i'll just keep my post to myself from now on. Tired of the politics on this site. I just like my gt500.

 

 

Hey there BlkGT500nCA - dont shy away from the site because of a couple of peoples comments. All in all - its a GREAT bunch of people who all mean well. Sometimes people open their mouth before engaging the ole brain (MYSELF INCLUDED) :) No harm meant by anyone I am sure. Interaction and a little controversy is always good :)

 

Hang in there and keep on postin :)

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scrambled eggs. yes sir.

 

I also see members here w/ purrrdy BMW and Mercedes too. those come new from one of the big 3?

 

I've seen a lot of UN-AMERICAN cars in the (what other cars do you own.) I expect rude PM's be sent immediately! We must be vigilant!!

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Hey there BlkGT500nCA - dont shy away from the site because of a couple of peoples comments. All in all - its a GREAT bunch of people who all mean well. Sometimes people open their mouth before engaging the ole brain (MYSELF INCLUDED) :) No harm meant by anyone I am sure. Interaction and a little controversy is always good :)

 

Hang in there and keep on postin :)

 

 

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scrambled eggs. yes sir.

 

I also see members here w/ purrrdy BMW and Mercedes too. those come new from one of the big 3?

 

I've seen a lot of UN-AMERICAN cars in the (what other cars do you own.) I expect rude PM's be sent immediately! We must be vigilant!!

 

Hey. I've got a Hyundai Sonata and Nissan Titan.

Just call me the red-headed stepchild.

rhstepchild86be57d2d2c5491992f0f4670ff7b01e.jpg

 

Hmmm, I think I see a PM in my box right now......

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Delta filed and what happened to Delta? Nothing!!!!! They got to re-org with a clean slate and left vendors writting off bad debts!!

 

The big 3 could very well file, they are all loosing BIG bucks every day! ..... and, BMW, VW, KIA, MB and others continue to build state of the art plants in the great old USA!!!! How can they compete? Building cars in plants that are 60 years old! How can they compete? When they have more retired folks sucking up huge benefits than workers?

 

No expert here,jus my 2 cens.

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There are also a lot Toyota trucks with RUSTED out frames. A lot with engine sludge problems.

 

This is one of the BIGGEST cover ups! I have several Toyota dealerships I call on and it's funny to see 50-80 "voluntary buy back" Tacoma's sitting in their back lots. Toyota will not allow more than a handful to be removed at one time in fear someone will ask "why are there so many used Toyota trucks on that carrier?" If this happened to Ford or Chevy it would be on the front page of every news paper and on every news channel .... "US car manufacture silently recalls 1 million trucks!!!" Its a total double standard for import companies!

 

.... and for you Toyota lovers on here, Toyota had more recalls last year than Ford and Chevy! The quality gap between products is none existent these days!

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We have a Toyota plant here in San Antonio that provides over 3 billion annually to our economy- there are 47 local vendors that supply the plant and over 3000 employees that would tell you their pay is great!

 

That's the problem these days- people think "american" in a world economy. Toyota is just as much American with plants all over the U.S. as Ford is with plants OUTSIDE of the U.S.

 

And the union card? oh, please...I was a Steward in one of the biggest...and frankly, they are outdated and part of the reason we have these problems in the big three...

 

Sorry sir we can respectfully disagree on you're first two comments ... but I will agree with you on your last but not completely

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This is one of the BIGGEST cover ups! I have several Toyota dealerships I call on and it's funny to see 50-80 "voluntary buy back" Tacoma's sitting in their back lots. Toyota will not allow more than a handful to be removed at one time in fear someone will ask "why are there so many used Toyota trucks on that carrier?" If this happened to Ford or Chevy it would be on the front page of every news paper and on every news channel .... "US car manufacture silently recalls 1 million trucks!!!" Its a total double standard for import companies!

 

.... and for you Toyota lovers on here, Toyota had more recalls last year than Ford and Chevy! The quality gap between products is none existent these days!

 

 

Here are a few Toyota recalls that you never heard much about where if any of this was in the press it was usually buried in the paper somewhere that was just a small article about it and was gone after that. Had these been any of the big 3 every single one of these would have been front page news blasted in every major paper for more than a week at a time.

 

 

 

 

Tundra owners grumble over rumble

 

Mark Rechtin

Automotive News

October 22, 2007 - 12:01 am ET

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES — Toyota's Tundra pickup was hit with a double whammy last week.

 

Angry consumers are peppering the Internet with complaints that the torque converter in the 2007 Tundra's six-speed transmission has problems disengaging during gearshifts — a problem that Toyota acknowledges.

 

Meanwhile, the Tundra 4x4 model took a broadside from Consumer Reports magazine, which rated it "below average" in projected reliability.

 

Toyota thought it had put the redesigned Tundra's teething problems in the rearview mirror. First there was a batch of defective camshafts. Then it received a four-star rating in NHTSA crash tests, one star less than its Detroit rivals.

 

The latest quality snarl involves a vibration coming from the transmission when changing gears under gentle acceleration or deceleration.

 

Toyota Motor Sales officials have nicknamed the problem "the rumble strip" because the slippage causes vibration similar to the sensation of driving over the wake-up strips at the side of highways.

 

The rumbling usually lasts several seconds. But the problem sometimes worsens to the point that some owners can't shift into certain gears.

 

The problem has been reported only in six-speed transmissions, which are linked to the popular 5.7-liter V-8 engine. Since the 2007 Tundra's February launch, the 5.7-liter engine has been installed in 70 percent of about 135,000 Tundras sold. That means the problem could affect nearly 100,000 vehicles.

 

 

Tundra travails

Since its February launch, Toyota's full-sized pickup has taken some hits related to quality.

 

Bad batch of camshafts

 

Crash rating below rivals'

 

Consumer Reports snub

 

Faulty torque converters

 

 

 

 

Bad torque converter

Before Toyota's technical service department traced the problem to the torque converter, some Toyota dealers replaced entire transmissions, said Toyota spokesman John Hanson. If the vibration occurs now, likely only the torque converter will be replaced.

 

Toyota still is trying to trace what exactly is wrong with the torque converter.

 

Internal field reports have yet to show anyone stranded by the problem, Hanson said. But Tundra owners in several Internet chat rooms say their transmissions quit shifting properly, forcing them to limp the truck to a dealership. The rumble-strip effect often occurs within the first 1,000 miles of ownership.

 

 

Isolated instances

Pickup owners are especially particular about vehicle reliability, says Mike Levine, editor of the consumer Internet site pickuptruck.com.

 

Since Toyota staked its reputation on reliability, any problem makes it tougher for Toyota to persuade domestic loyalists to switch allegiances, Levine said.

 

Reports of the problem have been sporadic. Large dealers in northern California, Texas and Ohio said they had no reported owner complaints about Tundra transmissions. An executive for a group of Midwestern dealerships, speaking anonymously, said his mechanics had seen one or two instances.

 

Craig Whetter, executive vice president of Wilson Automotive Group, says the group's six Toyota stores in California and Arizona have sold 2,236 Tundras this year but have not seen a single bad torque converter.

 

"These guys haven't turned a bolt on one, let alone replaced one," Whetter said.

 

Of bigger concern to Toyota is the number of vehicles affected.

