Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum

General Discussion => Campfire Talk => Topic started by: Chasfield on March 11, 2010, 05:57:02 pm

Title: More Toyota troubles
Post by: Chasfield on March 11, 2010, 05:57:02 pm
The Toyota "smoking gun" memo highlights the blight that afflicts some organizations.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1257161/Toyota-smoking-gun-memo-staff-warned-safety-issues-FOUR-years-ago.html

That is, infection by good-for-nothing senior managers whose skills are confined to bluffing their way through selection processes and thereafter playing a poisonous game of office politics. They create their own separate tribe that parisitises the original core activity of the business - which necessarily goes down hill fast. Eventually, competent and talented staff become enemies of the new regime. By this time, the company is generally on its knees.

The carpet-baggers then move on, via some kind of mysterious old-boy/girl network, to work their magic, and fill up their CVs, in senior posts elsewhere.

 :(
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: cyrusb on March 11, 2010, 07:32:24 pm
I hear ya on that  ...Here's a good one.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: 1Blackwolf1 on March 11, 2010, 08:21:55 pm
  Unfortunately all this coming about now may spell the death sentence of a company that has thousands of employees here in the U.S.  But Toyota isn't the first to face mass recalls, Ford with the car shifting into reverse from park strikes a bell.  I had a Thunderbird from that era, ended up fixing it myself by installing a $45.00 floor shift kit.

  And Ford swept that one under the carpet for a while if I remember correctly.  Just bad that companies think they can get away with these things and nothing will happen.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: GreenForce82 on March 11, 2010, 08:51:15 pm
Reminds me of The movie Fight Club...

Quote
A new car built by my company leaves somewhere traveling at 60 mph. The rear differential locks up. The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now, should we initiate a recall? Take the number of vehicles in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, multiply by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one.

This is almost certainly what is going on...
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: PaulF on March 11, 2010, 09:21:19 pm
  Unfortunately all this coming about now may spell the death sentence of a company that has thousands of employees here in the U.S. 



36,000 non-unionized employes to be exact, spread over about 18 facilities. D-bags in Washington should keep that in mind when they're cruxifying Toyota and coddling GM, (Government Motors).
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: REpozer on March 11, 2010, 09:41:56 pm
Thanks for clearing that up for me.
 I always thought of Toyota as a good company that reinvested its profit back into its product and employees.
 I was thinking that Government  Motors(GM) thought the same thing, couldn't compete and became envious of Toyota. I've been wrong before. Maybe its time to purchase a good clean GM car.
Is there a real smoking gun to the problem of a run away Lexus?Just wondering.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: Vince on March 11, 2010, 10:23:46 pm
     Lest we forget, it wasn't long ago that our own Royal Enfield had a massive recall for transmission issues. While it may be probable that there was an attempt at Toyota to
 white- wash the issue, there is really no way to achieve perfection. Often problems won't surface until there are enough units out in the real world. In- house testing can't cover every possible contingency. Stuff will go wrong. A year or so ago I received a recall on my 1993 Ford F150. I think the biggest problem is the media frenzy. Certainly this is news, but perspective is never attempted in the reports. be it cars or cribs or TV's, EVERY manufacturer has recalls. The media frenzy probably exacerbated the problem by forcing Toyota to fix it NOW!!!!!!!! A more measured approach would allowed for a better repair.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: The Garbone on March 11, 2010, 10:48:52 pm
[rant]
My take on the Toyota thing is that its turned into the convenient "crisis du jour".  Part of the problem is that a lot of these folks that buy Toyautos are the same baby boomers who spend more time watching "American Idol" than they thinking about who gets their vote.

Lets face it,  some of these folks in their Prius's to  "Save the world" are the band wagon riding,  slogan following, lazy turds that got us into the financial mess we are in now...  A lot of em are probably happy to jump on the "recall or refund" bandwagon since their $10k battery pack in their "eco" car is nearing the end of its service life and the still have 3 years of payments left on a car that in reality is no better than a Escort as their balloon mortgage is coming due and they face layoffs due to the economic downturn....

I'm sure Toyota will survive this as long as the looters up there in Congress keep their hands out of it..  I am kinda tired of the hand ringing... 

