Toyota recalls 790,000 vehicles

[RnJstel]

Recall’s are B.S. anyway. You can sit there and say how bad Ford is due to this recall, that quality problem etc.

The same applies for Toyota or whomever. Toyota has their own fair share of problems with the V-6 sludging, the 22R starting on its own etc. I would not blame Toyota for this recall, it is their sub-supplier and any Ford owner of the previous (pre 97) 4x4 F series or 4X2 Econoline knows about ball joints. Ford’s better idea of listing to Borg Warner with the “non-serviceable” ball joint.

The only real bad cars are some cheap Korean cars and the Fiat’s, SEAT’s, etc made in former Communist Block countries. Where Ford (and most American brands) is weak is its dealer network. That translates directly to decreased sales and loss of market share. Granted there are sub-issues such as the outsourcing of the support components to Mexico due to NAFTA and the Anti-Anglo Middle-Aged Male Engineer tear Ford (Ford in essence eliminated any “car guys” for a more diversified workplace) went on during Jerk Nasser’s reign.

Like it or not, to the customer the dealer is Ford. This board is proof, there are more stories here about “I hate Ford” due to a bad dealer issue. Each dealership is individually owned and operated and Ford has nothing to do with your service experience but, the majority of people don’t see it that way. Regardless of what you drive, you will have problems.

Anyway, Ford in the mid-90’s set about chopping the ‘SLTS” or service time labor standards across the board by 30-50% to save warranty costs. Jerk Nasser was the pied piper of Wall Street and stock soared as he trimmed fat. What Jerks did not realize is Ford makes cars not toasters or razor blades. The Technicians that work on your vehicles are paid by these SLTS’s. In essence they took a 30-50% pay cut to do the same job supplying their own tools. Would you not be bitter? Short cuts had to be taken, a ‘I don’t care” attitude is the norm at the dealerships. Talented men left (both on the dealer and corporate side) and were replaced by the TDT or ten dollar tech. The other domestic manufacturers followed suit. The Japanese and Germans have a more harmonious relationship with their dealerships and it shows. I could write volumes on how the renaissance of the American auto industry (lead by the 86 Taurus and Ford) was pissed away by corporate greed but, like any good story they are coming back.

In a nutshell, my own story is a microcosm of what happened. Up until 2001 I was a Ford Senior Master Technician and ran a mid sized L/M Dealer. Not to sound pompous, but a Ford SMT is the best of the best in the Ford technician world. It took years of Ford schooling, achieving full ASE Master with L1 etc. Ford rewards you fairly well for the achievement, free cruise, dinners, statues, name in a USA today article, Ultimate Master Tech challenge etc, it should be a life career once you reach that level. However, from 1998 onward I would lose 10% of my salary per year but be working longer hours. From making a fairly decent wage of 60K to suddenly 40K and be working longer, something is wrong here. Plus the addition of purchasing my own tools, etc. I and a lot of men I came up decided enough is enough.

I decided to leave, I was lucky enough to get a position as a Field Service Engineer for an OEM manufacture of Rail Vehicle Brakes, I currently run the Eastern US F/S contingent and life could not be better. Many others I know with similar credentials left for other similar transportation industries.

Ford and the other domestics, did it to themselves and the average customer with their greed whereas the Japanese did not.

It is not about vehicular quality, it was about corporate greed watering down every aspect of your vehicles. Sometimes I hope it not too late for Ford.

For you other Ford techs out there as a funny side bar, I was banned from QCDealer.com for posting a WallStreet Journal story from 2015 called "Toyota (NYSE T) buys now bankrupt Ford (NYSE F)". I had allready gave notice and did not care when the NY zone manager called the dealer principal.

[MACH & ROLL]

Thursday, May 19, 2005(Detroit News)


Toyota isn't immune to problems

Despite reliability image, automaker has had five recalls in the United States this year.

By Jeff Plungis / Detroit News Washington Bureau

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WASHINGTON -- Longtime quality champion Toyota Motor Corp. showed this week that it too is struggling with an industrywide increase in vehicle recalls.

The Japanese automaker is recalling 775,000 trucks and SUVs after customers told government investigators the vehicle's ball joints collapsed without warning, leading to a loss of steering control and sometimes thousands of dollars of damage.

The move, which Toyota describes as a "special service campaign," comes as industrywide recalls continue to climb. In 2004, automakers recalled a record 30.6 million cars and trucks even though overall quality is improving.

"We're seeing many more vehicle recalls today than we probably would have 10 or 20 years ago," said Chance Parker, head of product and research analysis at J.D. Power and Associates, a California-based consumer research firm.

Industry officials say improved warranty tracking systems and a giant government database created following the 2000 Firestone tire recall have led to greater scrutiny and a quicker trigger in ordering recalls.

And while Toyota has garnered a reputation among consumers for reliability, the truck recall shows it is not immune to quality problems.

The recall covers certain 2001-02 4Runner SUVs; 2001-04 Tacoma pickups; and 2002-04 Tundra pickups and Sequoia SUVs.

Most of the trucks are in the United States, but worldwide, the recall will affect approximately 880,000 vehicles.

Toyota said it would notify affected customers by mail beginning in late June. Dealers will replace the lower ball joint at no charge. Truck owners can contact their Toyota dealers with immediate questions about the recall.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been investigating the problem since November.

Consumers told NHTSA that their lower ball joints had separated, causing the suspension to collapse and them to lose control of their vehicles.

In one complaint, attached to official correspondence between NHTSA and Toyota, a truck owner in Buskirk, N.Y., said his ball joint gave way at 20 mph, causing the wheel to fold under the truck.

"This truck is well cared for, and there were no obvious signs of a problem prior to failure," the complaint noted.

It is the fifth recall Toyota has instituted this year.

In a statement, Toyota said it has only confirmed six cases of ball-joint failure causing loss of steering control.

"The front suspension lower ball joint is a wear item and must be periodically inspected and replaced in accordance with the vehicle's scheduled maintenance guide," the statement read.

Overall, Toyota said it has conducted five recalls this year in the United States affecting approximately 900,000 vehicles. In 2004, Toyota conducted nine recalls affecting 1,056,939 vehicles, according to NHTSA.

Toyota has also recalled this year:

• 92,577 Celica coupes from the 2000 and 2001 model years, to adjust daytime running lights, which could be too bright for oncoming drivers.

• 22,228 model year 2005 Tacoma pickups to tighten a lock nut on the parking brake pedal.

The ball-joint recall was the second time in a week that Toyota had a high-profile safety issue in the news. On Monday, the company said it would look into 13 complaints NHTSA has received about a possible software glitch that could cause the Prius hybrid car to stall at highway speeds.