 

The faulty camshaft problem was limited to several hundred early-build vehicles, but owners of Tundras built as recently as September have complained of defective transmissions.

 

The torque converter for the six-speed transmission used with the 5.7-liter V-8 is built at an Aisin AW plant in Durham, N.C. Aisin officials declined to comment, referring interview requests to Toyota.

 

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Tundra Tailgate Issues

 

The second quality issue sprouted up this past weekend, also on TundraSolutions.com, and involves tailgates that have been failing or, in some cases, even falling off. The most common experience seems to be the tailgate itself forming cracks and the metal buckling when under load. One owner reported that his tailgate failed when loading an ATV into the bed for the very first time. The tailgate being such an integral part of owning a truck, members of TS have begun an online petition, which they hope will force Toyota to recognize the issue and do something about it. The petition has attracted 125 signatures so far. Levine from Pickuptruck.com has also asked Toyota about these potentially failing tailgates and is waiting for a response.

 

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/22/toyota-...quality-issues/

 

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/tund...ures-i-am-club/

 

 

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Faulty part prompts Toyota to recall 15,600 Tundras

 

 

Ryan Beene

 

Automotive News | December 14, 2007 - 12:35 pm EST

 

 

 

 

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. is recalling 15,600 2007 Toyota Tundra pickups because a transmission part could break.

 

Toyota says the rear propeller shaft on four-wheel-drive Tundras could separate at a joint. No accidents or injuries have been reported resulting from the faulty shaft.

 

“The front joint on the rear driveshaft may have been improperly heat treated by our supplier,” a Toyota spokesman said. “In the worst case, the shaft may separate at the joint.”

 

Toyota discovered the flaw after a customer complained of abnormal noises coming from the shaft.

 

Owners of the recalled trucks will receive a notification in the mail starting late this month, Toyota said in a statement today.

 

The recall is not related to the previously reported “rumble strip” noise that came from the torque converter’s inability to change gears, which has yet to result in a recall but has prompted Toyota to replace entire transmissions.

 

Toyota also replaced some Tundra engines this year because of faulty camshafts. The automaker hopes to sell 200,000 of the redesigned full-sized trucks this year.

 

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In 2004 and again in 2006, Hyundai beat Toyota to be the top-rated volume brand in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study. In 2005, Toyota recalled more cars than it sold in the United States.

 

 

 

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Toyota has no plans to beef up warranties

 

 

Richard Truett

 

Automotive News | February 19, 2007 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

CHICAGO -- Although Toyota has recalled more than 3.4 million vehicles since 2005, its top U.S. boss, Jim Press, says consumer confidence in the company remains strong.

 

Press, president of Toyota Motor North America, also said the company is not going to follow Ford Motor Co. and General Motors by strengthening new- or used-vehicle warranties.

 

"It's something you need as a solution to a problem," Press said this month during the Chicago Auto Show. "It's not something you do because other people do it. Our long-term durability has been real good."

 

But for a company that has built its reputation on high-quality, long-lasting vehicles, Toyota has had problems of late.

 

Toyota's latest recall, announced in late January, affects 533,000 light trucks that might have a faulty ball joint.

 

The recall comes on the heels of a class-action settlement, announced in early January, that covers hefty repair bills for Toyota owners whose engines filled with oil sludge.

 

Also, Toyota recalled 2.2 million vehicles in 2005 to fix various problems.

 

GM and Ford boosted their new-car powertrain warranties last fall. Ford's warranty increased from 3 years/36,000 miles to 5 years/60,000 miles; GM boosted its powertrain coverage to 5 years/100,000 miles. And this month, GM said that starting March 5 it will extend powertrain coverage of used vehicles to 5 years/100,000 miles.

 

Press said no discussions have taken place at Toyota about beefing up warranty coverage.

 

He said: "We don't have reliability issues that go beyond our normal warranty."

 

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Toyota recalls trucks

 

 

 

 

Automotive News | January 22, 2007 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES -- For the second time in less than two years, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. has launched a large voluntary recall campaign involving the front suspension of its full-sized pickup and SUV models.

 

Toyota is recalling 553,000 Tundra pickups and Sequoia SUVs from the 2004-07 model years to inspect and possibly replace ball-joint assemblies. The recall does not affect the redesigned 2007 Tundra, which started production in November.

 

In a press release, Toyota says, "There is a possibility that the front-suspension lower ball joint may experience excessive wear and looseness, causing increased steering effort, reduced vehicle self-centering and noise in the front suspension."

 

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Toyota recalls Tundra, Sequoia for suspension fix

 

 

Mark Rechtin

 

Automotive News | January 19, 2007 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES -- For the second time in less than two years, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. has launched a massive voluntary recall campaign involving the front suspension of its full-sized pickup and SUV models.

 

In cooperation with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Toyota is recalling 553,000 Tundra pickups and Sequoia SUVs from the 2004-2007 model years to inspect and possibly replace ball-joint assemblies. The recall does not affect the redesigned 2007 Tundra that started production in November.

 

"There is a possibility that the front suspension lower ball joint may experience excessive wear and looseness, causing increased steering effort, reduced vehicle self-centering, and noise in the front suspension," Toyota said in a release.

 

Tundra and Sequoia owners have complained that the bad ball joints have made their vehicles lose control, roll over and even collapse onto their wheels.

 

In May 2005, Toyota recalled more than 750,000 Tacomas, 4Runners, Tundras and Sequoias from the 2001-2004 model years because of similar ball joint problems. Despite years of consumer complaints, Toyota claimed there was no safety defect.

 

At the time of the first recall, Toyota acknowledged that the ball joint surfaces may have been scratched during assembly. Toyota did not give a reason for the failures in the recent-era Tundras and Sequoias.

 

Toyota will notify Tundra and Sequoia owners of the recall in February. Replacement of the left and right front suspension lower ball joint will be done at no charge.

 

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Toyota exec tackles quality issues

 

 

Richard Truett

 

Automotive News | September 18, 2006 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Kazuo Okamoto sees opportunity in the quality problems that have caused Toyota Motor Corp. to recall more than 1 million vehicles worldwide this year.

 

Once Toyota finds out how bad ball joints, defective steering racks, unreliable engine sensors, faulty carpet clips and other problems slipped through undetected, it will have higher quality scores than it does now, says the Toyota executive vice president whose responsibilities include vehicle engineering and product development.

 

Okamoto says Toyota will attack the problem by focusing on three areas: pressing suppliers for higher-quality parts, improving vehicle engineering and cutting defects in manufacturing.

 

"When you look at improving quality, you must focus on all three areas," Okamoto said Sept. 8 at the groundbreaking ceremonies for Toyota's new North American Technical Center here.

 

Okamoto vowed to fix the problems, saying through an interpreter that the company's quality image in the United States is the "lifeline" for all of Toyota's products.

 

Gary Convis, executive vice president of Toyota's North American engineering and manufacturing operations, says one reason the recall numbers appear high is that Toyota has been consolidating parts, using many of the same components across several vehicle lines.

 

Convis and Okamoto noted that despite the troubles, Toyota vehicles still posted industry-best scores in the latest J.D. Power and Associates quality surveys.

