Posted on 04/02/2010 7:11:03 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
It is possible that new, damning details could come to light about Toyota's response to faulty accelerator claims. But absent new revelations - and if we are to judge based solely on what we know now - Toyota is getting a bum rap.
The Japanese car maker has been stung by a series of reports of customers experiencing out-of-control speeding. The result has been front-page news stories, a product recall, multiple congressional hearings, a big hit to Toyota's stock price and the threat of multiple lawsuits. To top it off, some are even demanding Toyota offer to buy back vehicles from their customers.
This last demand is silly. To understand why, it's time we review some facts and context.
For starters, the reports of sudden acceleration are not limited to Toyota. Indeed, the head of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration told Congress in testimony that the level of Toyota complaints was "unremarkable."
The chief executive of Edmunds.com, a respected resource for automotive information, had his team recently test the Toyota Camry and Prius. They checked Camry brakes to see if they could stop runaway vehicles, which they could. They tested the Prius to see if pressing the transmission shifter to put it in neutral would ease the throttle and it did.
Several researchers have noted that many of the problem incidents with Toyotas have involved elderly drivers. This was also true with earlier cases of sudden acceleration in autos involving Audi and GM models in which driver error played a larger role than initially thought. In many cases it is impossible to know all the factors that have contributed to the reported problems. But in the rush to condemn Toyota, policymakers and others have been too quick to dismiss alternative explanations.
Let's also consider scope of problem in context.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Article notes :
Even if one believes all the hype, the reaction so far has been a giant overreaction. Fifty-odd deaths over 10 years and millions of Toyotas is a drop in the bucket compared to the general risk of being on the road at all. It’s entirely possible that more people will be killed driving to the dealer for the recall than lives will be saved from going through the safety theater demanded by the Department of Transportation
Sacramento Bee, a day late and a dollar short...the American people know they got a “bum rap”, or rather were victim to a vicious attack by union thugs and their masters.
I think Toyota’s sales figures show how ineffective this media/government vilification has been...
hh
The piling onto Toyota is a result of their pulling out of the California NUMMI plant. It was a joint operation between Toyota and Government Motors. After GM stopped production there, Toyota was left operating its only union facility in the US.
Who could blame them for leaving?
Toyota’s most unforgivable sin is being non-union!! end of arguement!!
They are non union...enough said!!!
The libs have totally BOMBED in there attempt to harm Toyota if the latest sales #’s are to be believed. Toyota will report a 40% increase over sales of lst March and while Government Motors (GM) also reported a gain it is to be noted they also had the highest incentive per car in place to do it at $3500.00.
Chrysler actually LOST share last month and it looks s if th now Union owned (thanks to Obumbler) auto manufacturer will soon be history.
bump
FWIW, I went to dinner with the liberal in-laws last night, this subject came up, and every one of them laughed at it and agreed that it was a smear by government motors because Toyota doesn’t run a union shop.
They also had heard that that guy who couldn’t stop his Toyota on the freeway was a fraud.
Not much mileage on this, I don’t think.
During the peak of this media frenzy when Toyota’s CEO was summoned to the Congresisonal woodshed, Toyota’s stock plunged from $94 in late January to close to $70 late February.
I began to realize that this crisis would soon pass and Toyota is doing its darned best to rectify this flaw.
I got into TM ( Toyota’s symbol ) at $71.00. It trades today at $80.00 and I am still holding on ( put a stop loss at $77.00 just in case some government secretary does another media sabotage ).
It’s all about the shut down of that Chevy/Toyota plant in CA.
The politicians and the United Auto Workers are having a ball hammering Toyota.
We all know that the real problem in congress is that Toyota employs 70,000+ people in their non-union plants, while the UAW owns the Dimocrats.
“(Why Toyota is getting a media bum rap)”
Don’t hear the left shrieking about ‘racism’ on this one!! /sarc
What is the difference between a UNION and NON-UNION auto worker?
The NON-union worker is generally proud of his company and the product HE puts together. He brags about it, buys one, and prays for the continued success of his company, which along the way, provides he and his family a good living.
The UNION worker hates his employer, never misses a chance to bad-mouth it’s products or it’s greed. He whines that he is vastly under-paid and abused by the company. He looks forward to the next strike as time off. He also can be depended to vote for the party that in the long run will do him the most harm.
Go TOYOTA
U.S. auto sales surged 24% in March to more than one million cars and light trucks, helped by a strengthening economy and hefty buyer incentives from most car makers.
One of the biggest winners was Toyota Motor Corp., which offered 0% financing and other enticements in hopes of luring back customers after quality and recall troubles stunted sales in February. In March, the Japanese company saw sales rise 41%, and it just missed taking the title as the top-selling car maker for the month from General Motors Co. Overall, March sales rose to 1.07 million cars and light trucks, according ...
Wow Capt:
Sounds like you’ve spent some time working around a UAW assembly line
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