You are currently viewing the site as a guest. Registering for an account gives you additional benefits like the ability to post to the forum, create and edit your own 'garage' and even some space in a personal gallery where you can upload pics and video! It's free to sign up and easy to do!

Patent Pending · 02-08-2010, 03:28 PM

Anybody see it yet? It is absurd. They play some piano music and apologize for not living up to their standards and talk about how they are working like crazy to make things right. What a joke. They denied the problems, lied about the problems and the reasons for the recall all along, put the CEO on TV who lied through his teeth, now they want to apologize for getting caught? Just issue a recall when you realize that your vehicles are causing fiery deaths to your customers like other manufacturers do... this isn't a new concept. They've been playing the non-recall recall game for years now to put up this facade that they're of superior quality. About time people are realizing that they build the same [censored] everybody else does.

Here is the stupid commercial...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZoBfpm1zHg

steved · 02-08-2010, 07:08 PM

Did you see that Toyota's resale values have dropped significantly??

And now the Prius has issues...

ZacD · 02-09-2010, 09:01 AM

We should all drive Smartcars.

For the record, if any of you guys ever SAW me driving a Smartcar, I give you my blessing now to shoot me on the spot, graveyard f-ing dead. I don't know about other locales, but Austin has to be a major hotbed for Smartcar sales. They are everywhere.

For $15k, there are many other options (vehicles) out on the market that deliver just as good of fuel mileage and are more practical (read: you can fit more items in beyond 1 (ONE) passenger and 1 (ONE) grocery bag).

slowpoke · 02-09-2010, 09:04 AM

every time i look in the rear view mirror and see a toyota behind me my [censored] eats seat cushion worse than a gang banger who sees a cop behind him.

steved · 02-09-2010, 12:16 PM

I find it humorous that they touted the smart car as being economical, yet at 44 mpg...its not that great. A VW TDI would easily get 60 mpg, and have appreciable power and room to boot.

And for the record, I drive a "smart car"...I drive a Dodge. Smart-ass

PowerWagon86 · 02-09-2010, 12:39 PM

I HATE TOYOTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Angry

And for the record, I drive a "smart car"...I drive a Dodge. Thumbs Up!

With you on that!!

Hometheaterman · 02-09-2010, 01:19 PM

I don't really know how to feel about this. I still would buy a Toyota over a GM or Dodge for sure and probably over a Ford. While I don't like them having this issue and I don't like how they handled it It's still one problem on cars that are in general a lot more reliable than the 3 American companies. Dodge on the 2nd gen Rams at least had a ton of common issues that should have been recalled but weren't. No one seems to be bothered by these and it was a lot more than one issue.

Now would I buy a Toyota car? Probably not because I'd get a Honda. However, I also wouldn't have bought one before this either and I would have gotten a Honda still. If my choices were between a Toyota, Chevy, Ford, or Dodge car I'd get a Toyota though. Just not while a Honda is available.

Now trucks are a different story. If you need a full sized 3/4 ton truck you really don't have any other options other than the 3 American companies. If getting a smaller truck like the S-10 or Ranger or Tacoma I'd get the Tacoma for sure. In big trucks there really just isn't other options though.

Patent Pending · 02-09-2010, 03:07 PM

Toyota has been hiding and covering up issues for years for the perception of having better quality. Many of the Consumer Reports type rags have bought into that game, but the fact of the matter is they aren't making anything that's any better than anything else out there. Over the past decade or so Toyota has become everything that sunk GM. They are bloated, disconnected from their customers, they push out products that are uninspired and adequate at best and their main concern is being the largest rather than the best. It is all coming full circle and they're reaping what they've sown over the past decade or so. You'd think the leaders of these companies would be smarter and would look around and see what's happened to their competitors.

PunisheR · 02-09-2010, 06:14 PM

Ive always said it, and ill say it again, you get what you pay for.. Toyotas have been a cheaper car for years, yet they last motor wise a pretty decent time.. I wouldnt buy one personally, im all for detroit vehicles, dodge, chevy, ford, none other..

I cant say ford hasent had their issues, look at fire-stone tires.. look at the cruise moduals catching fire.. Look at the ford explorer in general.. They have had their share of mess-ups..

Toyota has been preaching for years about their so called quality, and regardless, they are pinching pennies too.. Just in worst ways, like the gas pedal, and brake pedal, I bet they cheaped out to make millions of more dollars a year.. Look at the headliners in ford, for that extra inch of headliner to go over the edge, they save 2.5 million a year!! Look at chevys HD tranny, they switched the planetary drive to a rotor style over a gear drive to save 15.00 a vehicle!! Stupid cutbacks, but not life thretening..

Just my 2 cents, never catch me again in a non-detroit vehicle.

-Jordan

Patent Pending · 02-09-2010, 06:46 PM

I've spent some time in a number of Ford, Chrysler and Visteon plants, been all through FEV's engine testing facility in Auburn Hills, as well as getting a tour and spending a day in the Chrysler Tech Center with a number of NVH team members and went through their testing and labs. I was part of the construction of the Toyota Tech Center and I spent may days there before during and after its completion. I've had professors, family, friends and neighbors that have worked in and for the auto companies and suppliers in all different roles. Everything from truck drivers and line workers to executives and owners. I can tell you for a fact that they all produce the same [censored] and cut the same corners for the same reasons. The thing that pisses me off is that so many people happily repeat the mantra that Toyota is of superior quality without any first hand knowledge or proof. Beyond that, Toyota has lied through their teeth to the public and played the non-recall game for years and finally got caught and forced into recalls and they are still trying to act like they are doing the public a favor and being proactive. They aren't. The NHTSA made them do this recall and there is proof they've known about it since at least 2007. The claim that they've got a solution for the problem is a joke too. They can't even figure out what the problem is let alone a solution for it. First it was floor mats, then it was pedals, now it might be software. Instead of pulling things out of their asses, why don't they just say that they don't know what the problem is, just that there is a problem and they are working on figuring it out? The truth goes a lot farther for you reputation than actively telling lies and covering things up.