 

Last month, Toyota CEO Katsuaki Watanabe said in Japan that engineers would be granted more time on a case-by-case basis to ensure that there are no quality issues.

 

 

 

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Dinged by recalls, Toyota defends reputation

 

 

James B. Treece

 

Automotive News | July 24, 2006 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

TOKYO -- For Shinichi Sasaki, it was a baptism by fire.

 

A month after being named Toyota Motor Corp.'s new quality czar, Sasaki spent two hours last week telling reporters how Toyota will improve the quality of its vehicles. He was responding to a safety recall that has Japanese police threatening criminal charges against Toyota managers.

 

The recall is just the latest event threatening the company's hard-won reputation for quality. Shaken, Toyota is reorganizing, reviewing its quality processes, stepping up its review of aging vehicles' service records and urging customers to report any problems to their dealers.

 

As a symbolic first step, Toyota executives are apologizing repeatedly. CEO Katsuaki Watanabe says the recalls and a sexual-harassment case in the United States are "leaving people to wonder if Toyota remains sound."

 

He bowed deeply at a press conference in Tokyo to "express my earnest apologies."

 

'I'm ashamed'

 

Sasaki and three other managers in charge of quality also bowed at a separate press conference after meeting with government regulators.

 

"I'm ashamed as a carmaker that we caused worries among our customers," says Akio Toyoda, executive vice president for purchasing and quality and a scion of the company's founding family. "These are the customers who selected Toyota thinking that Toyota vehicles would be safe."

 

The automaker's quality numbers are still high. In this year's J.D. Power Initial Quality Study in the United States, the top four brands in order were Porsche, Lexus, Hyundai and Toyota.

 

But lately, customers have had cause to doubt Toyota's quality. Last week, the company recalled 418,570 cars worldwide, all made in 2001. That includes 34,700 Priuses, Echos and other cars sold in the United States.

 

The problem is a faulty crankshaft position sensor that can stall the engine. The engine then cannot be restarted. Toyota says it is not aware of any accidents caused by the glitch.

 

Among other U.S. quality issues:

 

 

Toyota this spring recalled 170,000 Priuses, or two of every three it had sold, because a portion of the steering shaft assembly could become loose or crack.

 

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Toyota's Scion tC coupe, after receiving nine complaints that the car's glass sunroof can shatter.

 

 

Toyota is recalling 367,600 Toyota Highlander and Lexus RX SUVs in the United States. A defective carpet clip could interfere with the accelerator.

 

More woes

 

In Japan, Toyota has recalled 1.1 million vehicles this year through Thursday, July 20. That's a big increase since 2002, when Toyota recalled 485,000 vehicles worldwide for the entire year.

 

One particular recall now haunts Toyota. It involves a defect in the steering assembly of 4Runner SUVs and T100 and Tacoma pickups, built between 1988 and 1996.

 

That problem caused a Hilux Surf, the Japan market's name for the 4Runner, to swerve and strike a car in the prefecture of Kumamoto in 2004. Five passengers in the other vehicle were injured.

 

Toyota had investigated the steering assembly in 1996. It altered the assembly for future vehicles but decided no recall was necessary.

 

After more complaints surfaced in 2004, Toyota reopened its investigation and issued a recall that year. The company recalled similar vehicles in the United States last September.

 

On Friday, July 21, Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation ordered Toyota to report by Aug. 1 on steps it is taking to improve its monitoring of defects. The ministry's regulators did not fine Toyota or rule that it had broken any laws.

 

Separately, though, Kumamoto police have asked prosecutors to issue warrants against the managers involved in the 1996 investigation.

 

Watanabe says Toyota has gained a sense of urgency to improve quality. "Without an improvement in quality, Toyota cannot expect to grow in the future," he says. "We are completely devoted to improving quality as quickly as possible."

 

One man, one job

 

Toyota has restructured to give quality more attention. Sasaki's predecessor as head of quality also headed the vehicle engineering group, future-project division and motor sports division. Now, quality is his sole task.

 

Last October, Toyota set up a Customer First Activities Program Committee to coordinate engineering, production, sales and service actions that affect quality. Watanabe leads it.

 

Toyota also has begun to gather data on vehicle owners' problems more quickly. In June, it began to track data on repairs after a car's warranty expires. It now keeps defect data for 10 years, instead of just five previously.

 

Toyota also will install a quality control system as part of a massive overhaul of its Takaoka plant. The system will track quality "every step of the way," Watanabe says.

 

Sasaki's immediate strategy for restoring Toyota's quality is to enlist the help of dealers. He urges Japanese customers to report any problems to their dealers.

 

"If you notice anything odd, let us know," he says. "Even if it only happens once, take it to your dealer."

 

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Toyota shows that invincible companies are human, too

 

 

Edward Lapham

 

Automotive News | July 11, 2006 - 4:14 pm EST

 

 

 

 

 

It always happens.

 

Just when you have the universe figured out, up pops some nagging evidence that Toyota isn't invincible.

 

You can discount the New York sex-abuse scandal because it didn't really have anything to do with building or selling cars.

 

You can forgive the engine-sludge mess because Toyota eventually came clean and tried to make things right with most of the customers it earlier had blamed for not taking proper care of their cars.

 

You can overlook the Toyota Echo because the company yanked it off the market when it became clear the little car was a mistake.

 

You can even excuse the roll-up windows in the base Toyota Yaris.

 

But no way would you expect Toyota to derail its disciplined product program by keeping the current Corolla on the market for six years instead of five.

 

One theory is that Toyota was stunned by Honda. The 2006 Honda Civic -- selected as the 2006 North American Car of the Year by a panel of 50 independent journalists -- is available in three stylish variants, including a gasoline-electric hybrid. Since the Civic and Corolla compete against each other, Toyota took an extra year and scurried to tweak the Corolla for North America.

 

The official version is that Toyota is so busy introducing swell products all over the world that it just didn't have enough engineering talent to get the job done properly on schedule.

 

Either way -- outfoxed by Honda or stretched too thin -- it's not a pretty picture.

 

But the real shocker is the unfolding product recall scandal in Japan.

 

Three current and former Toyota officials face criminal charges for failing to file a recall report when they knew about a safety defect for eight years. Toyota says the whole thing was a misunderstanding, and the company will cooperate with investigators.

 

It still could cause problems. Just ask Mitsubishi.

 

Six years ago, it was discovered that several Mitsubishi executives in Japan had been covering up safety defects for decades.

 

Mitsubishi sales in Japan tanked as the public lost confidence in the brand. The shame was so bad that executives wore their Mitsubishi logo lapel pins upside down.

 

And when the company hit bottom, DaimlerChrysler refused to pump in more capital, ultimately selling its stake in Mitsubishi and pulling out of the global partnership. That forced the Japanese automaker to seek financial help at home.

 

The Toyota recall case isn't likely to be anywhere near that cataclysmic. But it does reminds us that behind the seemingly invincible Toyota façade, people run things.

 

And people are, well, human.

 

Kind of makes you wonder about the universe, doesn't it?

 

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Toyota recalls Priuses

 

 

 

 

Automotive News | June 5, 2006 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES -- Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling about 170,000 Prius hybrids sold in the United States - about two of every three it has sold here - to replace a steering shaft that could break.

