Toyota's Lexus Problem

[Yokohammer]

Good overview here:

Thanks for that Cat! Good article.

This comment on Toyota's media connections is interesting too:

NIFCO, a major parts supplier for Toyota, for example, owns the Japan Times, the country's oldest English-language daily.

Who knew?

[Kuang_Grade]

This is getting interesting. The owner and CEO of GM, Barrie Obama has got his Chicago mob opening all sorts of congressional inquiries and investigations of Toyota. He may end up inadvertently helping them by putting forth data showing where the incidents and deaths caused by Toyota have been more within acceptable limits than what are being alleged.

At any rate, it is starting to be seen in Japan more and more as Japan-bashing revised. As an owner of about 10 different Toyotas over the years, I think the Japan side may have a valid point here about not getting a level playing field here.

I don't know about this Greji....it is not like folks are going to be thinking to themselves "gee, I better get a GM, because after all it will merely fall apart and lose half its value when I drive it off the lot...not like a toyota that will last but it might kill me". For any potential customers that Toyota is going to lose, I'm willing to bet that 85% are just going to buy a Honda, Nissan, Subaru, or probably possibly consider a Hyundai...Ford might get some as well, since they actually have some fuel efficient cars to sell. GM only has Chevy for smaller and midsize cars now, and even then most than half of the Chevy line up is trucks/SUVs.

I'm sure that J news will put some paid-off-to-quit UAW dude protesting Toyota about the NUMMI plant (conveniently ignoring the fact that GM is the one the pulled the plug on that factory and left Toyota holding the bag) on the air, but I don't see much J baiting in this story...Yeah, it never helps with the local angle when the head guys are in some other country and don't speak English flawlessly (nor are members of congress shy about blowing smoking to make themselves look good when the opportunity presents itself, esp if it can also carry water for some favored hometown group as well), but the fact of the matter is that there are now 3 separate recalls now and even the head Toyota US guy says he is not 100% certain these recalls will fix the problems. People are still pissed about the various bailouts (if not corporations in general), but most of those were personally abstract for most people...but in this case, it is something in their driveway and it is involving millions of car owners. If this was Ford, I think it would be playing out 90%+ exactly the same way...Ford got the shit kicked out it for the better part of two years over the Ford Explorer tire problems ten years ago, and that was something relatively easy to understand and easy-ish to fix, unlike what's is going on now with Toyota.

If the field is slanted, it is only because Toyota's own missteps and poor communication have put them in that position. This story has been going on for years at a low level and they haven't been able to solve the problem and they just keep coming up with 'solutions' that don't seem to work and/or sound like bullshit...After a certain point, US folks are just going to call bullshit on everything that they have to say, and I'm pretty sure that point has been reached.

[FG Lurker]

Israel Preps World's First Hybrid Car Radiation Scale
The Truth About Cars, March 1, 2010

Hybrid cars may be green, but are they dangerous? According to Israel's of Environmental Protection, this may be the case.

[...]

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) recommends a limit of 1,000 mG (milligauss) for a 24 hour exposure period. While other guidelines pose similar limits, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) deemed extended exposure to electromagnetic fields stronger than 2 mG to be a "possible cause" for cancer. Israel's Ministry of Health recommends a maximum of 4 mG.

[...]

Last year, Israeli automotive website Walla! Cars conducted a series of tests on the previous generation Toyota Prius, Honda Insight and Honda Civic Hybrid, and recorded radiation figures of up to 100 mG during acceleration. Measurements also peaked when the batteries were either full (and in use) or empty (and being charged from the engine), while normal driving at constant speeds yielded 14 to 30 mG on the Prius, depending on the area of the cabin.

Last year, Israeli automotive website Walla! Cars conducted a series of tests on the previous generation Toyota Prius, Honda Insight and Honda Civic Hybrid, and recorded radiation figures of up to 100 mG during acceleration. Measurements also peaked when the batteries were either full (and in use) or empty (and being charged from the engine), while normal driving at constant speeds yielded 14 to 30 mG on the Prius, depending on the area of the cabin.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection is expected to publish the results of the study this week. The study will group hybrids sold in Israel into three different radiation groups, reports Israel's Calcalist. It's expected that the current-gen Prius will be deemed 'safe', while the Honda Insight and Civic Hybrid (as well as the prev-gen Prius) will be listed as emitting 'excessive' radiation.

[...] Local Toyota and Honda dealers, of course, are not exactly gleaming with joy, and already hired the services of two lobbying companies to try and call off the publication of the new scale. The two companies, in a surprising display of unison, claim that many electronic devices and gasoline powered cars emit similar and even higher levels of radiation, and deem the study unfair due to the lack of participation of conventional cars.

