Posts Tagged ‘toyota recalls’
More than 400,000 vehicles have potentially defective steering.
by Ken Zino on Jul.29, 2010
Loss of steering is a serious safety issue.
The recalls just keep coming from Toyota Motor Corporation.
The company in Japan announced today that hundreds of thousands of Avalon and Lexus 470 models have steering problems.
While apparently unrelated, both defects can make steering wheel inputs from the driver worthless.
The larger safety recall is for about 373,000 2000-2004 model year Toyota Avalon sedans sold in the United States. It is possible that that the Avalon’s steering lock bar could break. If it does the steering wheel could jam while the Avalon is in motion. The problem mostly occurs when the vehicle is parked, the steering wheel is turned to be locked and the ignition key is removed, according to Toyota.
There have been six reported cases of this condition in the U.S. There are three unconfirmed minor accidents, and no injuries. About 27,000 Avalons will be recalled outside the U.S.
Safety Issues!
Toyota’s U.S. Lexus luxury division in a separate action is recalling 39,000 2003-2007 model year LX 470 sport utility vehicles to address a steering shaft problem where a snap ring can let go, rendering driver inputs to the steering wheel useless. About 80,000 LX 470s are affected globally.
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Tags: Auto recalls, NHTSA, auto safety, avalon recall, japanese quality problems, ken zino tmc, lexus recalls, lx 470 recall, recalls, toyota recalls
Posted in Automobiles | 6 Comments »
Potential criminal charges could be another black eye.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jul.20, 2010
Toyota says the steering behavior of its Corolla is "appropriate," but a grand jury is now investigating its actions.
Toyota could be in trouble yet again, and the subpoena it has received from a U.S. federal grand jury in New York suggests that its latest setback could result in criminal charges relating to steering problems with its Corolla and other models.
The newest subpoena was issued on June 29, Toyota confirmed today, without explaining why it waited so long to confirm the development. It also was advised in March that the company would have to supply documents to a grand jury investigating matters related to its unintended acceleration recalls and braking problems with the Toyota Prius.
Since a spate of safety-related recalls began last October, Toyota has recalled more than 8.5 million vehicles, most for fixes related to unintended acceleration, but also to deal with problems as diverse as hybrid braking issues and extensive corrosion of pickups and minivans. It has also had to address concerns about steering problems with the Corolla and Matrix, 500 owners complaining the vehicles wander at highway speeds.
Breaking News!
A week ago, Toyota announced that its own investigation had concluded “the design and performance of the steering system is appropriate” in the two models. But it has also issued a Technical Service Bulletin, or TSB, that would permit dealers to replace their power steering units if customers complain. The move stops short of a recall that would have added yet another 750,000 vehicles to the list of those recently called back by the maker.
“The company and its subsidiaries are sincerely cooperating with authorities on the probe,” the maker said in regards to the latest subpoena.
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Tags: auto news, car news, corolla recall, corolla steering, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, toyota accelerators, toyota grand jury, toyota news, toyota problems, toyota recalls, toyota safety, toyota subpoena, unintended acceleration
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Recalls, quality glitches hurt Japanese maker while new Ford products connect with market, says new study.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jul.15, 2010
The Ford Fusion (the hybrid version shown here) had the highest loyalty of any model in the U.S. market during the first quarter.
While the U.S. car market has “clearly turned the corner” from last year’s decades-low slump, this year’s slow turnaround is treating some makers better than others – and threatens the very survival of some marques.
Domestic makers are, on the whole, gaining ground according to an analysis of first-quarter 2010 new vehicle registration data, though the clear winner is Ford Motor Co. For imports, the situation is more mixed. Honda and Nissan were able to make some gains, reports research firm Experian Automotive, but the ongoing series of safety recalls and quality glitches clearly took a toll on the industry giant, Toyota.
“Toyota was the only major manufacturer (other than Chrysler) not up by double digits” during the first three months of 2010, noted Jeffrey Anderson, Experian’s Director of Consulting & Analytics.
Significantly, the damage to Toyota’s image is having an impact in the market, especially among those motorists who the company has long counted on to keep building its sales and market share. According to Anderson, the Japanese maker appears to be having far more trouble “conquesting.”
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“Toyota traditionally had a large chunk of its sales come from domestic buyers who never owned an import,” Anderson added, but the number of buyers “conquested” from Detroit’s Big Three brands fell by nearly half during the quarter. That alone “probably cost” the carmaker 37,000 lost sales during the first quarter, or about 15% of its total volume.
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Tags: Ford Sales, Suzuki, auto news, auto sales, car news, car sales, ford fusion, ford news, ford quality, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, suzuki kizashi, suzuki news, thedetroitbureau, toyota news, toyota problems, toyota recalls, toyota sales
Posted in Automobiles | 2 Comments »
Preliminary research by federal regulators points to driver error, not defects in most cases.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jul.14, 2010
Preliminary DoT studies of Toyota "black boxes" suggest many, if not most, sudden acceleration accidents could be the result of driver error.
Has Toyota gotten a bum rap on sudden acceleration?