 

The U.S. recall is part of a global campaign that covers 986,000 vehicles for the same problem. More than half of the recalled vehicles are in Japan.

 

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Bad fastener can lead to limping Camry

 

 

Mark Rechtin

 

Automotive News | May 1, 2006 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES - Just two months into the launch of its redesigned 2007 Camry, Toyota has a problem on its hands.

 

A fastener in the automatic transmission can loosen, and as a result drivers can lose the use of second and sixth gear.

 

The vehicle still can limp to a dealership, however. The problem applies only to the models with a V-6 and a six-speed transmission.

 

About 90 owners have reported the problem out of 5,800 vehicles so equipped, says Toyota spokesman Mike Michels.

 

Toyota is treating the problem with a technical-service bulletin sent to dealers, not a recall. As a result, owners must wait for the transmission to fail before it can be repaired under warranty.

 

The incorrectly seated fastener, also called a snap ring, may realign itself during normal driving, Michels said.

 

Toyota has changed the production process to improve seating of the fastener. The same transmission is used in the redesigned Lexus ES 350, but a later production start date meant the problem was caught before production began.

 

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Toyota says may recall 1.05 million exported vehicles

 

 

 

 

Automotive News | November 9, 2005 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp. said on Wednesday it may recall a further 1.05 million vehicles due to trouble with bolts used in their diesel engines.

 

Toyota said it was looking into the ways the vehicles, including the Hiace and 24 other models that were exported to Asia and Europe, were used to see if a recall was necessary.

 

On Tuesday the company notified the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport it would recall 246,592 of the vehicles that had been sold in Japan.

 

"We're investigating how the exported cars are used," a spokesman said. "If the conditions are the same as those used in Japan, there is a possibility that we may recall all of the 1.05 million cars."

 

Last month Toyota said it would recall about 1.41 million cars globally, its biggest ever such move, including the Corolla and 15 other models due to trouble with their headlight switching systems.

 

Toyota declined to comment on cost of the latest recall.

 

The spokesman said the bolts were not rinsed thoroughly when the vehicles were made between April 1998 and September 2003. In the worst case the bolts may be rusted and broken, disabling the engines.

 

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Toyota to recall record 1.4 million cars globally

 

 

 

 

Automotive News | October 18, 2005 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

TOKYO (Reuters) -- Toyota Motor Corp. said on Tuesday it would recall about 1.41 million cars globally -- its biggest ever -- including the Corolla and 15 other models, due to trouble with their headlight switching systems.

 

The recall, filed with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, was the biggest for a Japanese automaker and beat Toyota's previous record recall of 797,707 vehicles in 1999, a spokesman said.

 

Toyota played down the recall's impact on its earnings, while declining to disclose the specific recall cost.

 

"The part to be replaced, the headlight switch, is not that expensive," the spokesman said. "So we don't expect any major impact on our earnings."

 

Toyota has said it would try in the year to March 2006 to match last year's record net profit of 1.17 trillion yen.

 

Toyota said it would recall about 1.27 million vehicles in Japan in addition to another roughly 140,000 vehicles exported overseas, including about 70,000 cars in Australia, 19,000 cars in Singapore and 17,000 cars in Thailand.

 

Toyota said the vehicles to be recalled were manufactured between May 2000 and August 2002.

 

Separately, in the United States, Toyota said it will notify 72,000 owners of Scion tC sport coupes that the wind deflector on the sunroof of the vehicles may shatter if hit by road debris at highway speeds.

 

The tC is equipped with a glass wind deflector, which tilts upward when the sunroof is opened. In some cases, pieces of the glass may fall on the occupants and cause injury, Toyota said.

 

The vehicles involved in the Toyota service action are from 2005 and 2006 model years.

 

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RECALLS: 775,000 Toyotas need ball joints

 

 

Harry Stoffer

 

Automotive News | May 30, 2005 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON --Toyota Motor North America Inc. is recalling about 775,000 light trucks to replace front-suspension lower ball joints.

 

Affected vehicles are 2001-04 Tacoma small pickups, 2002-04 Tundra full-sized pickups and Sequoia SUVs, and 2001-02 4Runner SUVs, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says.

 

Toyota told NHTSA the ball joints may wear prematurely and loosen, causing steering problems. Ultimately, the joint could separate, and the driver would lose steering control.

 

In early 2004, NHTSA opened an investigation of 2002 Tundra pickups after it received several complaints of ball joint failures. Toyota initially contended there was no safety defect. It later determined that ball joint surfaces may have been scratched during assembly.

 

Documents filed with NHTSA identify the ball joint supplier as Somic Ishikawa Inc. of Japan.

 

Toyota expects to begin notifying owners in July.

 

In a separate recall, Toyota said dealers will inspect nearly 5,000 Avalon sedans built for the 2005 model year to determine whether the steering yoke was welded properly to the steering shaft. If not, the steering column assembly will be replaced.

 

If the yoke separates from the shaft, the driver would be unable to steer, NHTSA says.

 

====================================================================

 

Safety recalls hit Toyota, DaimlerChrysler, Honda

 

 

 

 

Automotive News | May 23, 2005 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

DETROIT -- Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling about 4,900 of its 2005 model-year Avalon sedans in the United States to fix a defect in the steering wheel column that could result in a loss of control of the vehicle, the company and U.S. safety regulators said on Monday.

 

"A portion of the steering column assembly may not have been welded correctly," Toyota spokesman John McCandless said.

 

The recall is another blow for the world's second-largest automaker, which last week recalled about 880,000 sport utility vehicles and pickups worldwide due to a defect in the front suspension that could hamper steering.

 

======================================================================

 

 

 

Toyota recalls 880,000 SUVs, pickups worldwide

 

 

 

 

Automotive News | May 18, 2005 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp. said on Wednesday it would recall about 880,000 sport-utility vehicles and pickups worldwide, mostly in the United States, to fix a defect in the front suspension that could hamper steering.

 

Covered in the recall, aimed at fixing front-suspension ball joints that could wear faster than they should, are the Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks and Sequoia, Land Cruiser Prado and 4Runner/Hilux Surf SUVs built between May 2001 and December 2003. Of the total, 789,000 units are in North America.

 

Japan's top automaker said it does not disclose estimated recall costs.

 

A spokesman said there was one report of an accident in Japan, where Toyota is recalling 23,800 Hilux Surf and Land Cruiser Prado vehicles. Information on accidents elsewhere was not immediately available.

 

The recall also covers 19,000 vehicles in Europe and 12,000 in Australia.

 

==========================================================================

 

Toyota recalls Celicas

 

 

 

 

Automotive News | December 1, 2004 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

DETROIT -- Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 92,577 of its Celica cars in the United States to fix a problem with their daytime running lamps, federal safety regulators said on Wednesday.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the recall, involving Celicas from the 2000 and 2001 model years, was ordered because the running lamps are too bright and fail to conform with federal motor vehicle safety standards.

 

A similar recall affects 1,378 all-new Cobalt compact cars from theChevrolet division, NHTSA said.

 

It said a bulb shield in the Cobalt's headlamps, which prevents them from causing excessive glare for oncoming drivers, can loosen or break due to vibration, increasing the risk of a crash.

