General Toyota lawsuit/recall/problem thread

[Spectre]

Not to mention completely shutting down development in that particular area. The last times this happened, some idiots passed some laws (guess which party controlled Congress), and now we're stuck with 1960s-tech pollution controls and 1970s safety restraints - and why you can't legally upgrade them on a street car. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Therefore, I predict that unless something changes in this next election, they'll pass this or something like this. And if you read the act as introduced by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), it's really, really really nasty.

Want a sporty car with close set pedals for easy heel-and-toeing? Too bad, banned under the act as it won't meet minimum pedal clearance regs.

Black boxes in cars would be mandatory.

Gearshift patterns would be regulated. No more dogleg boxes or even new radical ideas like the (and I hate this, but it's a good example) Jaguar rotary gear selector.

Oh, and the government could also just stop the sales of a car because they "feel" there's an imminent hazard, with little to no evidence thereof. Don't like it? Well, you can go have an 'expedited' review in Federal court... which can take months or years. (Unexpedited can take up to a decade.)

 

[rickhamilton620]

I think that the whole airplane level black box idea is just overkill. SRS system modules/EDR usually already record parameters like MPH, seatbelt use, and other data when a airbag or seatbelt pretentioner deployment occurs. It's just not necessary to create more expense that will inevitably be passed onto the consumer, not to mention hindering designs because they need to find space for a huge ass black box...

Brake Override though...that should be mandated, along with a standardized way to turn off push button ignition vehicles in an emergency. Yes, people should read the manual..but most people don't and that logic doesn't take into account people borrowing or renting vehicles. Preferably, it should be the method that several automakers already implement, allowing one to either hold the button (like Toyota's system) or jab the button repeatedly. (like one would most likely do in an SUA emergency)

Shift lever design I'm torn on. I mean, yes Toyota's gated shifter's are absolutely shittily (is that a word? ) designed, (both my father and I repeatedly shifted into either 3rd or Neutral on the rental 2010 Corolla we had a few weeks back...) but I definetly see Spectre's point about how cool ideas that actually aren't bad design at all, won't be approved because it doesn't "check all the right boxes."

 

[Blind_Io]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/29/..._campaign=Feed:+weblogsinc/autoblog+(Autoblog)

Hit a pothole in your SUV and your steering wheel disconnects, although the way Toyotas drive you could probably go miles before noticing.

While the BP oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico may have shifted the media spotlight away from from Toyota's recall problems over the last several months, that doesn't mean the crisis has ended. One of two new recalls announced by the automaker today covers 39,000 Lexus LX 470 SUVs built between the 2003 and 2007 model years.

According to Toyota, a snap ring that retains two sections of the SUV's steering column can get dislodged following a heavy impact on the front wheels of SUV, such as hitting a severe pothole. Without the snap ring in place, using the steering can result in the column working itself free.

Toyota claims that no accidents have resulted from the problem and that a redesigned snap ring will keep the part where it belongs. LX owners can expect to see notifications in their mailbox starting in about two weeks. In the meantime, interested parties can check out the official recall press release after the jump.

Lexus Announces Intent to Voluntarily Recall Certain LX 470 Vehicles to Address Potential for Steering Shaft Disengagement

TORRANCE, Calif., July 29, 2010 -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced that Lexus intends to conduct a voluntary safety recall of approximately 39,000 2003-2007 Model Year LX 470 vehicles to address a steering shaft condition. No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles are involved in this safety recall.

This action follows an announcement made by Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan on July 29, 2010.

Lexus has determined that the construction of the steering shaft on involved LX 470s is such that the snap ring on the shaft may disengage when the vehicle experiences an unusually severe impact to the front wheels, such as striking a deep pothole. If the snap ring becomes disengaged and the steering wheel is then repeatedly turned to the full locked position, the steering shaft may disengage over time.

Lexus is not aware of any accidents related to this condition.