Since last October, Toyota has recalled more than millions of vehicles in the U.S. alone. While the problems cover a vast array of issues, from excessive corrosion to faulty stability control systems, the vast majority are involved in a pair of recalls designed to fix problems that could cause Toyota vehicles to suddenly race out of control against the driver’s will.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received hundreds of complaints and the issue, involving Toyota products, has been linked to scores of deaths, hundreds of injuries and even more accidents. Concerns about the issue – and allegations of a cover-up by senior Toyota executives – led to contentious hearings on Capitol Hill, last February, as well as a record $16.4 million fine levied by the Department of Transportation against Toyota.
The Balanced Story!
Yet DoT researchers may wind up being the best friend Toyota has right now. They have so far analyzed dozens of data recorders, the so-called “black boxes” – taken from Toyota vehicles involved in apparent sudden acceleration crashes. Though NHTSA won’t officially comment, the Wall Street Journal claims its sources reveal that preliminary results show the vast majority of the incidents were caused by driver error, not by vehicle defects.
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Tags: auto news, automotive news, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, runaway cars, runaway toyotas, sudden acceleration, thedetroitbureau, toyota news, toyota quality, toyota recalls, toyota safety, toyota trouble, unintended acceleration
Posted in Automobiles | 5 Comments »
Recall authority still resides with Japanese executives though.
by Ken Zino on Jul.08, 2010
Toyota Sales head Bob Carter fielding questions at the 2010 Prius introduction before it was recalled for defective brakes. Carter has no quality or recall authority.
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. (TMS) today announced that it is expanding its Product Quality Field Office program to four additional U.S. regional sales areas, following what it calls the success of a pilot program launched in the New York region in late 2009.
Toyota is also slowing down its product development system in Japan, once noted for its for speed.
It was the New York Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, who first extracted additional services last winter for New York Toyota and Lexus customers – more than 500,000 of them – who were affected by Toyota’s growing number of safety recalls. So having a New York quality office is a good idea.
“It is unacceptable that New York consumers should face additional burdens when dealing with a safety problem that is Toyota’s responsibility,” Cuomo said in a statement at the time. (See New York Attorney General Gets Valet Service for Recalled Toyota and Lexus Owners and Toyota Promises Nationwide Valet Service for Recalled Toyota and Lexus Vehicles)
TMS will open its next Product Quality Field Office in San Francisco this month, and an additional three offices across the U.S. during the next 12 months. Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI) announced that it will establish Product Quality Field Offices in Toronto and Calgary, which means that seven offices will be located in North America.
Analysis!
Toyota is also extending the time it takes to introduce new vehicles by a month for more quality checks, a top executive said Wednesday to a group of junketing American journalists in Japan.
Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada said the company needs to slow the pace of its product development system. The Detroit Bureau was not invited to attend the Toyota paid event, perhaps because of our ongoing coverage of Toyota safety and quality issues, including the breaking news story about defective Prius brakes. (See NHTSA Tracking Braking Loss on Prius Hybrids) It was not immediately clear what the small amount of additional time would provide given the complexity of Toyota’s recall issues, which encompass design, manufacturing, supplier parts and electronic calibration issues.
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Tags: Akio Toyoda, Andrew Cuomo, New York Toyota owner concessions, auto industry, ken zino, thedetroitbureau, toyota quality, toyota recalls
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Cover-up or innocent error?
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jul.06, 2010
When did Toyota know it had an engine stalling problem - and why did it wait to order a recall?
What did they know and when did they know it? It’s the sort of question that can bring down a president – or raise some serious concerns about an already troubled automaker. Like Toyota, where a spokesman acknowledges the company knew about the problem with stalling engines in its Lexus luxury line for at least two years.
The automaker even took steps to replace an apparently defective spring linked to the problem, but ultimately waited until the beginning of July 2010 to order a recall. In all, 270,000 vehicles sold worldwide are involved in the action, including 138,000 sold under the Lexus brand, here in the U.S.
(Click Here for the details on the Lexus recall.)
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The delay in ordering a recall threatens to raise new questions about Toyota’s approach to quality and safety, even as the embattled automaker has been taking steps to calm American consumers in the wake of an ongoing safety scandal that reached its high point, last February, when Toyota Motor Co. CEO Akio Toyoda testified at a Congressional investigation. Just last month, Toyota was forced to halt sales of the Lexus HS250h hybrid due to a potential fuel leak problem. And the maker also saw its standing in a widely-quoted quality survey drop precipitously.
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Tags: auto news, car news, lexus engine, lexus news, lexus quality, lexus recall, lexus stalling, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, toyota news, toyota quality, toyota recalls, toyota safety
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Engine valve springs are defective in latest snafu.
by Ken Zino on Jul.03, 2010
Another global recall from Toyota with half the affected Lexus cars in the U.S.
Toyota executives in Japan have directed the Lexus division of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, to prepare for a recall on 138,000 Lexus vehicles powered by 4.6- and 5.0-liter V8 engines and 3.5-liter V6 engines.
The safety related recall will cover 2006, 2007 and 2008 GS, IS and LS models sold in the U.S. This is part of a larger global recall due to Toyota quality problems, this time affecting 270,000 vehicles.
