Has Toyota Underestimated Truck Buyers?

Ignorance, thats all it really is....Ignorance! You can't accept that maybe Toyota can build a good truck.

Toyota's quality has really slipped lately. A ton of recalls and outstanding issues on current models will catch up with them over the next few years. I bought an '06 Toyota RAV-4 this year and have a bunch of issues which the dealer cannot fix: blue smoke on startup, valve clatter when cold, and a popping sound in the front steering. The car was at the dealer for three weeks for the suspension issue and the problem has only gotten worse. Toyota has enough troubles building quality cars and SUVs right now, I have no confidence that they'll get the truck right. I'll take a Silverado over the new Tundra any day. The Tundra looks like a bloated puffer fish: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Black-spotted.puffer.arp.jpg

TOYOTA QUALITY HAS NOT SLIPPED OK? YOU WANNA COMPARE PROBLEMS BETWEEN COMPANIES?! I DIDNT THINK SO BECAUSE TOYOTA HAS LESS PROBLEMS AND RECALLS THAN ANY OF THE BIG THREE! I am trully sorry that Toyota took over the car market, and now that they have a legitimate chance to take over the truck market....You just can't handle that.

Toyota can indeed built a great truck. But you have to change a tide of buyer opinion, that is the true question. This nut is harder to crack than the auto market in general.

And so does GM and Ford. Toyota, although great trucks, haven't really provided a product that excelled the domestics in all catagories. And with the new Silverado out, Toyota is facing an uphill battle again.

First of all, Wilco, my response is to the FULL SIZE truck market. Toyota builds, in my opinion, the best midsize truck out there (aka Tacoma), but you have to agree that
1. The full size market is more mature and has a broader demographic
2. Toyota has had trouble getting over 100k units when GM and Ford easily sale 9X that amount.
3. Toyota's success in the midsize market HASN'T translated to immediate success in the full size market.

Wilco, Ford sells more Rangers than Tundras and Tacomas COMBINED.

Nothing TOYOTA CANT OVERCOME !! The new Ford and Chevy looks pretty nice however the Dodge Ram is getting old
fast .

I can accept Toyota building a GREAT truck !!! I can't accept the fact of them producing an UGLY truck ....

Import truck? Built in Texax - only name is import and nothing else. But then again Truck buyers don't think in that way.

Maybe Better looking Trucks, More Power, more Fuel Economy, and Prices to match Ford and Chevrolet, then Truck buyers will look at Toyota Trucks as an alternative.

Don't know if what I stated above is already the case, but that is my opinion.

People that work in construction and are part a Union will not buy the Toyota anytime soon and will continue to drive a Dodge, Chevy or Ford and that is al there is to it.

The guy that just wants a truck for the hell of it will consider the Toyote or Datsun.

You guys gave me negative points because I'm right??

You must not understand Unions very well. Unions are a brotherhood that support one another and Union workers in contruction will support their Union auto worker brothers by buying the trucks they build and will refuse to a buy a non-Union Japanese truck or German truck.

I dont think it has anything to do with the quality. The fact is that the Tundra is not truly full size. Does not look full size. Its bad gas milage. Worse than an older Chevy and just doesnt have the loyalty yet. Also it is not a very good looking truck.

Are we surprised? No, considering the demographics of the average truck buyer.

Nissan and Toyota both have an uphill battle in the fullsize truck segment. Remember the T100. Vastly undersized and underpowered. Nissan Titan, big power, big size, ultra nice interior, not so much on sales though. IT's a tough market.

Wow that pickup is hideous.

Si!

First of all, in person this truck is very handsome. Especially in the Street trim, shown at the LA Auto Show.
Second, what do you think the JD Power survey would have said about family sedans in the mid-80's? Could anyone have predicted that Camry, Accord, Altima and now maybe Sonata would DOMINATE?
Toyota already sells 100k of the underpowered, undersized Tundrasa year. It's no stretch to imagine them doubling this number when the new powerful, full sized brute debuts, in a very short time.

yeah, the way i read it, if "ONLY" 50% will never buy an import branded truck, it is NOT that much an uphill battle for toyota.

with cars, detroit has ALREADY lost 50+% to imports.

if toyota DOES sell 50% of all trucks in this country, they'd be doing DAMN GOOD.

of course, for now, they'd be splitting that 50% share with nissan.

but that original 50% figure WILL change over time. as more and more people RECOGNIZE how much better toyota products are.

the trucks AS WELL AS the cars.

True, Toyota is starting to have a lot of recall issues, however the amount of recalls are still about a third to a half of the amount of their domestic counterparts.

Are you talking company wide or model specific?

I mean company wide. You do a google search...Toyota had about 2 million recalls compared to GM's 5 million, DC 6's million, or Ford's 6 million recalls.

If I were a Texas, southern born and bred, country, potato eating, Bud drinking, white male (large demographic of truck buyers), I don't think I'd buy a Toyota either.

My choices would be the F150, Silverado, and Ram. I wouldn't even consider a Japanese import. These buyers just won't buy it.

does gm, ford, or dcx have any truck assembly plants in texas?

if not, and if I were a texan, I'D buy a tundra.

Think global (toyotas are the most reliable vehicles on the planet), Buy local! (keep your neighbors working) yup.