[/rant]
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: Vince on March 11, 2010, 10:55:51 pm
     Come on, Gary. Tell us how you really feel.
     You are right of course. It is the "crisis du jour". The government will waste time and money on an investigation when the money could be better spent on a fix.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: REpozer on March 11, 2010, 11:06:21 pm
I like the way pompous  lawyer/politicians act as if they understand anything more complicated then a folded table napkin,let alone real machinery.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: t120rbullet on March 11, 2010, 11:31:11 pm
I think the biggest problem is the media frenzy.

And when the same folks that control the regulatory agency's, the press and the company that stands to show a profit from all this...... it should make one wonder!

After driving Fords and Dodges all my life I got sick of taking it in the butt and on Dec. 7 2001 I bought a V8 Toyota Tundra pickup.
Best fricken vehicle I have ever owned. If it ever gets too old to drive I wouldn't think twice about getting another one even though I don't like the way they up-sized it.
Yes, I live in Detroit and got some flack for doing so but felt even better because I got to stick it to the UAW too.
And no, I've never seen American Idol.
CJ   
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: PaulF on March 11, 2010, 11:56:35 pm
20 years ago when I was broke, I bought a worn 79 Toyota Celica GT Liftback with about 125,000 on the odo. I don't think I ever changed the oil in the roughly 19 months that I had it, (or did any other maintenance). Total neglect. I sold the car still running like a champ.

Few years later, back in the black, I purchased a brandy new Mustang GT 5.0, which promptly dropped a valve with 500 miles on it.

So, I'm pro Jap in this discussion and would have no problem buying my wife the RAV 4 V6 that she likes or a Tundra for myself.

Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: Ice on March 12, 2010, 05:52:41 am
12 years ago we sold our well used 1974 Dodge Dart Sport with 354,000 miles on it.
(225 cu in slant six engine)

Last summer I saw it driving down the road.


No one builds cars like that anymore.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: 1Blackwolf1 on March 12, 2010, 08:04:58 am
     Lest we forget, it wasn't long ago that our own Royal Enfield had a massive recall for transmission issues. While it may be probable that there was an attempt at Toyota to
 white- wash the issue, there is really no way to achieve perfection. Often problems won't surface until there are enough units out in the real world. In- house testing can't cover every possible contingency. Stuff will go wrong. A year or so ago I received a recall on my 1993 Ford F150. I think the biggest problem is the media frenzy. Certainly this is news, but perspective is never attempted in the reports. be it cars or cribs or TV's, EVERY manufacturer has recalls. The media frenzy probably exacerbated the problem by forcing Toyota to fix it NOW!!!!!!!! A more measured approach would allowed for a better repair.

  But Enfield beat it to the punchline and did the recall as soon as they knew the problems existed.  Not really the same on the long end as hoping the problem would go away.  But yes I agree sooner or later everything is subject to a recall.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: dogbone on March 12, 2010, 10:06:34 am
Audi  had the first sudden acceleration issues ,it almost ruined the company, I think the problem ended up as a faulty ics ,(idle control solenoid).  They made a comeback so will Toyota.
My son in law is a service writer at a Toyota dealership, he dreads going to work !
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: PhilJ on March 12, 2010, 02:39:58 pm
I've had Ford, Dodge, and GM pickups, never really liked any of them for various reasons. I'm my second Toyota, a Tacoma V6, pulling my little camper ~ 2800lbs, I get 18 mpg solo gets 23 mpg. It's a great vehicle.

Most auto makers go through what Toyota is going through now. Toyota will make a come back.

And yes the 'du jour' analogy is very correct. And no I've never seen American Idol. My idol has always be 'Liver Eatin' Johnson' an old mountain man. And my doctor drives a Prius because she's frugal.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: Bullet.wagon on March 12, 2010, 02:50:00 pm
I drive a Scion(toyota) without problems so far.  But 10 years ago I had an 84 Toyota Tercel wagon 4wd and once upon accelerating IT KEPT GOING and scared the cr... out of me. I turned the key off which locked the steering but luckily just right for the shoulder. Turned out it was the floor mat stuck under the pedal linkage. Only idol I watch is my Bullet idle!
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: t120rbullet on March 12, 2010, 03:14:55 pm
Only idol I watch is my Bullet idle!

