Toyota recalls over 418,000 MORE vehicles (Is this the tip of the iceberg?)

Just in after the posting. US Models involved approximately 34,700 vehicles (26,200 Echo and 8,500 Prius)

No, it's a recall. When they recall all their vehicles then we should start to worry.

Lord knows GM, Ford, and even some european makers have their own issues.

Mark: Heck, at this pace Toyota might recall more cars in the US than it sold this year. Now THAT would be historic. The problem is 3 Toyota executives are indicted in a recall coverup and this is one of the recalls they covered up. (Only 418,000 cars) How many more are there?

Well, I added my comment about the same time you did your update.

Of course you know there will still be those toyota lovers that will come out of the bushes and still say there is nothing wrong.

It always befuddled the competition how Toyota was making flawless cars. Well now it seems they never were, a few executives were covering up the defects and suppressing information that lead to public recalls at the peril of the public at large and even caused some deaths.

All for the cause of what? Money?

If I still owned a Toyota product, I would consider selling it due to shame!

Yes..this is just the tip of the iceberg. Not long ago the VP of Toyota announced his concern about the reliability of their cars. The owners of Toyota/Lexus can expect many more recalls to come.

Plano

"It always befuddled the competition how Toyota was making flawless cars."

No one makes a flawless car. Considering how quickly Toyota is expanding, it's no surprise that they might run into a few bumps in the road. What if VW, BMW, or Diamler Chrysler was attempting to overthrow GM as World's #1 automaker? Think of all the potential problems they would run into.

00JT - At least BMW, VW, and Audi executives don't cover up issues that cause deaths of their customers. You forgot to mention that. I don't think they thought anyone would get killed, but it did happen. Recalls are part of the game, you just need to play fair in the interest of public safety.

00JT - Start posting some Toyota/Lexus stuff. I need some Cannon Fodder. How was the Betty Ford Clinic?

Defend the indefensible? Its funny how BMW defended Bangle, and now, most of the new cars out have Bangle butts... Ironic, isnt it. If I were BMW, I would say I made the right move...

Plano

Any recall from Toyota is the worst thing that can happen to an automaker according to people like you and Ben. We all know the truth and that is when a company is growing so rapidly there is bound to be some mistakes.

Plano

BTW Wouldn't know about the Betty Ford Clinic, but since you talk about it so much it makes me wonder how many times you visit. Geez you'd think they'd fix you buy now.

00JT - can't fix what aint broke ;)

huu76 - The multiple post are not always by me, I do try and avoid that. Autospies does automatic URL checking but when you see 50 posts a day a dupe can get in there from multiple sources.

If I post the dupe of my own artice it was because of a different view point. ALA: the Tundra recall, the first was a notice of the recall, the second posed the question on the remedy of the recall which is questionable and in the interest of Toyota not the public.

Feel free to post your own articles. Autospies sees a large amount of interest when a Lexus/Toyota article is posted. So add away. Autospies has given you the power to be heard and dispell any misinformation that is out there.

Huu76- There are a large number of Toyota events in the news because of several factors:

1. Timing - Toyota has had 3 recall in as many weeks
2. Newsworthy - Toyota is known for quality but has a lot of public issues. So they are snowballing in the media..
3. Scandals - Toyota has it fair share of those too. From sex harassing CEO's to criminally negligent QA managers.
4. Questionable fixes of recalled vehicles vs doing it the right way.


This is kind of a perfect storm for them. Getting hit from all sides at the same time. I would not want to be a PR person for them.

I know you think I am picking on you guys, but if you look again, you will see I reported a VW recall earlier as well. Toyota happens to be the topic because of their stature and the large number of events in 2006 associated to them. The tide will turn and some other victim will surface.

When Toyota has a recall, it really is NEWS! That is a function of how incredibly reliable Toyota vehicles are.

When MB or BMW have a recall, it is no news at all.

A few recalls from a reliable manufacturer speaks volumes about the manufacturer. They are willing to recall to protect their customers.