Yes there are US truck plants in Texas.

ok, then may the best truck win. (i STILL tend to think globally too.)

JakeKann, now I know your Bull $h!tin' us because you cannot put pickup truck and gorgeous in the same sentence.

Have you ever owned a truck?

This question was for Jackie Chan.

Even if the 2nd gen Tundra doesn't sell as good as the Big Three's trucks, Toyota is a company that won't stop until the Tundra's sales match that of the Big Three.

I respect the fact that Toyota has built, and is building U.S. factories and putting Americans to work.

Yeah, I'm a Toyota guy.
No, I can't afford the New Tundra--I'm a typical poor college kid.
If one of the Big Three gave me a new truck, I'd check the sticker, and if it said "Mexico," I'd trade it in for a new U.S. built Tundra.

Funny thing is my F-150 was built in Kansas City.. Last time I checked thats in the USA. I should know I live in KC.
But the real reason full sized truck buyer wont buy this. Toyota is a import company wheather its building them here or not the profit goes back to Japan. Union guys know that if the Company is from the USA the profits are staying in the USA..
Plus I have heard Toyota has had a lot of problems with the Auto trans in the Tundra, if you use it as a truck. My brothers father inlaw had an 04 double car or what ever they call the extended cab. Blew the tranny out towing his boat. 25k on the truck. 5500 pound trailer boat combo. He now swears by his GMC.

Why are we talking about trucks on this site?

Of course, some people are already saying the new Toyota truck is the best just by looking at a picture. If only the competitors had that kind of magic. That's okay, all good things comes to an end and Toyota's glory days will be over. The big three have woken up and it'll be history repeating itself such as when the Zero (WW2 Japanese plane)were knocking out our planes until we came out with the P52 Mustang).

BUSINESS WEEK

The Most Recalled Cars 2006

From SUVs to sedans, a look at which 2006 model year cars experienced the biggest recalls

So much for Toyota's vaunted reputation for quality. On July 18, the Japanese auto giant announced a recall of 418,570 vehicles worldwide for faulty engine parts. This follows an even larger global recall of nearly one million cars and trucks at the end of May for faulty parts that could cause drivers to lose control of the steering wheel.

The current recall affects about 150,000 cars sold outside of Japan, mainly in the U.S. and Canada, though no accidents have been reported due to the faulty engine component that could lead to oil leakage. In the U.S. more than 34,000 cars were recalled, including 26,200 Echo and 8,500 Prius models. While Toyota (TM) is no stranger to recalls—in May 2005 it recalled more than 750,000 pickup trucks and every single 2006 Toyota model line from the Avalon to the Tundra has experienced some form of recall—this latest round may finally dent its Teflon image if steps aren't taken to improve quality.

In case you people with the warped perspective on Toyota quality didn't get the one above how about:


WASHINGTON: Toyota Motor Corp. said it would recall more than 200,000 Highlander and RAV4 sport utility vehicles to fix a malfunction with the "check engine" light.

I don't care how ugly a truck is!The bottom line is performance, gas mielage,reliability off-road ability,cargo/hauling tow capacity.I have owned 2 Toyota truck and currently a toyota 4 runner,If I wanted a truck to haul and tow heavy stuff I wouldn't even consider a toyota product because toyota presently doesn't have a 3/4 -1 ton 4x4.I would only buy a toy for light duty stuff!Another major reason I would never consider this toyota is because it only carries 5 people!If I were to buy a big truck there is only one worthy,the Dodge Power Wagon!The only real truck you could take hunting and driving off road.The rest are nothing more than trailer Queens! That includes ford and chevy toyota and nissan.I owned a 1993 3/4 ton ford 4x4 with a 4inch lift and that was a great truck.Fords are tough trailer queens, there drivetrain hands way too low.This toyota is too big!

Truckmen's comments are classic consumer-eze. "I owned one of those (insert brand here) 15 years ago and it sucked so they must still be terrible now. The reality is Dodge truck quality isn't there. Not sure why he feels Dodge is worthy, particularly over Ford. GM's new GMT900 line is going to be tough for Toyota to beat but the lemmings we call the "American car and truck buyer" will certainly give them business on nothing more than "I heard they make a good product."

Duh.

ellives, My Toyotas were great, they just don't like to haul a lot of weight like a camper or a big load of wood.When I needed a work truck I bought a ford.My 93 f-250 4x4 would carry a big and I mean BIG load with ease,of course I am comparing a mini truck to a 3/4 ton.I never said I think Dodge is the most reliable brand out there,I actually agree with you they are probably the worst for reliability, but they are the only truck that comes with an off road package that consists of more than a sticker package and shocks with some kind of plastic skidplates.I am one of the few percentage of people that actually take my 4x4 off road.I am loyal to none!Off road performance is important to me.The new toy looks soo long and low!The suspension is shure to disapoint me!My old ford had tons of suspension travel something toyota guarantees to lack.If you don't know what I am talking about you should be driving a car!

If I were to choose a small truck I would pick the toyota hands down!Although it is too long! The crew cab toyota is around 2.5 inches shorter than the full size 4 door chevy!For 3/4-one ton Dodge is no 1! If I would only need a truck for towing on the highway and the ocosional gravel road then I would consider the toy and chev full size.The toy would make a good trailer princess!Seriously, I would love the ride and it is pretty!Just not something I would put my gun rack on!