Toyota suspends sales...

[purman]

Originally Posted by Aage

But I have to admit, I hate that kinda day...

Not if there not to torn up. You have dinner for a few days or weeks

[SteveH]

New Toyota recall.

TOYOTA CANADA INC. | Toyota announces voluntary recall on 1,500 2010 Tacoma 4WD trucks to inspect the front drive shaft

[RoadKingMoe]

It's not just 1,500. Dana is well-reputed... is it because of too-cheap Toyota specs dictated to suppliers?

I like the Tacoma. It's a lot like the 1990 Toyota truck I had with the bullet-proof 22RE engine--one of the those where the plastic chain drive guides for the cam chain disintegrated.

[RedSHED]

Upholstreygeist or floormats?
I can't figure it.

YouTube - Lexus Possessed Steering Wheel

[edit: Wild to look at for sure. Apparently related to the installation of aftermarket headlights.]

[Gene]

Toyota has a recall website: Toyota Recall | Consumer Feedback

It has a drawing of the the pedal fix: http://www.toyotarecall.org/wp-conte...sembly-prv.jpg

It looks like the idea is to increase tension on the springs to make sure it overrides the friction they claim is the problem on the contact points. The contact points must be where the magnets create variable voltage to send a signal to the computer. They say this "fix" will not change the pedal feel, but I can't imagine how that would be so if it is enough to overcome the friction they claim is the problem. It's hard for me to imagine how friction could escalate to "stuck" which seems to me to be a different result.

I keep wondering if they have been able to replicate the problem in the lab.

There also are places on the website for customer comments and they are generally nasty enough to scare Toyota executives.

Gene

[RoadKingMoe]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

There also are places on the website for customer comments and they are generally nasty enough to scare Toyota executives.

Especially those who used to work for the NHTSA.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

...I keep wondering if they have been able to replicate the problem in the lab...

of course they have,

the toy' lab has been VERY BUSY...



how do u think they came up with the floor mat theory?

and it looks like the tan mats cause the most problem...





especially IF stacked 22 deep under the yellow ones.

but have no fear, the new solution is totally american...

they've hired 4th generation quilters,

who are developing NEW alternatives and lovely patterns...

to replace the evil of cut loops and PILE!





cheers
2air'

[toastie]

DO NOT USE YOUR TOYOTA LAWNMOWER, TAKE IT TO YOUR LOCAL DEALER IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!

YouTube - Electric Lawnmower

[Gene]

Update on Toyota's recall website. I posted comments on it 24 hours ago, but they never allowed them. Since most of the customer comments are very negative, I guess they are afraid to post them all.

I still haven't gotten a recall letter. We are going away for a week (taking a Toyota not [yet] recalled), maybe there'll be a letter when we return.

There's an option on the Toyota website to have the local dealer call you, but when I filled it out, it came back telling me I had an invalid e-mail address. I wonder how I've been using that address for years? Probably some sort of spam filter that is overactive, or the same software that controls the inputs from the gas pedal.

Gene

[HowieE]

Come on Gene.
You among all of us should recognize the fine points of Stall, Divert Attention, Shift Blame, and just plane Stone Walling.

They know they do not have the correct answer yet and sure don't want to run the risk of a "Corrected Car" killing someone at 100 miles an hour. In the mean time there are lots of TV commercials telling us how much they are doing and how the goal of the company has always be to do right.

The future of Japan is riding on this one and right now it is a bumpy ride. Remember "What is good for General Motors is good for the country". Japan fears they may follow us.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by HowieE

Come on Gene.
You among all of us should recognize the fine points of Stall, Divert Attention, Shift Blame, and just plane Stone Walling.

It's hard to tell the difference between consciously made bad products and unconsciously made bad products—sort of the difference between premeditated murder and involuntary manslaughter. No doubt when the lawsuits get to the discovery phase, we will learn a lot.

They may have become incompetent, or don't care, or any number of other possibilities. It could be they really don't understand the software and some expert is telling them it is fine. The expert may not understand it either. Microsoft says their software is fine too and everyone knows how well Vista worked. When you consider how complex a motor vehicle is, it's amazing it works at all. Modern vehicles have 30 to 100 computer thingies in them. Something has to go wrong. But it could be mechanical and maybe they are right about the pedal fix—I hope so, but am very skeptical.

While I sometimes succumb to Ludditism, I don't think we are going back to throttle cables. There are too many things to regulate in modern vehicles and only a computer can do it. I wouldn't want to give up skid control and the rest of those goodies. I hate to admit it, but the computer can do this stuff better than me.

Howie, you are right to compare GM to this—a comparison I frequently make myself. In my lifetime GM has gone from the best car company in the world to bankruptcy. Before my lifetime, Ford got so arrogant that in the 1930's it lost its leadership to GM. Whether Toyota comes through this well is not known, but I'll bet on GM to get the advantage. Why not Ford? Because I'll never forgive them for that Mercury I had 50 years ago (logic does not always rule when it comes to cars).

Gene

[RoadKingMoe]

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Why not Ford?

Because they not only use Microsoft software in their cars, but
think that bragging about that in advertising is a good thing!

[Denis4x4]

Check out today's (2/16/10) WSJ story on how Toyota is stonewalling on releasing info from the "black box". Ford spokesman says that releasing black box info sometimes can hurt, but in the overall scheme of things is, to quote Martha Stewart, a good thing.

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by Denis4x4

Check out today's (2/16/10) WSJ story on how Toyota is stonewalling on releasing info from the "black box". Ford spokesman says that releasing black box info sometimes can hurt, but in the overall scheme of things is, to quote Martha Stewart, a good thing.

The Black Box is not the property of Toyota it is the property of the owner. Any car involved in an accident the court has the right to access the box for use in court. I can't understand why the Insurance Companies have not forced the issue to get out from under settlements and place the liability on Toyota.

[BillTex]

APNewsBreak: Govt demands Toyota recall documents - Yahoo! News

[newroswell]

Toyota has been criticized for being too slow in responding to the accelerator problem. In defense, a Toyota spokesman replied, "We've got our pedal to the medal!"

[BillTex]

Toyota probes Corolla steering, considers recall - Yahoo! Finance

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

FWIW..

I think a lot of folks are having a problem relating to the 'GAS PEDAL" as being the problem, it might be better to think of it as using your foot to work your "mouse", not so good.

So now it turns out it just might be a 'puter problem after all. No S. S.

I hear the US Chairman said yesterday that we consumers may not be using their vehicles properly...or more accurately, the company did not take into full account how we consumers use their vehicles.

Holly Cr@p it is OUR fault....

[Gene]

Glad I put new, better tires on the Airstream so I can go 120 mph. 23 days since they said they'd be sending out recall letters and I haven't gotten one yet. Even the pony express (or a Toyota) was faster.

Gene

[ROBERT CROSS]

Gene,

If your vehicle is included in the recalls your dealer can get a computer printout, (gm called it a VISS ck, vehicle info and service survey), if the recall is is listed they can use that for authorization.

Recalls were one of the biggest pains, especially now with the interweb, customers would know about them long before the letters were sent or parts were available, really bad when it was a safety concern.

Good Luck, keep the senz of humas...