MB on the other hand has the opposite problem. Extremely poor quality control, repeat problems, and a hesitancy to recall because it costs money and further blemishes an already disgraceful quality control problem.

Plano writes
:If I still owned a Toyota product, I would consider selling it due to shame!

Plano, if you owned a Toyota, you wouldn't make senseless statements. It would also imply that you had more than two neurons in your head that actually connected.

I have a nueron or two still left.. BTW the count for Toyota Recalls is up to 2.14 MILLION worldwide so far this year! I think I need to call Guiness Book of World Records for a submission.

http://www.autospies.com/news/Toyota-Draws-Ranks-After-Recalling-2-14-MILLION-Vehicles-Worldwide-This-Year-6867/

That just goes to show how many vehicles they sell worldwide:-) They sell 'em because people like them. Toyota will take care of their customers as they always do. This recall will mean little to the trust that the Toyota customers have developed for their reliable products.

Shiftright....you state "A few recalls from a reliable manufacturer speaks volumes about the manufacturer. They are willing to recall to protect their customers." However Toyota was covering up one of the recalls that lead to a death in Japan....and has known about the issue for YEARS...since like 1995 and some say as far back as 1992! Protect their customers??? HA! Look Toyota is in the business to make money, like any company. They are currently hell-bent to become #1 and in doing so they are now feeling the woes of being a huge company like GM and Ford, when you pump out products you will have defects. I like Toyotas, I owned a '90 Celica forever and it was a wonderful car, rarely any problems (just normal wear and tear things) but my friend bought a brand new '07 Camry and it has already been back to be fixed for transmission problems....then the power window failed. (Passenger side). My Toyota Celica never had those problems, ever! I think Toyota is trying to get too big too quick and they are sacraficing their build quality reputation while trying to grow beyond the other top 2 companies in the world to be number one....

atomicbri....that Toyota products are some of the most, if not THE most reliable in the world, is not my personal opinion. It is A KNOWN FACT. It is this fact that has led Toyota to increase their phenomenal sales year after year. Look at any consumer report source for
...Initial quality
...after sales service
...reliability
...longevity of service

You will find Toyota products at or near the top.

Just stating facts as the WORLD knows it. The reason why OLD Toyotas are running around the Kalahari Desert, the African bush, the Australian Outback, and the jungles of Manhattan Island.

shiftright

BUT, they have had A LOT of recalls recently. You can't ignore that. Some of them are life threatening. In the one in Japan, people DIED, but Toyota covered it up. That is a known fact.

Oh absolutely,I agree, that cannot be ignored. I am certainly not suggesting that one should ignore these issues.

I think Toyota is more aware of and worried about that fact than anyone else. I can only imagine that their quality control will become even more stringent. It is like the news that a certain fast food joint sold spoiled burgers and because of that news alone that particular fast food chain becomes the safest as far as the food is concerned.

Toyota built their empire on their reputation of quality and if that quality comes into question, they will have no leg to stand on. They do not have the long established marque names of BMW or MB or Porsche to help with quality control issues. I can only imagine therefore that heads will be rolling at Toyota and consumers will be the better off for it.

First of all which post? The only dupe I posted was of the Tundra. The first post was of the recall. The second post was of the same recall, however the focus was on the questionable fix that Toyota proposed.

Second of all, not every post I give will have my name on it. Sometimes the powers that be, will adjust a headline or add a pic and the poster will then be 001 or someone else when it is saved. For example, today's negative post on the Q7 was by me orginally, however 001 did some adjustments and it became his post when he saved. I have no problem with that. News is news and it really doesn't matter the name attached. I have reported several scoops on Toyotas products as well. I will say this, I have about 100 links I check and I do not report everything. I have just as many rejected as there are accepted.

You guys should have tons of Toyota/Lexus sources out there use them to try and turn the tide. The BMW, MB, and Audi guys right now are on the ball and posting away. Someone in the Toyota camp needs to step forward, and show your enthusiam for your Marquee. I guess if you guys want to talk the talk, then you need to walk the walk. If you wish to get the scoop and report it, I know for a fact that 001 will post it if it is newsworthy.

