Toyota Has Pattern of Slow Response on Safety Issues

[TomCADem]

Source: NY Times

Toyota’s recalls and disclosures in recent months are part of a lengthy pattern in which the automaker has often reacted slowly to safety concerns, in some instances making design changes without telling customers about problems with vehicles already on the road, an examination of its record shows.

Toyota received complaints from customers in Europe about sticking accelerator pedals as early as December 2008 and started installing redesigned pedals on new vehicles there last August. Months later, in January, similar concerns in the United States led to a pedal recall of 2.3 million vehicles. The European cars have now been recalled, too.

In a Congressional committee meeting on Jan. 27, Toyota officials said they first learned of this problem through reports of sticking pedals in vehicles in England and Ireland in the spring of 2009. But Toyota later acknowledged it had received reports there as early as December 2008.

Three years ago, it recalled 2007 and 2008 Toyota Camrys and Lexus ES 350s because the accelerator could stick under floor mats, a precursor to a much bigger recall last fall.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/business/global/07toyota.html?hp

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I remember back in the day that American car companies had the reputation for sitting on reports of safety issues. Heck, the Ford Pinto is legendary. I guess even Japanese car companies are willing to cut corners on safety in order to squeeze a few more bucks of profit.

[twitomy]

1. Only good thing that might come out of this is perhaps

bursting the myth that Japanese cars are OH SO MUCH BETTER than US made cars. The gap is much narrower, In particular Ford is making some good cars.

[Mopar151]

2. You oughta see what the recall consists of

http://images.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/02/Tech-Instructions-Preliminary-Posting-BIL.pdf
Is a PDF file of the instructions for Toyota technicans to perform this modification. When I was a Mr. Goodwrench, I used to do a lot of the recall work - IMHO, this is pretty cheesy at best, and the whole subassembly is well below the stadndard of quality a new car customer should expect.
This photo shows the offending part



From "The truth about cars" website - http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/

The CTS pedal has a friction arm that is designed to generate a certain degree of friction necessary for the proper functioning of the electronic gas pedal. In our earlier tear down and analysis, we pointed out that the CTS design is inferior to others, such as the Denso unit also used in Toyotas. The friction arm is subject to wear and contamination that increases friction to the point of creating a sticky gas pedal.

The friction arm is a pivoted fulcrum; the end with the “friction teeth” rides in two grooved channels in the pedal assembly. Both these parts are made from plastic. The other end of the friction arm is held in place by the return spring, which exerts the pressure necessary to generate the friction. As the friction teeth wear, the gap on the other end increases in relation to the housing. Toyota’s shim is inserted in this gap in order to reduce/limit the amount of friction, and to compensate for wear.

Again, IMHO - the techs will find a way to "shortcut" this, likely by prying the friction arm down in the car and dropping the shim into place. They will be paid "flat rate" - a piecework rate for each car repaired. Most of the time, the time is inadequate for doing the job properly. I was paid straight time for doing recalls - largely because the shop foreman was an illiterate drunk who disdained instructions (To his credit, he was a near-genius at instinctive mechanical repair), and he would leave me alone when I was doing recalls.
And - the CTS/Toyota pedal is a horrible design for the North American market - a little dirt in the wrong place will lock it up, and we treat our cars like livestock barns compared to most of the world.

[itsrobert]

3. They have a commercial out today claiming their quick response.

I'm not kidding.

[ingac70]

4. They've done nothing but lie for years.

Why stop now?

[onager]

8. Yep. Saw the commercial this morning.

Pretty standard PR/CYA stuff.

The vintage film clips of old Toyotas were cool, though.

[itsrobert]

10. Basically the same commercial Ford use to put out

"Quality is Job One!"

[Oldtimeralso]

5. How Long Has Toyota Been Covering Up Truck Problems?

Toyota trucks that are used in areas that used salt on their highways have had a rust problem with their frames for years.

Check this out http://trucks.about.com/od/2007toyotatrucks/a/rust_warranty.htm

:cry:

[Oldtimeralso]

6. Buy Did I Have a Nightmare Last Night.

I dreamed that I was driving a Ford Pinto done a very narrow single lane road and in may rearview mirror I saw a Toyota coming at a high rate of speed!

[ingac70]

7. lol.

[Gecko6400]

18. Many folks here

are probably not old enough to be able to understand this, but its darn good.

[JDPriestly]

9. Isn't Toyota is the top selling energy-efficient car?

Coincidence that Toyota is being so badly beaten up in our media at this time?

The accelerator pedals were bad. And, tragically, people were killed.

But how many times have we been through this with gas-guzzling American cars?

Let's start with the Corvair and move up through, was it the Ford Explorer?

http://www.fordexplorerrollover.com/

I trust Toyota to take care of the problem with their cars. Let's keep this in perspective.

I am a very pro-American person when it comes to the issue of manufacturing.

But, Toyota has focused on environmentally friendly, yet affordable cars like no other manufacturer.

We should not exaggerate the problem.

[itsrobert]

11. Environimentally Friendly?

You have to be shitting.

Do you know what it takes to produce a Prius battery? Not to mention disposing of one once it turns bad.

[Mopar151]

12. Ist gen 4wd Toyota pickups roll over as naturally as housecats n/t

[PJPhreak]

13. And a 1st Gen S-10 is any less prone to rollover?

I've owned or driven both...


and you are gonna tell me that this is "Better" at the "Flick of the Wrist,70 mph Lane Change" or getting "T-Boned" where the Cab and Box meet than an 88 SR-5 Toyota Truck as far as "Rollover Stabilty" is concerned? I'll call BS on this.

lets look at another American iconic automobile...The Ford Exploder (Explorer) Was it Ford's fault or Firestone's fault that these were flip-Floppin all over American Highways?

Neither and Both.

Firestones fault for not getting the tread to adhere to the tire casing well...And Fords for using a crappy suspension set up...ever notice that after the din from all the Exploder rollovers settled down that Ford "Quietly" made "Changes" in the Explorer suspension?

How about The Crown Vic being a "Cop Killer"?

Or early model Mustangs? Everybody likes a trunk with a "Flat Floor"!

The point here is EVERY Auotmaker has had a recall...some were worse that others...Flippin Corvairs,Flamin Areostars, Pyrotechnic Pintos,Cop Killer Crown Vics...Need I go on?

Jus' sayin...

[Mopar151]

14. Call BS all you want - doesn't change reality

Toyotas have gotten a lot of passes over the years - perception management has worked pretty well for them 'til lately. And American car companies all went through periods when the accountants and lawyers held sway, and they made monumentally bad decisions - kinda like Toyota has been doing lately. The whole idea of Toyota being a paragon of virtue is hooey. As for many of your examples - they're hooey too. You need'nt go on.......

[ingac70]

15. Every vehicle they make is currently under some type of recall.

That has never happened before.

[Psephos]

16. The difference this time is that Toyota's chief competitor is now government owned. n/t

[dipsydoodle]

17. Good of you

to at least mention the Pinto : probably the most horrific case ever.

[TexasObserver]

19. Recommend