Will Toyota Ever Get Out Of Free Fall ?

[philw]

but they need them







helps them when having a small  "   and a stroke 

[Big Frank]

I rolled an SUV and a full-size van. It's surprisingly easy to do.

[Timothy]

I rolled an SUV and a full-size van. It's surprisingly easy to do.

My best friend back in MI rolled pretty much anything he ever drove!   

I went for a complete roll in his CJ once, landed back on four tires.....Matt was laughing the whole time!

[CJS3]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36396230/ns/business-forbescom/


I read this yesterday, and wasn't really very surprised. All this talk of Toyota's cars being unsafe, is like telling me that firearms are unsafe. Both are as safe as the person operating them. In the case of each of the incidents that disparage Toyota's "safety", the vehicle's operators had the ultimate responsability for their own safety. Mechanical or electronic failures are irrelevant. If you've got time to call 911, you have time to shift to neutral.

If you read the article, you'll see that the perception of Toyota quality hasn't really diminished. It's sales are down, but I'll wager that if Consumer Reports doesn't modify it's position, the Toyota lawyers will go after them the same way the GM lawyers went after NBC over the exploding gas tank test.

[garand4life]

Finally, Ford announced yesterday that they now have the highest market share they have enjoyed since the '70s.

People like to buy cars from non-government entities! I would love an Escape right now but .... NO MONEY! I love my PT Cruiser to death so to see the FED run Chrysler into the ground kills me. Especially since it was the FED that pressured Chrysler to stopping manufacturing of it's best selling compact in the last 2 decades.

[Sponsor]

[ericire12]

I've got some cash sitting and waiting to buy Toyota stock when I think it has bottomed out. Its only been down about 13% because of this, but I think it will still go lower.

They are still gonna be a solid company and they will still know how to build great cars. This whole thing is gonna cost them a great deal of money and stock valuation, but when the dust settles they are still going to be a great company that puts out a great product.

[JC5123]

Eric and CJ are right. I think that this is an operator defect, far more than a product defect. I own a Tundra that is under the recall, and I have NEVER had any problems. I continue to swear by Toyota, as do several people I know. They build an excellent vehicle. I think that the bad rep that they are getting is due more to a media in the regimes back pocket.

After all the administration we have now will do anything to tarnish and trash anything that they cannot control, or makes them look bad. Especially large companies that are still making money. Double that for Toyota because they are non union.

[ericire12]

Eric and CJ are right. I think that this is an operator defect, far more than a product defect.

From what I have heard, it looks like a software issue.

[JC5123]

From what I have heard, it looks like a software issue.

Are you calling me soft? 

[billt]

What I'm not getting, and has never been explained. Is in order to have total uncontrolled acceleration, you have to have total failure of 4 systems all at the same time.

1.) Total failure of throttle control causing it to go into full open.

2.) Total failure of the braking system. Standing on the brake pedal will stop ANY car regardless of throttle position or engine size. Drag racers have been doing this for years, it's called "Brake Torquing". Hurst Corporation even sells a device for it called a "Line-Lock". I had one on a 396-375 HP Chevy Nova. With the front wheels locked the car wouldn't go anywhere.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb85hisg8Kc

3.) Total failure of the transmission linkage. Any automatic transmission will allow you to shift the car into neutral at any time. Some models require slight pressure on the brake pedal. You would, or should, be standing on the brake pedal anyway in this situation. Standard transmissions require just simply depressing the clutch pedal.

4.) Total failure of the ignition switch. Simply turning the key off kills the ignition. Most all vehicles have a position between "OFF" and "LOCK" that will allow you to kill the engine without locking the steering column.

The odds of all of these systems failing all at the same time would literally have to be in the billions.  Bill T.