THE TITANIC IS SINKING!!!!

To the Moderator:
Why was my previous blog on the "Toyota quality problems since 1998" removed within 25 minutes of being posted?
I deserve an explanation. Unless you received an angry letter from Toyota threatening to boycut your site advertising if you do not stop my true comments about what I faced with this enfamous brand LEXUS LX470, 1998 model.

Kindly reply on the web so every one sees your reasoning. Thanks!

Alsuhaimi -

The reason it was removed is that we're tired of hearing you cry about this!

You have been posting the same stupid post for close to a year.

Guess what?

Cars are machines and sometimes they break.

You have the distinct priveledge of having the ONLY bad LX470 in history!

Get over it.

001

Will,
You obviously never heard of the site mercedesproblems.com

Last time I checked this is a free country.

They obviously removed the Toyota post because of advertising issues.

Agent 001,

"You have the distinct priveledge of having the ONLY bad LX470 in history!"

How can you even make a statement like that?
Care to explain this to 3 of my friends that had multiple air suspension failures in their LXs.

Agent001,
WAW. I never thought an editor would write such statement! Where is freedom of speech? Ben55, I guess you are right, IT IS advertising issue.
Thanks Agent001 for the candid response. The users know exactly the motivation behind the auto recommendations in this site.
Money does drive everything. No more impartiality.

JinxxedLX,

Couldn't be further from the truth.

Opinion based on advertising?

My opinion is that this guy is a crybaby and a jerk.

He has been posting the exact same comment for over a year which we allowed in our blogs because at first it seemed like he had a genuine beef.

Now it's just getting ridiculous.

He's wasting everyone's time.

I have had about a dozen Lexus cars over the last 12 year and I can tell you from personal experience that if they're wrong they will go up and above what's necessary to make a customer happy.

But if you pull the tough guy (i'm gonna sue) technique (and I'm assuming this guy did, that's why he didn't get taken care of) every one of these manufacturers will shut you down faster than you can say auto!

Time to move on...

If you have a beef post it (with legitimate proof) then move on.

001

M53R, Chewy, planoA4, gert123456, Ben55, JinxxedLX, atomicbri, shifright, will,
Thanks for the comments. It is comforting to see that you can not be taken for a ride no matter how clever these opinionated articles are written.

Agent001,
You have assumed that:

(1)I was given a solution/break and I rejected it,
(2)My case was not geniune,
(3)That I've threatened them with legal action.

Well, I'm happy to tell you that --NON-- of the above has happened or ever been on the cards. Instead, what I was offered during these miserable 8 years is the phrase:"OK. Leave the car with us for few days to check it out." Unfortunately, these few days accumulated to just above 25% of these 8years in the Lexus workshop. What made things even worse is that Lexus & Toyota cars are serviced in the same location by the same people next to each other. No seperate workshops or training nor seperate customer waiting rooms. No replacement cars were offered except once when the repair (security system going off at will, one out of 14 breakdowns I reported) took more than a month. Other occasions (breakdowns) took between 5 days to three weeks at a time. Many details are available (with documented proof) about their sloppiness and carelessness all summed up in a 45 page report(with documents) I sent to Lexus HQ in Japan in Dec 2003 and a copy to their dealer in Saudi. You are welcome to a copy of it if you like. Just tell me where to send it. The point I'm trying to make is Lexus/Toyota has grown into a huge & arrogant beast and need to be told so.

Personally, I do not need a financial copensation but only a written apology for the 8-years hardships and dangers they have caused for me and my family.

I wonder if you are going to post this blog?
Suite yourself.

Toyota is the worst brand on the market today. Not only do they produce unreliable cars, but they are also cheaply built. The Sienna was crap, and $55k later its gone. Now a prius purchased for the carpool lane is just cheap and is falling apart. Other car companies do have problems, but they will fix them, where as Toyota covers up all of their problems.