Toyota may halt Japan car output in February due to steel shortage

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Hat tip, Jalopnik: Toyota May Have To Temporarily Stop Making Cars In Japan

Business | Sat Jan 30, 2016 2:50am EST
Toyota may halt Japan car output in February due to steel shortage
TOKYO | By Naomi Tajitsu

Toyota Motor Corp said on Saturday it may halt production at its domestic plants early next month due to a steel shortage, following an explosion at a steel plant operated by one of its affiliates.

The blast an Aichi Steel plant has curbed production of steel parts, which may impact output at the world's best-selling automaker which produces around 40 percent of its global output in Japan.

"At the moment, there is enough supply inventory to keep our domestic plants running until Feb. 6," a Toyota spokesman said, adding that overtime and weekend shifts for next week had been canceled. ... "After that, we will be monitoring our supply situation on a day-by-day basis and decide accordingly."

Aichi Steel said that the Jan. 8 explosion at its Chita plant in central Japan dented production of special steel parts. It added that it aimed to resume operations in March.

[rusty quoin]

1. There use to be the greatest steel industry here in America.

[doc03]

2. Good it wouldn't bother me in the least if they never get it

running again, they destroyed our steel industry.

[doc03]

3. I wonder if that is the one that made the steel for

Toyota trucks that were all called back and crushed.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. Cite, please. Thanks. NT

[doc03]

5. Do your research, all Toyota Tacomas in the areas that use road salt

made from 1995 to 2005 were recalled and crushed. I have a 2006 Tacoma, they have been recalling 2006 and up to either repaint or replace the frame. When I returned my Tacoma for inspection they found it was too far gone for repainting so they
replaced the frame. I never drove the thing in the snow for the first 6 years I owned it. There are also Tundras involved in this, not sure what years. The dealership said they had bad steel. Toyota has done an excellent job of covering this up. Apparently Consumer Reports hasn't a clue about it, they say nothing about them having poor body integrity. I also know a couple people that had the SUVs based on the same frame, they were just plain screwed.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. It turns out there were frame problems:

690,000 Toyota Tacomas Recalled for Leaf Springs that Could Snap, Damage Fuel Tank and Brake Line

October 10, 2014 at 2:16 pm by Clifford Atiyeh

The Toyota Tacoma is being recalled for rust problems yet again, this time with leaf springs on the rear axle that can corrode, snap off, and move enough to puncture the fuel tank or sever the rear brake line.

About 690,000 Tacoma pickups, specifically 4×4 and PreRunner models from 2005–2011, have leaf springs installed above the rear axle rather than below it, and they can fail due to “stress or corrosion.” One of the leaves may separate and contact the fuel tank or brake line, possibly severing one or both with obvious consequences. (The recall officially cites the fuel tank as the consequence; Toyota says it determined that, since 80 percent of braking is accomplished by the front brakes, the broken rear line does “not cause a significant reduction in braking performance in these vehicles.”) After the first reports of broken springs came in from owners across North America starting in 2006, Toyota eventually installed a clip to hold the leaves together starting in October 2010.

The company then ran an investigation between November 2010 and December 2011 to monitor broken leaf springs but closed it because there weren’t enough gas tanks and brake lines that were actually damaged. Between May and September of this year, Toyota discovered the number of reported broken leaf springs had “increased substantially” and finally decided to conduct a recall. A total of 690,000 trucks are affected in the U.S. Owners will receive notification to get their trucks repaired in November.

In November 2012, Toyota recalled 150,000 Tacomas from 2001–2004 for a rusted spare-tire carrier under the bed that could break and cause the tire to come loose. In 2008, Toyota’s infamous frame-rot fiasco on 1995–2004 Tacomas (about 800,000 trucks) was so bad the company had to buy many of them back, conduct extensive frame repairs, and/or extend frame-corrosion warranties by 15 years. The company never issued a recall for that problem.