 

============================================================

 

Toyota announces recall

 

 

James B. Treece

 

Automotive News | November 22, 2004 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 544,172 vehicles worldwide to fix defective brake lights or fuel pumps. It is Toyota's second-largest recall this year.

 

The number includes about 250,000 exported to the United States, Canada and other markets. The vehicles were built from January 1999 to August 2004.

 

One defect prevents brake lights from operating in the Toyota Prius, Lexus RX 300 and RX 330 and other models. The fuel-pump problem can cause engines to stall in Sienna minivans in the Japanese market. No accidents have been reported as a result of either problem.

 

==============================================================

 

Toyota recalls 128,000 Camrys

 

 

Harry Stoffer

 

Automotive News | July 26, 2004 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON - Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. is recalling 128,000 2002-04 Toyota Camrys because side airbag curtains may not work properly.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the recall late last week. The agency said the curtains may be twisted near their inflators and may not deploy fully in a crash.

 

The automaker told NHTSA its dealers will inspect each curtain and will replace the entire assembly when a problem is found.

 

===============================================================

 

RECALLS: Lexus LS 430 sedans recalled

 

 

Harry Stoffer

 

Automotive News | July 26, 2004 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON -- Owners of 13,000 2004-model Lexus LS 430 sedans are entitled to new transmissions, says Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.

 

Toyota said a part in the planetary gear assembly can break during acceleration and disable the parking gear.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the defect creates a risk of rollaway crashes.

 

That was one of two newly announced recalls for the top-of-the-line Lexus sedan, NHTSA records show.

 

Lexus dealers also will replace fuel pumps in about 14,000 2004-model LS 430s. Alcohol in some fuels - such as an ethanol additive - can cause a pump impeller to deform and contact the pump body. This leads to pump failure, the company says.

 

===========================================================

 

Toyota to recall 123,000 Tacoma pickups in U.S.

 

 

 

 

Automotive News | June 27, 2003 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

DETROIT -- Toyota Motor Corp. will recall 123,360 Tacoma pickups to fix a part that could cause a fuel leak in a crash, federal safety officials said Friday.

 

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the recall of 2001 through 2003 Tacoma double-cab pickups was due to a problem uncovered during crash testing. A part of the double-cab body hit the hose that connects the fuel tank to the fuel filler pipe, damaging the hose.

 

Toyota will install a fuel hose protector to fix the problem.

 

==============================================================

 

Toyota to recall over 720,000 cars in Japan

 

 

 

 

Automotive News | May 21, 2003 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp. plans to recall 724,419 cars in Japan spanning nine models including the popular Crown due to a gearbox glitch that could cause steering problems.

 

Toyota did not disclose the estimated cost of the recall.

 

There has been no report of any accident from the defect, a Toyota spokeswoman said. She added that the recall resulted from two customer complaints that the steering wheel was making an unusual noise.

 

The cars to be recalled are certain versions of the Crown, Mark II, Chaser and Cresta built between March 1995 and February 1999. Some Crown police cars will also be recalled.

 

=====================================================

 

Toyota in big recall of cars in Japan, maybe abroad

 

 

 

 

Automotive News | October 1, 2002 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp. said on Tuesday it would recall 421,542 vehicles in Japan due to potential brake pipe and gearbox defects and that another 360,000 vehicles sold abroad were also affected.

 

Toyota spokesman Shinya Matsumoto said the automaker was still considering what steps to take abroad.

 

Japan's largest automaker was not immediately able to provide details of the cost of the recall.

 

Toyota said 397,263 vehicles in Japan were affected by the potential brake pipe problem. The cars are its best-selling Vitz subcompact, known as the Yaris in Europe, and other models using the same Vitz platform -- the engine and underbody of the car.

 

Extremely cold weather and repeated stopping and starting on snow-covered roads could result in damage to a brake pipe and possibly reduce the driver's control over the vehicle, the automaker said.

 

The vehicles were built between October 2000 and April 2002.

 

Another 24,279 of its Liteace and Townace vans sold in Japan were affected by a potential gearbox defect affecting vehicles built between June 1999 and June 2002.

 

Toyota said it did not know of any accidents resulting from the potential defects.

 

A breakdown of vehicles affected overseas and the countries they were sold in was not immediately available.

 

=============================================================

 

RECALLS: Toyotas recalled for fire hazard fix

 

 

Harry Stoffer

 

Automotive News | August 12, 2002 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON -- Toyota Highlander sport-utilities are being recalled because a federal crash test disclosed a fuel system problem that government officials say could create a fire hazard.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that when it conducted a 35 mph frontal-impact crash test, a clamp on a breather hose for the Highlander's fuel vapor recovery valve struck the vehicle's underside and broke the valve nozzle.

 

NHTSA concluded that if a vehicle rolled over after such a crash, fuel would leak and could burn.

 

"There have been no cases of the condition" in real-world experience, said Ming-Jou Chen, spokeswoman for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.

 

No replacement parts are needed for the repair, she said. Dealers will rotate the clamp so that it will not strike the underside during a crash.

 

About 155,000 Highlanders from the 2001-02 model years are affected, NHTSA said. Here is another recall reported by the agency:

 

======================================================================

 

NHTSA gets sludge petition

 

 

Harry Stoffer

 

Automotive News | June 17, 2002 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON -- Federal safety officials are considering a request that they investigate Toyota's engine sludge problem as a safety defect.

 

The request came in the form of a petition to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It says engines that develop sludge are prone to seize up while in operation, creating a safety hazard.

 

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. previously agreed to repair certain engines that experience what the company called oil gelling, if owners report the problem and show they have properly maintained their vehicles.

 

But if NHTSA determines the problem is a safety defect, Toyota would have to recall and repair all affected vehicles at company cost.

 

Toyota spokeswoman Holly Ferris said last week that a recall was not necessary.

 

She said the company is notifying 3.3 million vehicle owners that the repair program is available. In addition, she said a driver has plenty of warning before an engine stops; it starts smoking and instrument panel lights illuminate.

 

"We're confident that it is not a safety issue," she said.

 

The petition for a defect investigation was filed by Charlene Blake, a Virginia teacher with a reputation for adept use of the Internet to organize groups of disgruntled vehicle owners unhappy with manufacturers' responses to claims about faulty cars and trucks.

 

NHTSA said the petition asks for an investigation of 1996-2000 Siennas, Camrys, Camry Solaras, Avalons and Celicas for engines that seize as a result of sludge. The petition also says the vehicles' engine oil often is contaminated with dangerous amounts of gasoline.

 

The Toyota repair program covers 1997-2002 Toyota and Lexus vehicles with the 3.0-liter IMZ V-6 and 1997-2001 Toyotas with a now-discontinued 5SFE 2.2-liter four-cylinder.

 

NHTSA is required to answer such petitions within 120 days of filing.

 

==========================================================

 

Corolla, Vibe need rear-end repair

 

 

Harry Stoffer

 

Automotive News | June 10, 2002 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON - About 11,000 cars from the early production of the 2003 Toyota Corolla and the Pontiac Vibe are being recalled so bolts attaching rear brake and hub assemblies to the vehicles can be tightened.

 

The brake and hub assembly could separate from the vehicle and a driver could lose control, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned. A noise coming from the car's rear is a symptom of the loose-bolt problem.