"At Lexus, we are committed to setting a new standard for quality customer care and aggressive attention to the safety of our drivers," said Mark Templin, group vice president and general manager of Lexus. "Our engineers have thoroughly investigated this issue and have identified a robust and durable remedy that will help prevent this condition from affecting drivers in the future."

The remedy for this condition involves replacing the snap ring with a newly designed one and the installation of an additional component to prevent separation of the steering shaft.

Lexus will begin sending out notification to owners of involved vehicles by first class mail beginning in mid-August 2010, advising them to bring their vehicles to their local Lexus dealer to have this remedy performed at no charge.

Detailed information about this recall is available through Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-25 LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987 or at www.lexus.com/recall.

 

[IceBone]

Do these people even test cars anymore?

 

[katwalk]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/29/..._campaign=Feed:+weblogsinc/autoblog+(Autoblog)

Hit a pothole in your SUV and your steering wheel disconnects, although the way Toyotas drive you could probably go miles before noticing.

is that the same one as this? http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota/toyota-announces-intent-to-voluntarily-165036.aspx
oh wait no, looks different. Are there any NOT recalled toyotas now??

Do these people even test cars anymore?

probably not toyota looking at these :lol:

 

[gaasc]

Not to mention completely shutting down development in that particular area. The last times this happened, some idiots passed some laws (guess which party controlled Congress), and now we're stuck with 1960s-tech pollution controls and 1970s safety restraints - and why you can't legally upgrade them on a street car. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

So let me get this straight; You can't legally install say...3 point seatbelts on an old car legally, or fit a wheel with an airbag?

Want a sporty car with close set pedals for easy heel-and-toeing? Too bad, banned under the act as it won't meet minimum pedal clearance regs.

I thought idiots in 80's Audi's had taken care of that

Black boxes in cars would be mandatory.

?Yes sir, the accident was indeed the other drivers fault, but according to the data in your box we noticed you were going 66.3 in a 65. Therefore we have no other option than to deny your claim and inform the local authorities, your ticket should arrive in the mail.?

Gearshift patterns would be regulated. No more dogleg boxes or even new radical ideas like the (and I hate this, but it's a good example) Jaguar rotary gear selector.

Oh, and the government could also just stop the sales of a car because they "feel" there's an imminent hazard, with little to no evidence thereof. Don't like it? Well, you can go have an 'expedited' review in Federal court... which can take months or years. (Unexpedited can take up to a decade.)

This gives me undeniable proof that the U.S is mostly populated by morons and that provided that I don't have AIDS or fill my papers with crayons, I should get into no problem at all.Besides who the hell wrote up that shit, meetings would go like this.

?Dude in Congress: Now we have the issue of these AMG Mercedes and whether we should ban them from 'murucan roads.?
?Douchey McAsshole: They're dangerous cars, I've seen them on Tee-vee you touch the gas and they start slidin' all over the place.?
Dude in congress: ?Surely that only happens when you drive then enthusiastically??
Douchey McAsshole:?NO, I've seen them, besides look at them, they're too fast and tempt you to drive like a lunatic. think of the children.?
(A couple of weeks later.)
Congrees spokesperson: And because of this reasons we now deem all Mercedes vehicles that have been previously tuned by the AMG company illegal to import for sale or ownership.

amidoinitrite?

 

[katwalk]

So let me get this straight; You can't legally install say...3 point seatbelts on an old car legally, or fit a wheel with an airbag?

Yes. You also can't turn the airbag off if you are short and risk suffocation from it.

?Yes sir, the accident was indeed the other drivers fault, but according to the data in your box we noticed you were going 66.3 in a 65. Therefore we have no other option than to deny your claim and inform the local authorities, your ticket should arrive in the mail.?

My first thought on that too.

This gives me undeniable proof that the U.S is mostly populated by morons and that provided that I don't have AIDS or fill my papers with crayons, I should get into no problem at all.Besides who the hell wrote up that shit, meetings would go like this.