The formal defect report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be filed during the week of July 5, according to a statement released late Friday afternoon by TMS in a classic attempt to limit news coverage of the latest manufacturing quality problem.
NHTSA has imposed record fines on Toyota this year for its previous failure to report a safety related defect regarding sticking gas pedals, and recently discovered during compliance testing that the Lexus HS 250h leaks an illegal amount of fuel during a rear crash. A “stop sale” is now in place. (See Another Toyota Recall Coming on Lexus Hybrids and Toyota to Recall 270,000 Lexus Models for Stalling) Whether Lexus failed to inform NHTSA on time about this latest defect remains to be seen.
In the defective Lexus engines, a quality control failure in the manufacturing process allowed “foreign material” to contaminate a “small number of the valve springs.” If a Lexus is affected, there is the possibility that abnormal engine noise or idling may occur.
Recalls and More Recalls!
“In extremely rare instances, the engine may stop” while the Lexus is in operation, according to the statement from the U.S. sales division, which does not have the authority to order a recall, as that power resides in Japan with Japanese executives.
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Tags: Auto recalls, LS 600h L, Lexus, NHTSA, auto safety, gs 350, gs 450h, gs 460, is 350, ken zino, lexus recalls, ls 460/460l, thedetroitbureau, toyota recalls
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Toyoda apologizes to shareholders for mistakes – and tears.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jun.25, 2010
CEO Toyoda at confrontational hearings on Capitol Hill, last February. He's been criticized for crying during subsequent meetings with company employees.
There may be some sighing, but there’ll definitely be no more crying by Toyota’s embattled president and CEO Akio Toyoda.
Facing significant pressure in the wake of a worldwide safety crisis that has led to the recall of millions of vehicles – including more than 8 million in the U.S. alone – Toyoda offered his apologies to investors during the annual Toyota Motor Co. shareholders meeting.
Admitting he “might not come back” after a confrontational hearing with U.S. lawmakers, last February, the heir to the automaker’s founding family admitted it was a time of intense stress, during which he “wasn’t able to rest, not even for a minute.”
Toyota shareholders appeared willing to accept the executive’s apologies for the problems that have driven down the automaker’s stock price by more than 20% in recent months.
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But one matter seemed to raise the hackles of investors in a nation where the showing of “face” is all-important. During a question-and-answer session, Toyoda was faulted for crying while meeting with Toyota employees after the hearings on Capitol Hill.
“I will try not to cry like that again,” Toyoda responded.
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Tags: Akio Toyoda, auto news, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, toyota, toyota and toyoda, toyota news, toyota recalls, toyota safety, toyota shareholders, toyota stock, toyota trouble
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"This year may mark a key turning point."
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jun.17, 2010
The solid performance of new models like the 2010 Mustang and Focus helped Ford earn the rank of top mainstream brand in the 2010 J.D. Power IQS.
For the first time in its history, the influential J.D. Power Initial Quality Study shows that domestic auto brands have, overall, pushed past their import rivals.
Detroit makers, on the whole, showed substantial improvement in the 2010 IQS, which measured out-of-the-factory quality for the latest crop of cars, trucks and crossovers. Ford, in particular, dominates the latest study, and nudges aside such stalwarts as Honda and Toyota to rank as the highest-quality mainstream brand.
The results reflect the impact of recent events, including Toyota’s safety-related recalls. But the findings also come in sharp contrast to public perception in the wake of last year’s bankruptcies by two of Detroit’s Big Three, Power officials note.
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“This year may mark a key turning point for U.S. brands as they continue to fight the battle against lingering negative perceptions of their quality,” suggests David Sargent, Power’s vice president of global vehicle research.
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Tags: 2010 initial quality study, 2010 iqs, auto news, auto quality, car news, car quality, ford mustang, ford quality, j.d.power, jdpa, mercedes quality, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, porsche quality, thedetroitbureau, toyota quality, toyota recalls, toyota safety
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Beleaguered company is trying to move off incentives to stop a sales slide, and improve its image in the United States.
by Ken Zino on Jun.09, 2010
Toyota is backing off national incentive advertising in favor of a brand image campaign. Meanwhile, record incentives continue.
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. is promoting its so called Star Safety System, which combines five technologies as standard equipment on all new Toyota models as part of a new national advertising campaign in its latest attempt to increase sales. (See Toyota Incentives Slow, But Don’t Halt U.S. Slide)
The marketing program has Toyota owners and engineers talking about safety and quality via television, print, digital (www.toyota.com/safety), radio and outdoor advertising media.
The Star Safety System includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist. All of these technologies are in widespread use by most automakers, but not necessarily bundled together in one package across the entire line. Whether this matters to individual buyers, who buy one vehicle at a time, is debatable, but from a corporate marketing perspective Toyota needs to bolster its safety image. (more…)
Tags: Auto recalls, NHTSA, TheDetroitBureau.com., Toyota unintended acceleration deaths, auto advertising, auto marketing, auto safety, ken zino, toyota hearings, toyota recalls, toyota star safety system
Posted in Automobiles | 1 Comment »
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