 

The recall affects about 8,500 Corolla sedans and 2,700 Vibe sport wagons, the agency said. The vehicles have been assembled since January at the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant in Fremont, Calif. Toyota and General Motors share the plant.

 

The recall does not affect the Vibe's sister vehicle, the Toyota Matrix, which is built in Cambridge, Ontario, said Sam Butto, spokesman for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.

 

==============================================================

 

Toyota Camrys need cable fix

 

 

Harry Stoffer

 

Automotive News | March 19, 2001 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON - Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. is recalling 53,000 of its 1998-2001 Camrys to replace an accelerator cable that may fail, causing the car's engine to stick at idle or at operating speeds.

 

The recall affects cars with V-6 engines and cruise control from one assembly line at Georgetown, Ky.

 

Toyota spokesman Sam Butto said the company is aware of 10 cable failures but has received no reports of crashes. Dealers are to replace the cable between the cruise control actuator and throttle body on the affected vehicles.The cable housing was deformed during assembly, and the cable inside the housing can wear and break, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

 

==============================================================

 

500,000 Japan-built Camrys, Lexus ES 300s recalled

 

 

HARRY STOFFER

 

Automotive News | January 31, 2000 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON - More than 500,000 Toyota Camry and Lexus ES 300 cars are being recalled because their steering wheels may loosen and eventually come off.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in its monthly report on safety recalls, said the nut that secures the steering wheel to its shaft was not tightened properly during manufacture.

 

The recall involves 360,000 Camrys from the 1995-98 model years and 180,000 Lexus ES 300s from 1994-98. All were assembled in Japan. U.S.-built Camrys are not affected, said spokesman Joe Tetherow of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.

 

In 1998 Toyota recalled 105,000 Japan-assembled 1994 Camrys for the same problem.

 

NHTSA said symptoms of the defect are steering looseness and vibration, but steering wheels can become fully detached.

 

=============================================================

 

Oil sludge threatened to smear a good name

 

Richard Truett

Automotive News

October 29, 2007 - 12:01 am ET

 

The oil sludge mess that started in 1999 came close to knocking Toyota off the quality foundation on which the company built its reputation in the United States.

 

For the first — and maybe only — time in the company's 50 years in America, consumers' anger at Toyota rose to a level Detroit automakers have faced periodically.

 

But in typical Toyota fashion, the company used the bitter episode to fine-tune the way it handles adversity.

 

The sludge episode taught Toyota to:

 

-- Pay attention to what its customers are saying on the Internet.

 

-- React faster and be more flexible with warranty claims.

 

-- Improve communication with dealers.

 

-- Communicate faster and more accurately with engineers in Japan.

 

Toyota has had its share of mechanical glitches over the years, but most of them have been minor. The oil sludge problem, though, was no loose antenna, incorrectly routed cable or improperly tightened bolt that could be fixed with a quick trip to the service department.

 

This was a murky affair with no clear cause and potentially billions of dollars at stake. And it may be the biggest crisis Toyota has faced in its 50 years in America.

 

1999: THE GOO APPEARS

 

Starting in 1999, certain four- and six-cylinder engines in Camrys, Corollas and other models started filling with black gooey gel, plugging the internal oil passages, causing the engines to billow blue smoke and eventually to seize. As many as 3.3 million vehicles potentially were affected.

 

Some failed engines were only two years old and still under warranty. There was no way to repair sludge-filled engines; they had to be replaced, and the bill for that was $8,000 or more.

 

Toyota, citing an array of excuses, initially refused to cover the repairs. The sludge, Toyota said, was caused by motor oil not being changed on time. Then owners were blamed for not having oil changed at a Toyota dealership, or for using the wrong blend of oil or a poor quality filter.

 

Even when owners could prove they had followed the factory maintenance schedule and had their vehicles serviced at Toyota dealerships, the company still denied warranty claims.

 

The strategy misfired badly.

 

In the Internet age, it didn't take long for angry Toyota drivers with sludged engines to band together. They lit up chat rooms, automotive Web sites such as edmunds.com and consumer organizations with complaints about the problem and the way they were being treated.

 

In the real world, loyal Toyota owners were bad-mouthing the company Detroit-style, swearing they'd never buy another Toyota. They were hiring lawyers and suing the company. Some consumers were driving Toyotas with big yellow LEMON stickers on them.

 

Toyota's brightly polished quality image was taking such a pounding that The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal ran stories critical of Toyota's handling of the matter.

 

By 2002, Toyota had received at least 3,400 warranty claims. And some were coming from Toyota's upscale customers, Lexus owners with ES 300 sedans and RX 300 SUVs.

 

PLAN B

 

Then Toyota reversed course.

 

In 2002 it sent 3.3 million letters to Toyota and Lexus owners saying their vehicles' engines could be susceptible to sludge. Toyota also told these customers it was extending the engine warranty to eight years, with unlimited mileage. Drivers who already paid for the repair wanted to be reimbursed. But there still were hundreds of lemon law cases and lawsuits to settle.

 

Toyota still has never admitted to design or manufacturing flaws, and to this day insists improper maintenance is the cause of the sludge. But in the summer 2002, Toyota engineers changed the oil breathing system in the valve covers of the affected engines. A former Toyota service writer at a Midwest Toyota dealership said Toyota also increased the size of the passages inside the engine where the oil flows.

 

Those changes apparently fixed the problem. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's complaint database, reports of sludge-filled engines have virtually stopped.

 

Toyota also quit hassling customers for documentation of oil changes and replaced sludge-filled engines, no questions asked — even those with more than 100,000 miles.

 

But it wasn't until February 2007 that Toyota could put the oil sludge dilemma in its rearview mirror. That's when Toyota settled the last class action lawsuit and finally implemented a system that allows consumers to be reimbursed for repairs and incidental expenses going back to 1999. Toyota sent 7.5 million letters to current and previous owners telling them of the settlement.

 

============================================================

 

COMMENT: It must be a sign of the apocalypse!

 

 

 

 

Automotive News | March 26, 2007 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

In case you haven't figured it out, that loud sloshing sound is Toyota circling the drain.

 

Yep.

 

We all would have given odds that Toyota was more buoyant. After all, Toyota survived the engine sludge debacle with little or no apparent scarring. And the sex scandal in the New York office disappeared from the tabloids almost before the ink dried on the settlement.

 

But now the unbelievable has occurred!

 

The new Toyota Tundra failed to earn five stars in NHTSA's frontal-crash test. Chevy, GMC, Dodge and Ford pickups all got five stars.

 

Mighty Tundra only got four.

 

It's more than an un-Toyota-like failure. It's shocking! It's surreal!

 

Surely this truck was designed to pick up five stars across the board. Heck, Toyota designs vehicles to win five stars for ratings that don't even exist yet.

 

Oh, the failure! This may be just the competitive opening sought by the Detroit 3, Nissan and Hyundai as they fight to turn back the Toyota juggernaut.

 

Obviously, Toyota is weak and vulnerable.

 

This Tundra crash-test fiasco reeks of cutting corners in product development, shoddy internal test procedures and lackadaisical engineering, not to mention the obvious disregard for the safety of owners and the fate of humanity.

 

This is not at all what the world expects from Toyota. From other, lesser automakers, yes. But not from Toyota.

