CONSUMER ADVOCACY OR MEDIA
AGENDA?
The purpose of this
listing is not to point the finger at Toyota
and whine about "the other guys." If anyone or
anything is being scrutinized it is the print media. It is probably reasonable to hope for objective journalism and a
level playing field. However it may not
be reasonable to expect such, given
the nature of politics in the car business, and journalists with agendas. The following listing is unprecedented in the
history of the car business. Never has
one manufacturer had so many problems, so many recalls, so many safety issues,
and so much litigation in such a period of time. Yet many publications continue to herald Toyota for their supposed
reliability and quality. If a Detroit 3 was guilty of
the following, do you think the media coverage would differ? Are consumer advocate organizations and
journalists placing personal preferences and personal politics above objective
research and journalism? After reading
the following, please tell us what you think.
Oct. 2004: Toyota recalls
330,000 vehicles in Japan
only. Vehicles involved were the 4Runner, T100, and Tacoma pickups built between 1988 and
1996. The cause of the recall is steering rods breaking in two creating a complete loss of steering. The decision to recall only in Japan later came to haunt them.
2005: This year Toyota recalled 418,570 cars worldwide,
including 34,700 Priuses for a faulty crankshaft
position sensor that can stall the engine.
The engine then cannot be restarted.
April 2006: Automotive News reports that the redesigned
2005 Toyota Avalon has caused Toyota officials to be
concerned over "the wave of quality problems for the car." The remarkable list of "quality glitches" includes "bad u-joint welds, faulty catalytic converters, leak in oil-supply lines, poor door
seals, throttle control issues, a transmission
lurch, rattles, and a persistent engine knock."
April 2006: 170,000 Priuses, or two of every three it had
sold, were recalled because a portion of
the steering shaft assembly could become loose or crack.
May 2006: The company's North American CEO was forced
to resign in disgrace due to multiple
sexual harassment charges from his own staff.
July 2006: Japan's transport ministry
reprimanded the company and ordered it to improve its recall procedures. A
Japanese police investigation concluded that three Toyota executives, including the head
of the quality division, knew of the faulty steering rods for years that led to the October 2004
recall in Japan
but did nothing about them. The government stated that the manufacturer
knew about this problem as far back as 1996.
Jan 2007: In January of 2007 Toyota settles the largest class action
lawsuit in automotive history for
engine failure. This included approximately 3.5 million engines
that were manufactured between 1997 and
2002 that were oil sludging due to a design flaw.
2007: The manufacturer recalled this year more
vehicles than it sold in the U.S.
(2.38m vs. 2.26m). This was
duplicated in 2008 and 2009.
Aug. 2008: The manufacturer recalls over 800,000 of its
midsize pickup trucks (Tacomas) due to
the frame rusting in two. The damage is
so severe that in many cases the truck is beyond
repair in which case the manufacturer is being praised for offering to buy the truck back.
July 2009: The rusting frame problem is revealed to
extend to their full size pickup (the Tundra). In many cases the rust
is noticed in the first year of ownership.
Aug. 2009: Multiple wrongful death lawsuits filed
against this manufacturer for failing to recall small pickups and SUVs for faulty steering rods, breaking in two. This is the same problem that forced the Oct.
2004 recall in its homeland.
Aug. 2009:
The USA today reports that Toyota
launches "a recall of roughly 95,700 Toyota and Scion-brand vehicles in the U.S.
due to a possible brake malfunction. The
recall affects some 2009 and 2010
Corolla and Matrix vehicles and some 2008 and 2009 Scion xD vehicles, Toyota
said. Condensed moisture may seep into
the brake system and freeze in low
temperatures, potentially causing ice accumulation and weakening the
power-assist to the brakes."
Sept. 2009: Automotive News, Sept. 14th issues
reports: "Dimitrios Biller, a Toyota
Motor Corp. attorney from 2003 to
2007 filed a suit this summer in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. In the suit, he contends that Toyota did not heed his
urgings to disclose all evidence
related to more than 300 rollover suits.
Biller's case prompted the refilling of some
former accident litigation against the automaker."
Oct. 2009: This manufacturer recalls 3.8 million vehicles
to throw away the front floors mats which were thought to be causing the accelerator pedal to snag and
stick. The floor mats were not replaced. Later the cause of the sticking throttle was
opened to debate and it may not be the floor mats after all.
Oct. 2009: Model year 2000 and 2001 full size pickups are
being investigated by the NHTSA for severe rusting, causing brake system failure and spare tire
separation from the undercarriage. In several instances the spare tire assembly
has fallen off the vehicle and onto
the roadways.
Oct. 2009: US Trade officials launch an investigation
into whether this manufacturer has violated patents held by a U.S. hybrid technology company used
in the manufacture of two of its most popular gas-electric hybrids (Prius and
Lexus HS250h). The victimized U.S.
company is seeking to bar the imports of these vehicles.
Nov. 2009: On November 5th, The Los
Angeles Times reported that "The Federal Safety regulators
have sharply rebuked Toyota Motor Corp. for issuing inaccurate and misleading' statements asserting that
no defect exists in the 3.8 million vehicles it recalled after a Lexus sedan accelerated out of control in
San Diego County, killing four people."
Nov.
2009: On November 7th, The Los Angeles Times reported that the lawsuits, involving sudden acceleration, are a growing problem
for Toyota.
"More than 1000
Toyota and
Lexus owners have reported since 2001 that their vehicles suddenly accelerated on their
own. The crashes resulted in at least 19 deaths.....surpassing
those of all other manufacturers combined." Floor mats, placement of the accelerator pedal, and a
change to the engine control software on the vehicle's onboard computers are all being
studied. No solution is as yet
discovered.
Dec.
2009: The New York Times reported that
the NHTSA has started an investigation into stalling
problems on about 397,000 Toyota Corolla and Matrix models. The investigation is based on 26 known complaints for the 2006 models with the 1.8
liter 4cyl. Engine.
Dec.
2009: MSNBC reports that "at least 33
complaints alleging safety problems with the '10 Prius, most often involving braking issues have been filed with
the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation." They quoted a 39 year old human resources executive who claims the problem "has
repeated itself over and over and he now
has to prepare in advance" to stop at an intersection.
Jan.
2010: Toyota announces another recall addressing the
"unwanted acceleration issue" reported
in some of their cars. "Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc, today announced it would recall approximately
2.3 million vehicles to correct sticking accelerator
pedals on specific Toyota Division models."
A spokesperson for Toyota also stated that, "Toyota will continue to investigate incidents
of unwanted acceleration and take
appropriate measures to address any trends that are identified."
Feb.
2010: The floodgates are opened. The feeding frenzy has begun, the
lawyers are swooping in, and the media is beginning to report the above
as if it just happened.
All
of
the above is verifiable, documentable, and can be found today on the
internet. Throughout this entire time automotive publications,
journalists, and mainstream media have been recommending and touting
Toyota as the safe, reliable, and exemplary choice. Why?
As
of 02/02/10