That's "Indian Idol". It's on the OK list.
CJ
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: ShenandoahThumper on March 13, 2010, 01:33:12 pm
I believe that a lot of the crap stories coming out about Yotas are people looking to make a quick buck.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: 1Blackwolf1 on March 13, 2010, 05:19:44 pm
  It's so dog eat dog in the auto industry right now mud slinging is the best way to increase sales.  I heard the add from Ford that said they would give top dollar for any 'Yota traded in for a Ford.  Trouble is you had to take home a vehemoth to complete the deal.  So you know the price difference was rolled onto the new deal, and any trade value was probably lost in creative mathmatics.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: r80rt on March 14, 2010, 03:37:29 am
If I was in the makket for a new vehicle, I'd buy a Toyota, no more GM products for me.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: clamp on March 14, 2010, 01:22:47 pm
They are great motors made in Japan, or down the road from where I live in leam Chabang I think. I would drive with the window down at all times if I were you so you can stick your head out of the window and shout ---"look out Ive no brakes, I cant stop"

   Mitsubish trucks are made down the road from where I live too --infact a lot of things are made down the road from where I live.

    Leam Chabang is a deep sea port and lots of stuff made here goes to America where you live.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: PhilJ on March 14, 2010, 02:08:50 pm
But now I'm reading that the latest guy claiming stuck accelerator is having his story questioned by both Toyota and NTSA.

Here's a link to the story; http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35855757/ns/business-autos/
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: t120rbullet on March 14, 2010, 02:21:23 pm
Did you see his interview on TV.
They were telling him to shut the key off and he told them he couldn't do that because it was all he could do to keep the car on the road.
But he could make a phone call!
The "government agency" says the key can't be turned off while the throttle is shut off? But yet this guy did?
It all reeks of hysterical press looking for some dribble for the masses.
CJ
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: REpozer on March 14, 2010, 05:07:45 pm
    Leam Chabang is a deep sea port and lots of stuff made here goes to America where you live.
Probably not as much stuff as you think coming to the U.S.
I heard Sea Land of Los Angelas has much fewer freighters coming into our ports. I guess people here are buying shoes and food these days.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: The Garbone on March 14, 2010, 11:57:01 pm
Was it on this board where they had the post about the ghost fleet...

I think Clamps posted something about that...

http://boingboing.net/2009/09/15/ghost-fleet-of-conta.html
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: RBHoge on March 15, 2010, 12:51:42 am
Last Century, I owned a '92 Diesel, long-bed pick up truck.  Never had a problem with it until I had put one hundred, thirty thousand miles on it. I had changed oil belts filters, etc. fairly much on schedule. At sixty thousand I changed the timing belt, only to see that the old one looked identical to the one I replaced it with. I am convinced that the darn truck, would not wear out. Then at one hundred, thirty thousand miles the body started to fall apart. I discovered the severity of the problem one winter day when I drove through a puddle of snowy slush, only to have the floor under my feet erupt in an icy blast up my right leg.  The only body panel that was not severely weakened or holed by rust was the tailgate, and it would fall off if left open.  I sold the faithful old truck to a fellow who donated it to a missionary church group.   I imagine that little truck is still out there somewhere in the third world happily running... without a body.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: RBHoge on March 15, 2010, 12:54:52 am
OOPS, that was a 1982 Toyota. I replaced it with a '92 AMC Eagle SX-4 which leaked oil so badly that I never changed the oil in three years, I only changed the oil filter and kept it topped up.
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: PaulF on March 15, 2010, 01:27:04 pm
You should check out the Top Gear episode where they try to destroy a Toyota HiLux diesel truck. They: hit it with a wrecking ball, dropped a camper on it, drowned it in the English Channel, drove it through a shed, set fire to it and placed it on the roof of a building that was imploded. Broke the frame but the truck still ran fine. Now, it's a permanant fixture on the Top Gear studio set.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5179975685121295378#
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: PhilJ on March 15, 2010, 07:39:35 pm
That was very interesting, but not surprising.
Then a started watching the Farrari....
Title: Re: More Toyota troubles
Post by: RBHoge on March 15, 2010, 08:20:04 pm
Not surprised at all. I would imagine that my old Toyota Diesel is still running somewhere.  The AMC SX-4 burned up on I-40 when the girl I sold it to let too much oil accumulate on the exhaust manifold.