 

Before you know it, Toyota will be picking up other bad habits, too, such as heaping retail incentives on the hood of every car and truck. Consumers will lose confidence. Sales will slump, and Toyota will be forced to lay off workers.

 

==================================================================

 

Toyota deal: Here comes the sludge judge

 

 

Mark Rechtin

 

Automotive News | January 8, 2007 - 12:01 am EST

 

 

 

 

 

LOS ANGELES -- Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. has quietly settled a class-action lawsuit that covers about 3.5 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles that may have been damaged by engine oil sludge.

 

Details of the settlement, which allows for third-party mediation of sludge claims rejected by Toyota, have been mailed to 7.5 million current and previous owners.

 

Critics contend Toyota has told customers and dealers too little about sludge issues. They say some customers took vehicles with dead engines to dealers who had little or no knowledge of the problem and often assumed it was the owners' fault.

 

Unhappy customers had no remedy other than hiring a lawyer to go after Toyota.

 

Under the agreement, owners whose claims have been denied by Toyota may submit them to a third-party mediator at no cost for binding arbitration.

 

"This settlement breathes life into claims that have been dead for years," said Gary Gambel, a lawyer for plaintiffs who sued Toyota. "This is not a settlement that gives a few dollars to everyone. The relief is exactly tied to the problems and damages that someone might have."

 

The lawsuit, filed in a Louisiana district court, is expected to be approved by the court in early February.

 

Toyotas at risk

About 3.3 million Toyota vehicles are susceptible to oil sludge, which can cause thousands of dollars in damage and require replacement of the engine. Here are the vehicles included in the settlement.

VEHICLE MODEL YEARS

Camry 4 cyl. 1997-2001

Camry 6 cyl. 1997-2002

Camry Solara 4 cyl. 1999-2001

Camry Solara 6 cyl. 1999-2002

Sienna 6 cyl. 1998-2002

Avalon 6 cyl. 1997-2002

Celica 4 cyl. 1997-1999

Highlander 6 cyl. 2001-2002

Lexus ES 300 1997-2002

Lexus RX 300 1999-2002

 

 

 

 

 

Chink in the armor?

 

Sludge is gelled oil that fails to lubricate engine parts. It can lead to damage, often requiring a new engine at a cost that can exceed $10,000. Complaints about sludged engines have plagued several carmakers, but Toyota's troubles have been especially controversial in light of its reputation for vehicle quality.

 

The issue highlights a possible chink in the company's armor. Executives fear Toyota is growing too fast for its engineering resources. That could lead to quality snags and a tarnished reputation.

 

When a customer takes a sludge-caked engine to a dealership, there is usually a "clean-out" procedure. The head is pulled and a service technician tries try to steam out the sludge. If that doesn't work, the engine must be replaced.

 

Sludge can result from poor engine design; overly tight tolerances between moving parts; improper cooling; and poor maintenance by consumers.

 

Toyota insists the problem arises mainly when owners fail to change their oil frequently enough.

 

The agreement does not find Toyota at fault.

 

"The settlement doesn't mean that Toyota or Lexus vehicles are predisposed to develop oil gel," according to the notice.

 

"The court did not decide which side was right."

 

After Toyota had received 3,400 sludge complaints by 2002 it extended its vehicle warranty to eight years and unlimited miles. The program was offered to owners of 1997-2002 Toyota and Lexus vehicles equipped with 3.0-liter V-6 or 2.2-liter four-cylinder engines. The company declined to give an updated number of complaints.

 

The terms

 

Under terms of the settlement:

 

 

Owners of damaged vehicles have eight years plus 120 days from the original purchase date to file a complaint.

 

 

If Toyota denies the claim, owners can appeal to a judge-appointed third-party administrator: J. Robert Ates, a New Orleans lawyer.

 

 

Customers who have already made repairs may be able to recover the costs.

 

 

Only those who elect not to participate in the settlement can sue Toyota individually. The deadline for that choice was Dec. 31, 2006.

 

 

The settlement is transferable to future vehicle owners.

 

 

The car only needs to show evidence of oil sludge. It is not necessary for the owner to have made repairs during the claim period.

 

 

Damages that can be recovered include loss in value of the vehicle and incidental costs, such as rental cars. Past lawyers' fees, mental anguish and bodily injuries are not covered.

 

A Toyota spokesman said the agreement is not a defeat for the automaker.

 

"The settlement validates the customer support program we implemented four years ago," Xavier Dominicis said.

 

"The terms of the program remain unchanged. There always was a way for customers to appeal our decision."

 

Plaintiff lawyers disagree. They say Toyota failed to communicate the extent of the problem to its dealers and customers. Toyota's appeal process also meant hiring a lawyer, which many consumers could not afford. It costs nothing to file an appeal with Ates.

 

"The consumer only needs to show reasonable maintenance in terms of oil changes," Gambel said. "You don't need to prove where the sludge came from, or explain your driving habits. If you have oil sludge, Toyota pays" the consumer.

 

Consumers can get more information by calling 888-279-4405 or at www.oilgelsettlement.com.

 

=========================================================

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I think if Ford or GM file it will be to break some long term contracts that are hurting them. The company in the worse shape is Chrysler. They maybe the first to file.

 

Ford is going to be bringing some of the European cars to America sooner then they planned. This will help them since they are small cars getting good MPG.

 

Also Ford's sales were not down as much as others for this last quarter.

 

Toyota is hurting becasue of its new truck. They also are now finding out what happens when you start building alot of cars each year. Their quality has fallen off and Ford and GMs has gone up.

I own both Fords and Toyota s. My new Ford has had three warranty claims with 4000 miles and still needs more. The headlight assy on my GT500 almost fell off the car because the bolts were not installed. The clutch failed, the transmission was replaced, a seat cover had to be replaced, and now I'm hearing the flywheel is a POS.

My Toyota has 35,000 miles and has not had a single problem.

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I own both Fords and Toyota s. My new Ford has had three warranty claims with 4000 miles and still needs more. The headlight assy on my GT500 almost fell off the car because the bolts were not installed. The clutch failed, the transmission was replaced, a seat cover had to be replaced, and now I'm hearing the flywheel is a POS.

My Toyota has 35,000 miles and has not had a single problem.

 

 

I have had 3 Taurus', 1 Explorer, 2 STV Mustangs, 1 F-150 and a Ranger in the past 15 years. In those 15 years I have had maybe 3-4 minor recalls. Those Taurus' were and still are the best cars I have ever driven. I tell you I beat the snot out of those buggers and they just kept on running. I put an average of 80,000 on those cars in 2-3 years and did nothing but oil changes, windshield wipers, tires and on a few occasions brakes. Let me reiterate these are HARD miles as they were company cars and you know what they say about company cars .... they can go wherever a Jeep can go! My F-150 and Ranger were also work horses! The only vehicle that gave me any issues (tranny) was my Explorer which was more my vault as it was a V8 and a company car :peelout: . The point I'm trying to make is don't base your total opinion about Ford on one bad car you have owned.

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http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/bbdp...ig-three/121456

 

If Ford should be the one to file I dont know that they will have to honor extended warranites. Factory ones should be all right.