Think again. It takes years of forms and a great deal of money to legally be a citizen. But why would you want to anyway? In this state at least you can have all the rights of a citizen and no risk of any punishment other than deportation, so as long as you are ok with jumping the boarder a few times feel free to be a serial rapist.

 

[rickhamilton620]

About the lexus LX470 recall: Why are they only recalling the Lexus, when the Land Cruiser is the exact same car save for a smattering of badges and perhaps lower grade leather inside?

Yes. You also can't turn the airbag off if you are short and risk suffocation from it.

To be fair, you can have an authorized place disable the airbag for medical reasons (I assume short stature counts...I could have swore I saw it mentioned during an episode of "Little People, Big World.")

 

[Blind_Io]

About the lexus LX470 recall: Why are they only recalling the Lexus, when the Land Cruiser is the exact same car save for a smattering of badges and perhaps lower grade leather inside?

Because not recalling the Land Cruiser is probably saving them several million dollars, and that's what's most important.

 

[katwalk]

To be fair, you can have an authorized place disable the airbag for medical reasons (I assume short stature counts...I could have swore I saw it mentioned during an episode of "Little People, Big World.")

I haven't heard that before so it may be by state. Some states don't really care if you do it in general, mine unfortunately isn't one of those and I keep worrying about my glasses being shoved into my brain. It doesn't take a dangerous crash to set off those damned things, my passenger one went off before and as obvious by the fact my car isn't totaled it wasn't nearly enough damage to hurt a passenger.

 

[WellsieTRD]

About the lexus LX470 recall: Why are they only recalling the Lexus, when the Land Cruiser is the exact same car save for a smattering of badges and perhaps lower grade leather inside?

They are here in aus because this effects the LX470 and Landcruiser Sahara as both have an electronicly adjustable steering coloum. Lesser grades of Landcruiser don't have this.

 

[Blind_Io]

Washington -- Toyota Motor Corp. announced it would recall 412,000 vehicles today for steering issues -- in its 13 and 14th recall campaigns of 2010.
The new recalls mean Toyota has recalled more than 5 million vehicles in 2010 in the United States -- and the company has surpassed the 4.8 million vehicles it recalled in 2009.

The new recalls includes 373,000 2000-2004 Toyota Avalon models to address concerns the vehicle's steering lock bar could break under certain conditions.
The company said it first received a report in Japan of possible problems in October 2007 -- and another report in December 2008 in the United States. "Toyota believed that this was another isolated case," the company told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration today.

Toyota also said it will recall 39,000 2003-2007 Lexus LX 470 vehicles to address a steering shaft issue.

The company first received a field report from Germany in October 2009, which said the issue had been seen on three vehicles -- at least two with high mileage. Another report of the problem from Japan received in January suggested it may have been caused due to driving under harsh conditions.

Toyota has come under a torrent of criticism in the wake of its recall of more than 8.5 million vehicles worldwide for sudden acceleration issues. It paid a $16.4 million fine to the government for delaying a recall of 2.3 million vehicles by at least four months and is a subject of a federal criminal investigation over its handling of recalls.

The new Toyota recall is to address concerns that after a severe impact to the front wheels -- like striking a deep pothole -- that it could disengage the steering shaft. Toyota will install a newly designed snap ring and another component to prevent separation of the steering shaft.

"Toyota is continuing to work diligently to address safety issues wherever they arise and to strengthen our global quality assurance operations so that Toyota owners can be confident in the safety of their vehicles," said Steve St. Angelo, Toyota chief quality officer for North America.

Toyota will replace the steering column bracket -- a procedure that will take about two hours. Owners will get notified starting in late August.
Lexus owners will get notified in mid-August.

"At Lexus, we are committed to setting a new standard for quality customer care and aggressive attention to the safety of our drivers," said Mark Templin, group vice president and general manager of Lexus. "Our engineers have thoroughly investigated this issue and have identified a robust and durable remedy that will help prevent this condition from affecting drivers in the future."


