Toyota is fucked

[Oscar]

I lost count. How many cars are being recalled?
They just lost something like 15% of their sales in a very bad market.
At least the Prius seems to be a false alarm.

In all this mess though, nobody has pointed out that the same models built in Japan (save the Prius) have never displayed any brake problems.
Is that politically incorrect?

[Bairen]

I've seen it pointed out. 'Japanese cars made overseas aren't of the same quality as Japanese cars made in Japan, due to the foreign employees' was basically what I read.

[RR645]

I've seen it pointed out. 'Japanese cars made overseas aren't of the same quality as Japanese cars made in Japan, due to the foreign employees' was basically what I read.

Let's just blame Asashyoryu and rename that situation the "Asashyoryu foreign phenomena". Japanese things made over seas cause trouble cause they are made overseas.

[sakaya_slag]

When they temporarily reached "number one" Toyota and its management was looking a little arrogant for my liking. This will bring them down a few pegs and I daresay it might do them some good.

[Oscar]

I've seen it pointed out. 'Japanese cars made overseas aren't of the same quality as Japanese cars made in Japan, due to the foreign employees' was basically what I read.

Didn't see it. Where did you read that?

This will bring them down a few pegs and I daresay it might do them some good.

If it won't kill them, it will make them stronger. How much stronger for what price is a different issue entirely.

[Orgasmo]

I'm fairly cynical about this... I smell epic conspiracy.

[Edogaijin]

Probably made in the China plant.

[RR645]

Anyone remember Ford and the Explorers with exploding tires...? Toyota will be fine.

[Oscar]

Judging from where Ford is now, I don't think that's very comforting.

[RR645]

Judging from where Ford is now, I don't think that's very comforting.

I think you got me there...

This is seriously starting to look like a conspiracy against Japan automobiles. There is no way on this green earth that a Ford, a Volkswagon, a Hyundai, or even a BMW surpasses Toyota or Honda in terms of quality and value.

I am looking at the bright side though. Honda is what holds this area up and Toyota is the biggest competitor to this company town... Go Honda!




BTW, I already know about the Honda recall... Hopefully it gets buried under the Toyota one.

[crooner]

There is no way on this green earth that a Ford, a Volkswagon, a Hyundai, or even a BMW surpasses Toyota or Honda in terms of quality and value.

Actually the management of Toyota and Honda have both been publicly quoted as saying that that the biggest threat they see in the coming years is the emergence of Hyundai in some of their core markets. The koreans are not commenting on the global recalls for either manufacturer but you gotta be thinking they are rubbing their hands with glee


p.s. after testing driving both hyundai and toyota in the past 2 months, i ended up buying a toyota lol

[Oscar]

I think their biggest worry should be electric cars. They require much fewer parts than gas driven cars and require less investment to start up a factory. The sophisticated logistics of bringing together over 3 thousand parts per car, which Toyota excels at, will become redundant. Any Chinese factory that can put together a TV set will be able to build one. Electric cars may be expensive today, but that's only because they are not mass produced. Once the critical mass is reached, Toyota might be in big trouble.

[Orgasmo]

I think their biggest worry should be electric cars. They require much fewer parts than gas driven cars and require less investment to start up a factory. The sophisticated logistics of bringing together over 3 thousand parts per car, which Toyota excels at, will become redundant. Any Chinese factory that can put together a TV set will be able to build one. Electric cars may be expensive today, but that's only because they are not mass produced. Once the critical mass is reached, Toyota might be in big trouble.

Well... regarding electric cars - we can't beat the laws of thermodynamics. If everyone was to start using electric cars - we would have to build a whole shitload of power plants. Considering nuclear plants cost at least 6 billion USD, and LNG plants cost at least 2 billion USD (excluding the ships required to transport the LNG tanks to site), and considering the time scales involved (at least 15 years of planning, engineering and construction for nuclear plants, and about 10 for LNG plants) - Toyota shouldnt have to worry about electric cars for a while.

[KinkiDude]

Chinese made products appeal to the supercheap. Problem is, what people haven't yet realized is that it's better to pay 2x as much for something that lasts 5 times longer. I don't think I've owned a Chinese made product that hasn't broken on me within a year of purchase.

[Oscar]

It's not where it is made, but who makes it. I have a Nikon camera made in Malaysia that I bought back when APS was the next new thing and it still works fine. A lot of things we use are made in China today. They are usually junk when they are made by a Chinese company with no oversight from overseas manufacturers.

[randomcow]

Up until recently (about five years ago) I could not fault Uniqlo and their Chinese-made product in terms of quality.

RC

[Oscar]

My mother's Prius just came back from the recall fix. The car now jerks to a stop every time she steps on the brakes. She said the brakes were easier to use before the car was recalled.

I wonder what major car magazines have to say about this? Did the recall improve the quality of the hybrids?

I can't tell how much of the hysteria is based on real danger or how much of it is just people trying to cash in on their lousy driving.

Also, Toyota is probablly the most carefully studied corporation in the world. Everyone who writes on the Harvard Business Review seems to be an expert on how Toyota is being managed. What do these people think about this? I haven't seen any editorials yet.

[Slick]

Here is one.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/189634- ... urce=yahoo

Exposes the Japanese xenophobia pretty good. The "conspiracy theories" are fucking laugable, even more than the typical Japanese response to what is obviously a lapse in quality. Its sad. I love Japan, but they better wake the fuck up before Korea and China march through it.

Oscar will probably come to Toyota's defenese with his hilarious appeals to Jap Bashing...

All done and said, I would STILL buy a Toyota or German car than a Ford or GM any day of the week.

[maderio]

This is what I heard last night. Foreigners put very thick carpets under the brake pedals. That causes all the problems.

[Samurai]

This recall problem started from the one accident which happened last summer.
I think I read the newspaper saying that the police who inspected the accident decided
that a floor carpet, not the defect of the brake. was the cause of the accident,
Can anyone confirm this?

I also heard that the Prius brake problem(if there is one) is too minor to be recalled.

I think Toyota just had a bad luck.