Toyota: Lowest January Volume Since 1999 (and more bad news for Toyota)

Ward's Auto ^ | 2/3/2010 | papasmurf

[papasmurf]

Here are some of the headlines from my Ward's Auto Subscriber newsletter...

January's U.S. Sales Gain Largest Since July 2005
Ward’s estimates Toyota’s sales stoppage cost the auto maker 20,000-25,000 units at month’s end, likely reducing the SAAR by about 200,000

Feds Say LaHood Comments Misconstrued; Prius Brakes Investigated

Toyota Grapples With P.R. Bungles, Tarnished Brand

Ward's Blogs: Recall's Impact on Toyota's Image?

Toyota Blames Overly Sensitive ABS for Prius Brake Problems
The software code that will allow the brakes to override the throttle in the Camry is ready to be added.

Toyota January Sales Dragged Down; Lowest January Volume Since 1999
Some of the auto maker’s models taking the biggest sales hits in January were not on the call-back list. Toyota says it has no way of knowing yet how big a factor the recall played for models whose sales did fall.

Global Sales Race Heating Back Up Between GM, Toyota
Toyota’s recall woes allowed GM to extend its market share to 21.0% in January, 6.8 points ahead of the Japanese auto maker.

[papasmurf]

DOGPILE on TOYOTA!!!

Well, it seems the market is talking, in fact, it's screaming! From consumers and Software Gurus to high ranking Government officials to the Auto Industry pundits themselves, everyone is pouncing on Toyota.

Not surprising, really, considering their closed mouth on what really happened and went wrong with their cars. This is quickly snowballing on them, and for good reason, too. They should have been honest and up front with it from the get go. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see a Congressional hearing and/or some big lawsuits concerning this. Then we might just see some damning emails or memos, like we did with the Pinto fuel tank issue. Ask Ford how long it took to recover from that fiasco.

[library user]

Invest in Toy Yoda futures instead.

[ZX12R]

Here's another headline:

Taxpayers not buying Government Motors vehicles.

[papasmurf]

“Taxpayers not buying Government Motors vehicles.”

Yes, they are. GM is up 23.6% on their DSR’s and 14.1% Yearly.

Amazing, isn’t it? Well, not really. Add in all of the handouts, and the new models, and you see why.

I wonder if Gov’t employees get an employer discount on top of everything else?

[Let's Roll]

That’s what you get, Toyota, for not letting the government take you over.

[factmart]

If this was GM or Chrysler the obama administration would not have said a word. They are trying to get people to buy the the Government Motors cars and help the unions. Toyota does not have a union.

I will never buy another GM or Chrysler even if they paid all the money back.

We all know Toyota makes a better car than GM or Chrysler.

I will buy Fords and Toyotas in the future.

[Gator113]

“Taxpayers not buying Government Motors vehicles.”

LOL.... I sure didn’t.

I sign the papers tonight, but yesterday I bought a 2010 Toyota Tundra CrewMax Limited. I traded in my 2007 Double cab Tundra, a 2000 Harley and a 91 Ford 250 to make the deal..... I’m one very happy camper with this very nice pickup.

All this Toyota bashing didn’t even make me have a second thought.... the horrendous price did, but as you can see, I decided to rearrange some dated assets to get what I wanted. The union auto makers can go straight to hell with their pet socialist dictator, Obama.

[factmart]

If this was GM or Chrysler the obama administration would not have said a word. They are trying to get people to buy the the Government Motors cars and help the unions. Toyota does not have a union.

I will never buy another GM or Chrysler even if they paid all the money back.

We all know Toyota makes a better car than GM or Chrysler.

I will buy Fords and Toyotas in the future.

[bicyclerepair]

I find this timing suspicious.

[Leo Farnsworth]

“...They should have been honest and up front with it from the get go....”

Toyota has been more than honest.

This whole thing is crap.

If you cannot see it for what it is, you should be driving a Chevy. And voting Democrat.

[factmart]

I’m glad your buying from Toyota and not going for BS from the obama unions lovers and big government lovers.

[billhilly]

“That’s what you get, Toyota, for not letting the government take you over.”

The government, as constituted by President Obama, has everything to win by destroying Toyota. Just imagine the headlines, GM ONCE AGAIN GAINS WORLDWIDE SALES DOMINANCE. The conclusion being that Government run companies are capable of remarkable turnarounds.

[WorkingClassFilth]

As a lifelong Toyota owner and one who recently bought a new truck, I’d say that this is a great time to go make a deal on what is, in truth, a terrific automobile that makes most brands look shoddy. This will pass and Toyota will come out on top of the heap. This flap is rubbish and will soon be in the rear view mirror.

BTW, Toyota’s success is solely due to lessons learned in the US of A and entirely forgotten by our business/labor culture. In short, they are, in many ways, the embodiment of American excellence.

[Spaulding]

GM is an Obama company, and sells a re-branded Toyota, identical to Toyotas charged with being a risk, which was not identified by Obama’s hoods (including Ray Lahood) as a risk. The accelerator pedals used in most U.S. sold Toyotas were manufactured by an American company, and are used in autos sold by other manufacturers. I'd be surprised if there were a real problem. Toyota is accustomed to kow towing and will play the game, doing something to suspected cars, because they have learned not to challenge the Shogunate. Most Toyota factories are non-union and in red states. This is a "Stupak" - referring to the Obama payback for the Michigan Democrat congressman who held up the health care bill because of government-funded abortions, and lost the funding for the scholarship fund named after his deceased son. Obama’s other large benefactor is the trial bar. They will clean up. Every rear-ender will cost Toyota, and the American public. The state-run media are doing their part - scare the public. There were roughly 40 reports of accelerator pedal problems with Toyota, out of 1.8 million autos. Toyota settled, so we don't know the truth. I have a Nissan, but that is because I found a good used car. My most reliable cars have been Toyotas.