From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/2010...00-cars-in-U.S.--mostly-Avalons#ixzz0vAtS9fFH

I think the press is getting so tired of this shit that they aren't even trying anymore. With these record number of recalls from Toyota, when will Consumer Reports stop dry-humping every Toyota in sight?

 

[IceBone]

Any recall numbers on other brands? Like... Audi... >_>

 

[katwalk]

Any recall numbers on other brands? Like... Audi... >_>

My mother's 10' outback has had 3 so far :/
At least they are not nearly as dangerous.

 

[Blind_Io]

Comparing Toyota to other car makers, like GM is fine, but remember that Toyota has touted their reliability and safety above all other attributes. It would be no different than it being revealed that for the last ten years all Porsches have been made with three cylinder diesel motors.

 

[GRtak]

They still are using thier safety and reliability in ads. Just go to the Toyota Youtube page and see for yourself. The Million dollars on hour on safety ad is just sad and pathetic.

 

[katwalk]

^that's what bugs me too. STFU toyota.

 

[Blind_Io]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/01/report-feds-block-toyota-unintended-acceleration-doc-release/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+weblogsinc/autoblog+(Autoblog)&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

A new report from the The Wall Street Journal claims that the Department of Transportation is blocking the release of National Highway Transportation Safety Administration findings on the Toyota unintended acceleration issues. According to the article, NHTSA has compiled all the relevant information and written a report on its findings, but George Pearson, the former head of the agency's recall division, says that he was told that the Transportation Department doesn't want the information released. Why? Pearson didn't say, but the Journal seems to think that the information could add fuel to the argument that NHTSA is too close to automakers.

Meanwhile, the Transportation Department says that the report is incomplete, and that it will take more time to properly review all of the data associated with the issue. Pearson, on the other hand, claims that the report shows that in the majority of unintended acceleration cases, the vehicle's black boxes clearly indicated that the accelerator was depressed and the brake pedal was not. That means that the cases could be chalked up to driver error ? something that would serve to vindicate Toyota. ​

Of course this could just be the WSJ taking a pot shot at the NHTSA for that anonymous source that claimed they had been duped by Toyota in a previous story.

 

[tigger]

Not to mention completely shutting down development in that particular area. The last times this happened, some idiots passed some laws (guess which party controlled Congress), and now we're stuck with 1960s-tech pollution controls and 1970s safety restraints - and why you can't legally upgrade them on a street car. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

And in all the time since, the "other" party hasn't repealed that legislation. Imagine that! You give the federal government more power and they keep it, no matter who is in charge!

I am with you on this though. One of the few places I think deregulation would actually be beneficial is in the automotive sector. Well, deregulation may not be the right word. I'd like to see equipment standards dropped in favor of performance standards, that's all.

I think the press is getting so tired of this shit that they aren't even trying anymore. With these record number of recalls from Toyota, when will Consumer Reports stop dry-humping every Toyota in sight?

They've taken a few Toyota models off of their "Buy-this-without-thinking-for-yourself" list, but I think that's it. 10 million cars recalled in the last 2 years ... :?

 

[Blind_Io]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/03/..._campaign=Feed:+weblogsinc/autoblog+(Autoblog)

According to The Washington Post, attorneys working on a class-action lawsuit against Toyota claim that the company has known about issues of unintended acceleration in its vehicles since as early as 2003. The lawyers have reportedly discovered a field report written seven years ago by a technician that outlined an instance of unintended acceleration. The report allegedly called for immediate action due to how dangerous the problem could become and expressed concern about the potential frequency of the issue.

Earlier this year, the federal government hit Toyota with a $16.4 million fine for failing to recall vehicles afflicted by unintended acceleration quickly enough. At the time, it was believed that Toyota had known about the issue for about a month prior to alerting regulators ? well beyond the single week that the law gives automakers to notify the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration of potential problems.