(Full Story)

Toyota certainly isn't getting any breaks these days. It should be interesting to see how this one unfolds for all current electric and hybrid cars.

[Taro Toporific]

Edmunds.com offers $1-million prize for Toyota fix
--The auto information and pricing company is launching a public competition to find a solution to the carmaker's unintended-acceleration problem.--
latimes.com - 2010 March 03
...If there is only one person who can re-create unintended acceleration in a car and then solve that problem and prove the whole thing to us, then they'll get $1 million," Edmunds Chief Executive Jeremy Anwyl said.
Toyota has recalled millions of vehicles to fix sudden-acceleration problems, but Edmunds spokesman Chintan Talati said that Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales USA, left doubts in his appearance before a congressional panel that the company had fully resolved the issue.
"He said himself that he's not 100% certain that this is the only fix or the only problem," Talati said. "So we don't know the problem is really fixed, and that's what this contest is about."
...more...

[james]

Toyota certainly isn't getting any breaks these days.

yeah, or even any brakes

[Mike Oxlong]

[Takechanpoo]

[YT]lZ4PtafRB9c[/YT]

[Takechanpoo]

[YT]lZ4PtafRB9c[/YT]
I hope this guy will not be assassinated by Obama-GM allies.

[Takechanpoo]

[FG Lurker]

You can still deny this Toyota fuss was a put-up job by U.S government=U.S. car industry ally?

Certainly the US media has been happy to jump on the "bash Toyota bandwagon" but Toyota fucked up royally and tried to hide problems. Mitsubishi did the same thing in Japan and got treated in much the same way by the Japanese press.

[nottu]

[Taro Toporific]

... Toyota fucked up royally and tried to hide problems. Mitsubishi did the same thing in Japan and got treated in much the same way by the Japanese press.

Has any of you FGs ever had a software related anomoly with your car?

The super-whoopee keyless electronic ignition of my Nissan Fuga 35GT (Infiniti M35) occasionally "forgets" how to shift into gear if:

I previously have been watching the DVD or TV while parked]

Completely turn off the TV or DVD;
Then start the car and try to drive the car---No go.

The only way I can get the car into gear and move, is to "reboot" it by turning it off. A few times I have had disconnect the battery to "reboot" the car so it would "forget" that I was watching the TV while parked.

Thank Buddha at least this glitch in the electronic ignition switch is a non-moving one---I'd hate to reboot the car while driving or at a stoplight. (I scream at anyone who tries to use the my car's TV at one of the infamous 4-minute stoplights like the junction at Hwy 16 and Hwy 246.)

[james]

seems like you're in good company with these folks:

You ever had to reboot you car?

[FG Lurker]

Has any of you FGs ever had a software related anomoly with your car?

Well, the speedo in the Legacy is out by 10% -- it displays 10% faster than the car is actually moving. The car knows exactly how fast it is going, displays the wrong value on the speedo. I know this because:

a) The "put your fucking seatbelt on" screaming tone starts at a displayed 22kph when the tone itself is set to come on at 20kph.

b) The cruise control in these cars only works up to 100kph. Magically though mine will work at up to (a displayed) 110kph.

c) The after market GPS radar detector thingy in the car displays the true GPS calculated speed. Unsurprisingly it displays 100kph at the maximum cruise control speed and consistently displays a true calculated speed 10% less than the speedo shows.

d) After arguing with Subaru about this several times they put the car on a dyno* to test it out. Sure enough, when the dyno was rolling at 40kph the car displayed 44kph.

Even though they were forced to agree that the speedo is wrong they still refused to fix it, claiming that being out by 10% is within the acceptable range. I told them to fix it or I won't be buying any more Subarus... They still refuse to fix what is broken so Subaru won't be getting any more of my money. Nice cars, shitty customer service.

* The dyno setup was pretty hilarious. The car is AWD, but they only had a 2WD dyno at the dealership. So the guy stuck a floor jack under the rear of the car and lifted it up. He then proceeded to run the car on the dyno with just the floor jack stopping the rear wheels from hitting the ground and the car launching itself into the wall...

[Doctor Stop]

I previously have been watching the DVD or TV while parked]

Completely turn off the TV or DVD;
Then start the car and try to drive the car---No go.

I bet the service manual says "don't turn the TV or DVD off then".

[Taka-Okami]

Israel Preps World's First Hybrid Car Radiation Scale
The Truth About Cars, March 1, 2010

Toyota certainly isn't getting any breaks these days. It should be interesting to see how this one unfolds for all current electric and hybrid cars.