Remember that old trial bar socialist Ralph Nader and his Corvair. Nader killed the first really innovative design in decades, and that was a GM car. It had one of the best safety records in the industry, but Nader and the trial bar shut it down. I don't know the benefactor in that case; I was too young to understand. With this current group of thieves try to follow the money. It isn't easy. This is a move to save GM and reward the unions. Let's see how the unions fare when their employers are owned by the Chinese. Don't be surprised if when he finds a way to punish Ford for not taking the bailout. I will never buy another GM car, and I suspect I'm not alone.

[papasmurf]

Toyota has not been honest about this. It’s not a “sticky gas pedal”. It’s a combination of a bad thrust bearing on the throttle spindle (maybe in 100 cars) and a software glitch (in 1000’s of cars), the carpet was only a diversion.

A sticky pedal cannot not and does not make a car suddenly accelerate as it goes down the road with the cruise on. It’s software.

Toyota does make a good car, you’ll get no argument from me on that. However, we caught up and reached quality parity with them in the late 90’s and early 00’s. If you had access to the industry Warranty Failure Rates, as I do, you’d know that, and you’d know that all of the majors are within a percent or so from each other in warrant claims.

So many people take the JD Power award as though it means the car is actually better. Factually, the award you see on tv is based on owner’s claims, and on new car initial reported quality from owners.

Here’s Toyota’s awards...

#1 Nameplate in Customer Satisfaction
Highest Ranked Entry Midsize Car in Initial Quality
Highest Ranked Pickup Extended Cab in Initial Quality

Oops! Did they forget to mention the award is for their Asian models sold in Thailand?

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Toyota Award Information
2009 Thailand Customer Service Index Study - 7/9/2009

#1 Nameplate in Customer Satisfaction

Toyota received the highest numerical score among auto manufacturers in the proprietary J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2008-2009 Thailand Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) StudySM.

---

Toyota Award Information
2009 Thailand Initial Quality Study - 11/26/2009

Highest Ranked Entry Midsize Car in Initial Quality

The Toyota Yaris was the highest ranked Entry Midsize Car in the proprietary J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2009 Thailand Initial Quality Study (IQS)SM. Study based on 3,460 new-vehicle owners of 58 models representing 11 different makes who purchased their vehicles between October 2008 and July 2009. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of owners surveyed in April-September 2009.

---

Toyota Award Information
2010 Thailand Initial Quality Study - 11/26/2010

Highest Ranked Pickup Extended Cab in Initial Quality

The Toyota Hilux Vigo Prerunner Smart Cab was the highest ranked Extended Cab Pickup in the proprietary J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2009 Thailand Initial Quality Study (IQS)SM. Study based on 3,460 new-vehicle owners of 58 models representing 11 different makes who purchased their vehicles between October 2008 and July 2009. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of owners surveyed in April-September 2009. Your experiences may vary. Visit www.jdpower.com/corporate.

Once again I’ll say, Toyota makes a very good product. I’ve owned Toyotas, probably will again. I like them. BUT, they were not honest about this situation, just like they aren’t honest about their awards that they a gazillion bucks to advertise.

BTW, Hyundai is not unionized, either. My wife is on her 4th Hyundai with over 100k on it, and never had a problem.

Now, Leo, who’s acting like a Dem now? You are the one falling for the hype, not me.

Here’s Toyota’s honesty:

November 06, 2009 by Irv Miller
Unintended Acceleration: Toyota Addresses the Issues
Recently, there has been some controversy regarding a safety recall that Toyota is undertaking. We want to take this opportunity to set the record straight with a chronology of the events of the past week.

On Friday, October 30, we began sending letters to Toyota owners and Lexus owners about a defect related to motor vehicle safety that exists on certain models.

.....The defect is the potential for an unsecured or incompatible driver’s floor mat to interfere with the accelerator pedal and cause it to get stuck in the wide open position......

As an interim precaution, we asked owners to take out any removable driver’s floor mat and not replace it with any other floor mat until a vehicle-based remedy can be developed and implemented on their vehicle. When such a remedy is determined, owners will be notified.

So, Leo, who is acting like a Dem now? Toyota has had this problem since, at least, 2004.

It was reported here:
http://www.autosafety.org/again-nhtsa-probes-sudden-acceleration

and here:
http://kansascity.injuryboard.com/automobile-accidents/toyota-denied-customer-complaints-on-sudden-acceleration-problem-for-more-than-5-years.aspx?googleid=274028

and here:
http://www.necn.com/02/03/10/Government-considering-civil-penalties-a/landing.html?blockID=174560&feedID=4215,
and I could go on and on.

And, contrary to Toyota’s claims, it does affect Lexus, Prius, Scion, and some Toyota derivatives.

So, for now, we’ll stick to our Ford truck and our Hyundai car, thank you very much.

Again, I like Toyotas!!!

[AdamBomb]

I bought a 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser Trail Teams Edition on Monday and I couldn’t be happier that I did it.
FUBO you fascist pig.

[WorkingClassFilth]

I’ll bet some of your best friends are negroes.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

Here is the story Rush was talking about today about the Unions pressuring Toyota last week:

http://dailyme.com/story/2010012700005151/unions-protest-toyota-japanese-embassy.html