Among other serious Tacoma recalls: In April of this year, Toyota recalled the 2009–2010 Tacoma along with six other models for faulty driver’s-side airbags (not related to the Takata recall) and recalled the 2005–2011 Tacoma in August 2013 for loose seatbelt fasteners. In February 2010, the 2010 Tacoma was recalled for front driveshafts that could separate due to cracks formed in the production process.

But:

Toyota Tacoma

The Toyota Tacoma is a pickup truck [font color=red]manufactured in the U.S.[/font] by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota since 1995. The first generation Tacoma, model years 1995½ through 2004, was classified as a compact pickup. The second generation was classified as mid-size. The Tacoma was Motor Trend Magazine's Truck of the Year for 2005.

As of 2015, the Toyota Tacoma is sold in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Panama, Bolivia, Chile, and the French territory of New Caledonia.....

First generation (1995-2004)

....
On November 21, 2012, Toyota recalled about 150,000 Tacoma mid-size pickup trucks from the model years 2001 to 2004 that were sold primarily in 20 cold-weather U.S. states. The recall involves the spare tire and how it could fall off.

[doc03]

7. My Tacoma is a 2006. They replaced the frame also the rear springs and the tire

carrier. I took the truck in for inspection in March last year. It took them until November to get the parts in and they had it
33 days in the shop. I have had no problems since they fixed mine but I know of couple people that had
major problems with theirs. Funny how Consumer Reports seems to know nothing about this. I guarantee if that was a product from Ford or Chevy they would be all over it. I always thought CR was prejudiced against any product made by a US company.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. Consumer Reports News: 150,000 Toyota Tacoma pickup trucks recalled due to rust risk

This article is from three years ago. I Googled for "Consumer Reports tacoma frame problems." This was the third hit on the first page.

150,000 Toyota Tacoma pickup trucks recalled due to rust risk

Consumer Reports News: November 27, 2012 10:23 AM

Toyota is recalling its popular Tacoma pickup truck, sold in certain parts of the country. At issue is the carriers that hold the emergency spare tire underneath the truck may not be adequately protected from the chemical road de-icers used in several states. If the tire carrier rusts, the spare tire may fall off the truck and present a road hazard, increasing the risk of collisions.



According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the rust problem affects 150,000 2001 to 2004 model year Toyota Tacoma full-size pickup trucks sold in so-call "rust belt" areas of the U.S., including:
• Connecticut
•Delaware
•Illinois
•Indiana
•Kentucky
•Maine
•Maryland
•Massachusetts
•Michigan
•Minnesota
•New Hampshire
•New Jersey
•New York
•Ohio
•Pennsylvania
•Rhode Island
•Vermont
•Virginia
•West Virginia
•Wisconsin
•Washington, DC

Toyota has not yet developed a remedy to this situation, but they will notify owners when a fix is in place.

For more information, Tacoma owners can call contact their local Toyota dealer, the Toyota Customer Experience Center (800-331-4331) or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.

For advice on how on to drive your vehicle safely in cold climates, see our Guide to winter driving and winter driving tips.

Source:
RECALL: 2001-2004 Toyota Tacoma - spare tire; Campaign ID #: 12V542000 [NHTSA]



—Paul Eng

[doc03]

9. On their chart in the car reviews they always show Toyota with the red dots

meaning they has far fewer problems than other vehicles. The Tacoma was rated as a CR Best Buy up until last year or the year before. You go back and look at the chart on used vehicles and they never show any major body problems. The only complaint they used to have was the seating position was too low which I never understood it always seemed fine to me. I think you put a Honda or Toyota badge on an Amish buggy they would call it a best buy.

[Fuddnik]

10. I remember back in the mid 70's US car makers started using cheap Japanese steel.

I had a Ford, don't remember the year or model, but the frame rusted in half. I was driving down a fairly steep hill, in the snow when it separated, and stretched out the parking brake cable, locking the rear wheels.

That was a fun ride. I almost invested in a box of Depends. But, I don't think they were invented yet.