 

Wow!!!! I had no idea that this would turn into a war. It would be awful if any of the big 3 went under, but it would be nearly as bad if Toyota or Nissan went under. They do create many jobs here in the states. I would sure rather support Toyota than support the middle east oil crooks, but we do support them everyday. Everybody on here has bought American SHELBY GT 500 , and if they added Toyota or BMW to their collection big deal.

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Regarding the Topic heading, now, you do realize that the "Big Three" are currently GM, Toyota and Ford....I think...???

 

Also, if you want to buy a foreign car, buy a Mazda - because Ford owns that one - well, for now at least, they are thinking of selling it.

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I have had 3 Taurus', 1 Explorer, 2 STV Mustangs, 1 F-150 and a Ranger in the past 15 years. In those 15 years I have had maybe 3-4 minor recalls. Those Taurus' were and still are the best cars I have ever driven. I tell you I beat the snot out of those buggers and they just kept on running. I put an average of 80,000 on those cars in 2-3 years and did nothing but oil changes, windshield wipers, tires and on a few occasions brakes. Let me reiterate these are HARD miles as they were company cars and you know what they say about company cars .... they can go wherever a Jeep can go! My F-150 and Ranger were also work horses! The only vehicle that gave me any issues (tranny) was my Explorer which was more my vault as it was a V8 and a company car :peelout: . The point I'm trying to make is don't base your total opinion about Ford on one bad car you have owned.

I don't think because my car only has 4000 miles and has had problems that it's a bad car at all. I think if upper management in America, focused more energy on improving the financial health of our American car company s, we would not have to worry so much about what Toyota does. Also free enterprise is about competition, may the best competitor win.

 

Edit: It's not fair to compare apples and oranges anyway, the GT500 is an amazing machine. We would be better off not worrying about what Toyota does and concentrate on what we can do better than country in the world, one of those many things is build good cars.

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Wow!!!! I had no idea that this would turn into a war. It would be awful if any of the big 3 went under, but it would be nearly as bad if Toyota or Nissan went under. They do create many jobs here in the states. I would sure rather support Toyota than support the middle east oil crooks, but we do support them everyday. Everybody on here has bought American SHELBY GT 500 , and if they added Toyota or BMW to their collection big deal.

 

Agree with you, one US car is better than none! But as far as negative impact to our economy .... GM/Ford/Chrysler employee over 600,000 were as Nissan/Toyota only employee around 50,000 in the US.

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i think if they put ego aside and merge, FORD/GM is a power to be reckoned.....then they can have a shot at competition...they need to join efforts . especially during rough times..but EGO is the obstacle.

Yikes! Have you been struck by lightning yet?

 

Sorry sir we can respectfully disagree on you're first two comments ... but I will agree with you on your last but not completely

Fair nuff', San Antonio has been kicked around and treated like a stepchild for a long time(compared to Dallas or Houston), and I admit I have some loyalty for any company that brings my locals jobs...

 

I own both Fords and Toyota s. My new Ford has had three warranty claims with 4000 miles and still needs more. The headlight assy on my GT500 almost fell off the car because the bolts were not installed. The clutch failed, the transmission was replaced, a seat cover had to be replaced, and now I'm hearing the flywheel is a POS.

My Toyota has 35,000 miles and has not had a single problem.

I love my Tundra!!

 

彼が言った何をええ。私は私のソニーを好むも! 残念、私はそれがおかしい今できていた公正な思考である。

 

ブライアン

Is this really the place to bring that back up?

 

And Shelbydude-

I will agree with one of your LONG comments- My 2002 RX300 had to have its engine replaced at 65k miles due to engine sludge.

 

I own a 4X4 Tundra, though, and so far no recall, no problems - AND 14 sec flat 1/4 mile, not bad for stock TRUCK, would beat my old '89 Mustang 5.0 Im afraid to say... My GT500 has had one recall. My Lexus's never had any either though. Im happy with Toyota and Lexus overall man. The engine replacement was out of warranty, and they volunteered to fix it for free and gave me a loaner car even nicer, for 3 weeks. (RX300)

 

Funny how off topic this all got- this was a question of viability for the big three- turned into a foreign or domestic thread... :hysterical:

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If it wasn't for the Shelby GT500, I wouldn't own an American vehicle. I love my Toyota's and my Lexus's. Why? When I have something that needs to be fixed, I don't get any bullshit about "that part isn't under warranty". They just fix it. My 4 year old GX470's glovebox latch died. They replaced it free of charge, gave me a loaner car while they did it and there is NO HASSLES about it. When the computer went out in my Escalade after the 3rd time in a year, I gave up with GM and the absolutely shitty customer service in the service department. If I'm spending 60k on a vehicle, I expect certain things..the first thing being customer service. My Tundra's have been beat to death by me and still run great. Do I get a loaner car from Ford when I take it in for warranty work? Nope. Even when they keep my car for a week? Nope. I'm just screwed. Glad it's not my only car.

 

Back on the topic of customer service: Ford needs to make their dealers learn basic customer service skills. The sales people (generalization here, I know there are a few good ones out there as I have dealt with them and will continue to do so) mostly act they are doing me a favor by talking to me. If I ask a few direct questions, they wander off and never come back to give me an answer. How I can repeatedly drive up in my GT500, park it and then wander around the parking lot of the Ford dealer and not have a single sales person come talk to me is just beyond me. They should be driving up in their golf carts and driving me around (which they do, but with me, only once).

 

/end rant

 

Back on topic:

 

I'd be surprised if Ford and GM didn't declare bankruptcy. They need to shed some weight, downsize a lot and restructure the business models into something profitable.

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I have seen numerous Rangers come through here with over 300K - 400K miles on them.

 

A guy that works in our service department has a Ranger with close to 300K miles on it.

 

There are also a lot Toyota trucks with RUSTED out frames. A lot with engine sludge problems.

 

But that's OK, because someday when all Americans are employed for foreign owned companies, at least they can say, well at least I get 37 miles per gallon in my frame rusted out, sludged up engine toyota!

 

So while I may be earning a LOT LESS to make a living and while there won't be any retirement to count on, at least I got to save a couple miles per gallon in my Honda and Toyota, even though they really don't get any better mileage. I just believed what they put on their window stickers! I didn't know Toyota's mileage was based on 45 mph compared to other manufacturers that were based on 65 mph!!! LOL

AMEN, BROTHER! Well said.

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I love my Tundra!!

 

 

Funny how off topic this all got- this was a question of viability for the big three- turned into a foreign or domestic thread... :hysterical:

 

I love my F-150 especially after the K&N and Evolution tune!!!

 

:soapbox: I'm sorry I'm probably the one :stirpot: on this thread ... but I'm passionate about supporting American companies even my ATV's are American made! So I'll stop now and let this thread get back on track!

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There is no foreign / American made any more....this logic is gone for ever....get used to the new global economy where every thing blends like i said before scrambled eggs :hysterical:

 

I beg the differ! .... My Fender, Gibson, PRS and Suhr guitars are all 100% American made! .... wait a minute wonder where some of the electronic components come from? :doh:

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I beg the differ! .... My Fender, Gibson, PRS and Suhr guitars are all 100% American made! .... wait a minute wonder where some of the electronic components come from? :doh:

 

 

I will ask you to go to your house and flip most of the stuff you have there and tell me where is it made?

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