  Upinottawa Member Username: Upinottawa Post Number: 451 Registered: 09-2005 Posted From: 198.103.184.76 |
No wonder Toyotas never seem to be subject to recalls.... What's a little negligence if it improves a company's preceived quality? Maybe Dateline could do a story on this and help out Detroit's automakers...? Japan scolds Toyota Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press Published: Saturday, July 22, 2006 TOKYO - In a rare public scolding of Japan's biggest company, the government reprimanded Toyota Friday and called for improved recall practices amid a criminal investigation into a 2004 accident. The transportation ministry issued a "guidance" order requiring the automaker to report to the ministry by Aug. 4 steps it is taking to better monitor reports of defects with its cars and speed up communication within the company about possible problems, a ministry official said on customary condition of anonymity. The ministry did not fine Toyota or find it guilty of breaking the law. But public prosecutors, who are independent of the government, may still file charges against Toyota Motor Corp. officials under investigation. Toyota executive vice-president Masatami Takimoto said the carmaker will do its best to beef up its practices as instructed by the ministry. "We take the directives from the ministry very seriously," he said in a statement. The widely reported recall investigation -- coming at a time when Toyota recalls are ballooning -- has been a major embarrassment for Toyota because of its solid reputation for quality. Earlier this month, police said they were sending papers to prosecutors on three Toyota officials in a criminal investigation on suspicion of professional negligence for allegedly shirking recalls for eight years. © The Windsor Star 2006 (Message edited by upinottawa on July 22, 2006) | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 155 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 69.136.155.244 |
Toyota has recalled over 2.1 million vehicles since the first of this year. They only reason I know this is that I read this article buried inside the Detroit News about a recall of 418,000 vehicles and in the sidebar they listed each Toyota recall since the first of the year. Nowhere in the sidebar or the article did they mention the total number of vehicles, so I added them up myself. If this had been GM or Ford, it would have been a front page article and they would have done the math for us. | ||
Upinottawa Member Username: Upinottawa Post Number: 453 Registered: 09-2005 Posted From: 198.103.184.76 |
Someone else must think this is scandalous. While GM and Ford continue to bleed money, Toyota has been sacrificing its customers’ safety in order increase its perceived quality. This should be front page news. | ||
Pffft Member Username: Pffft Post Number: 1058 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 69.220.63.83 |
Yeah, where are all the "I buy Toyota because it's quality" freaks? Come on ... | ||
Citylover Member Username: Citylover Post Number: 1659 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 4.229.123.214 |
I am no car expert.But Mike G's post is informative and reasonable.The others are inflammatory; especially Pfffts. Perhaps the dynamic that hurts the U.S co's is helping Toyota.And that is that having built a quality product for a long time customers still perceive them(and they are) as being above the U.S. co's.Of course the U.S. co's have greatly improved quality and often still suffer from a perception of having an inferior product. The article linked by Mikeg certainly does not descibe a co building a shoddy product and trying to pawn it off to anyone. | ||
Llyn Member Username: Llyn Post Number: 1612 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 68.61.197.206 |
No, but it is a crack in the mystique of Toyota quality. And after the Mitsubishi fiasco, can you blame people for being a little over skeptical and wondering if there is more than meets the eye? Especially with government prosecutors in Japan looking into it. On the other hand, American recalls are seldom front page treatment either from what I recall. So why should Toyota be treated any differently? | ||
Upinottawa Member Username: Upinottawa Post Number: 455 Registered: 09-2005 Posted From: 198.103.184.76 |
"So why should Toyota be treated any differently?" Because Toyota officials are being accused of professional negligence for allegedly shirking recalls for eight years. This involves misleading the public and allowing its customers to drive vehicles that the company knows should be recalled. | ||
Mikeg Member Username: Mikeg Post Number: 159 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 69.136.155.244 |
I guarantee you, if GM had announced SEVEN separate recalls between April 4th and July 18, 2006, totaling 2.1 million vehicles, the press would be all over it like white on rice. Especially if during 2005, their total number of recalls in the United States had more than doubled from 2004 levels while the number of recalls industry-wide had declined slightly. (Message edited by Mikeg on July 24, 2006) | ||
Hagglerock Member Username: Hagglerock Post Number: 277 Registered: 03-2005 Posted From: 12.214.243.66 |
So what does our favorite writer from the NY times think of this? You know the one who thinks the USA would be better off if GM were to die at the feet of Toyota. | ||
Pffft Member Username: Pffft Post Number: 1059 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 69.220.63.83 |
Every time a lugnut is recalled by GM or Ford, Mickie Maynard is there, predicting the doom of Detroit. Let's hope HER Toyota was recalled. | ||
Eric Member Username: Eric Post Number: 513 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 69.246.29.185 |
She and the rest of the media are probably still working on a way to blame US automakers. They couldn't possibly say anything bad about their golden child Toyota |