I actually own a gauss meter and a toyota prius, and thus have tested my car. While driving, I hardly ever saw the guage go over 200 micro gauss (thats right, micro). Only during start up did it spike to 500 micro gauss. The measurements were taken in the drivers seat and I have not tested other areas of the car, as I dont care what they are because 95% of the time I'm alone. Basically the above article is crap because they never tell you where the measurements were made. Your microwave puts out shit loads more, hell even putting a gauss meter close to ANY transformer will yield large results. I wonder how close these clowns put the meter to the motor or batteries .....

[wuchan]

I actually own a gauss meter and a toyota prius, and thus have tested my car. While driving, I hardly ever saw the guage go over 200 micro gauss (thats right, micro). Only during start up did it spike to 500 micro gauss. The measurements were taken in the drivers seat and I have not tested other areas of the car, as I dont care what they are because 95% of the time I'm alone. Basically the above article is crap because they never tell you where the measurements were made. Your microwave puts out shit loads more, hell even putting a gauss meter close to ANY transformer will yield large results. I wonder how close these clowns put the meter to the motor or batteries .....

congratulations on owning a usles car.
[YT]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dKTOyiKLARk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dKTOyiKLARk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YT]

[Taka-Okami]

congratulations on owning a usles car.
[YT]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dKTOyiKLARk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dKTOyiKLARk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YT]

ROFL you globalwarmists make me laugh.

I dont give a shit how much energy it took to make it. I got it cheap secondhand and the running costs are almost nothing. At the end of the day, how much it hits my pocket is all the matters.

[climb678]

[Mike Oxlong]

Lewis Black hit the nail on the head with Toyota, among others...

[cc]340596[/cc]

[hakosukajd]

* The dyno setup was pretty hilarious. The car is AWD, but they only had a 2WD dyno at the dealership. So the guy stuck a floor jack under the rear of the car and lifted it up. He then proceeded to run the car on the dyno with just the floor jack stopping the rear wheels from hitting the ground and the car launching itself into the wall...

Bad juju. This puts the lifted drivetrain at a relatively severe angle outside of its normal operating characteristics. This can cause severe wear and damage rather quickly, particularly to differentials.

You'd think Subaru would know better.

Why the hell does a company which builds a vast majority of their vehicles in a 4/AWD configuration not have either a four wheel dyno, or an additional set of rollers built into the floor.

SuperAutobacs has them for f sakes....why not a designated service facility for their cars....

[Coligny]

Bad juju. This puts the lifted drivetrain at a relatively severe angle outside of its normal operating characteristics. This can cause severe wear and damage rather quickly, particularly to differentials.

Suspension drop is not supposed to be that excessive in production cars... if only to allow enought lift for changing wheel with the craptacular OEM jacklift.

Now, not putting the back on jackstand is recklessly stupid (albeit quite typically japanese-choosen people behaviour)

Out of curiosity, did the lifted wheels turn under power ?

[Takechanpoo]

[Yokohammer]

Backed-by-GM Obama administration blocked real informations about Toyota acceleration problem

Confirmed that not conspiracy theory but real conspiracy, as I have thought.
[SIZE="7"]Fuck you[/SIZE]

Very mature of you Take.

What this means is that the US has a system of checks and balances that often weeds out issues like this. You'll note that all of this has been uncovered internally, not by some Toyota ninja.

What you should have said was "Thank You."

[Greji]

[SIZE="7"]Fuck you[/SIZE]

Nice of you to ask, but this is no time for romance Take baby, we're getting it free over at Toyota...

[Tsuru]

Interesting to know that cars are now fitted with black boxes.... hopefully that will make this shit a thing of the past

[Coligny]

Interesting to know that cars are now fitted with black boxes.... hopefully that will make this shit a thing of the past

Dood

Dat' sh1t iz as old as smarter airbagz...

In one form or another... they have slowly taken place, mostly to screw you out of warranty... The only thing that is still not done, is having unified interface/protocols... like OBDII on euro cars....

[Tsuru]

Sorry, my new car is 1998 vintage and barely has airbags. The only other electronic components it has are the engine and ABS computers, the stereo and a few bits in the cluster... everything else is either analog, hydraulic or mechanical. It's perfect.

[FG Lurker]

Sorry, my new car is 1998 vintage and barely has airbags. The only other electronic components it has are the engine and ABS computers, the stereo and a few bits in the cluster... everything else is either analog, hydraulic or mechanical. It's perfect.

Thought you were going to buy a new Volvo?

[Tsuru]

I was, and then I had an epiphany: an S60 or V70 doesn't fit in our garage properly.

The only things this car has incommon with a Volvo S60 is the fact that it is European and also a sedan. That's where the similarities end...