Toyota recalls 790,000 vehicles

[Orange whip 04]

Toyota Motor Corp. recalled about 790,000 trucks and sport utility vehicles due to problems with the front suspension, the Japanese car giant said Tuesday.

Toyota officials were unable to say where the recall ranks in terms of the number of cars involved, but it is clearly among the company's biggest.

There have been two minor accidents relating to the mechanical defect but no injuries have been reported, according to Toyota spokeswoman Allison Takahashi.

The recall covers 2001-2004 model year Tacoma trucks, 2001-2002 4Runners and 2002-2004 models of both the Tundra and Sequoia.

The problem relates to a defect in a ball joint, which could make it more difficult for drivers to steer the vehicle.

Toyota said the recall will likely affect vehicles in Japan and some other countries but didn't give an overall target.

Vehicle owners will be notified by mail beginning in late June.

[GO2REDLINE]

HAHA! Looks like ford isn't the only one with recalls. Granted a GT is a lil different than a POS jap truck but still. Not 790K vehicles either.

J

[Orange whip 04]

Yeah, i know thats a big number.

[Blowngt92]

And everyone raves about Toyota's "reliability". It doesn't matter what manufacturer it is, they all have their issues. For some reason they just like to pick on Ford and Dodge.

[ZincDude]

Gee I don't have that problem with my Mach.

[BoulderMach]

I've owned a '99 Tacoma for 6 1/2 years. Never had a single problem. It's the only new vehicle I've ever owned that was absolutely perfect from the start. I never took it in for a single warranty issue. Nothing. It's a monster in the desert, able to climb absolutely anything (I just got back from 5 days near Moab), and a great road tripping/camping vehicle. I'd recommend one to anybody.

[BMF281]

To the person who commented on Toyotas reliability, they are the MOST reliable trucks and that is a proven fact. Go take a look at the runs that are made at MOAB and what not and tell me how many Toyotas you see there and how many Dodge/Chevy/Fords you see there. I cannot even begin to list the amount of times I went off-roading in my 87 and had to pull Chevys and Fords out of the mud with my "CARBd 4 banger", how pathetic is that. Don't get me wrong, I love my Mach 1 and all the other mustangs I have ever owned as well as the lightning I used to have, but Ford just plain sucks when it comes to fixing their problems and taking care of its customers. So far only 2 MINOR accidents have been reported and already Toyota is seeking to recall all those trucks and fix it ASAP. How many MAJOR accidents which left people injured did it take for ford to recall their exploders? Even then Ford would not take the blame for it and was blaming it all on Firestone.

[POLSMACH03]

My daily driver is the least expensive 98 Tacoma I think you could buy. Got 101K and have done zip; no problems. Not even brakes, exhaust, tune, nada. Only done oil changes.

Before that had same low cost 87 Mazda B2000; $6999 I think it was. Put 226K on her before RIP.

Not saying anything either way but these two rides sure have been good to me over the last 19 years.

[mach1dsg]

man, some of you guys are funny. toyota has one of the best reliability scores out there, if not the best. ford is a joke, how many times would they recall those dam explorers
i love my mach1, but is the only ford product i would own....

[TJ4Cam]

Originally Posted by mach1dsg

man, some of you guys are funny. toyota has one of the best reliability scores out there, if not the best. ford is a joke, how many times would they recall those dam explorers
i love my mach1, but is the only ford product i would own....

Total BS....The Japanese car companies have always tried to "tuck away" their deficiencies, while here in the US, our manufacturers have it all hanging out there for everybody to see. They have those "great scores" via the car mags and reports for a reason and it isn't because they build a better product.

My hats off to Ford for the GUTS to recall like they do, they are not wimps about it.....hey we have a problem here we think you should know about, sounds like a company I want to keep!

[machfelon]

Toyota recalls... Yeah I worked for a Toyota dealership in sales for a couple of years... That will hurt sales for a month or two on trucks then they'll bounce right back..

my mach has already had 2 problems (both warranty) repairs
****ing window switch broke and battery/chip problem (and the car has less than 6000 miles)

[BMF281]

Originally Posted by TJ4Cam

Total BS....The Japanese car companies have always tried to "tuck away" their deficiencies, while here in the US, our manufacturers have it all hanging out there for everybody to see. They have those "great scores" via the car mags and reports for a reason and it isn't because they build a better product.

My hats off to Ford for the GUTS to recall like they do, they are not wimps about it.....hey we have a problem here we think you should know about, sounds like a company I want to keep!

So Toyota recalling 790,000 vehicles is "hiding their deficiencies"?? I think you better check your facts buddy. The problem is that Ford barely EVER recalls vehicles when they should be. There are so many OBVIOUS problems with some of Fords line up right now and they just ignore the consumers and do nothing about it. BTW if you put all those "car mag reports" aside and look at what consumers are buying because they trust and know what is a better product then you will clearly see that recently both Ford and Chevy dropped drastically in the stock market, however Toyota increased by 21%. And don't even think about making price an issue because product for product Toyota is more expensive than our domestics. Do yourself a favor and go look at used trucks for sale and look at 7 year old trucks and compare pricing. You will notice that the Toyotas will be selling for ALOT more even though they are so old, this is because they hold value, and they hold value because they are known for being so durable.

[mach1dsg]

Originally Posted by TJ4Cam

Total BS....The Japanese car companies have always tried to "tuck away" their deficiencies, while here in the US, our manufacturers have it all hanging out there for everybody to see. They have those "great scores" via the car mags and reports for a reason and it isn't because they build a better product.

My hats off to Ford for the GUTS to recall like they do, they are not wimps about it.....hey we have a problem here we think you should know about, sounds like a company I want to keep!

tuck away their deficiences???, all of them have deficiences, bmw, ferrari,renault,toyota, ford,GM,Dodge,etc,etc.

the problem is not there, but what measures are you taking to correct the situation.
fack, ford has been recalling the explorer for how many times now ????
talk about ford recall ratio compared to other manufactures.... and i'm not talking united states alone. i'm talking about global quality.

i've been outside united states many times, mainly south america,europe and australia. there is no comparison between toyota quality and our manufacturers quality. they're improving, but they're not yet there.

and lastly, is not about guts, they're not putting out many recalls because they have guts, but because legal problems and a lot of money out of their pockets, a lot more than what they're already making out to correct their own lack of QA.

[blazinsteed]

and you don't think that has anything to do with them being made cheaply.... Give me an explorer over a spontaneously combusting crv anytime.... (yes I know thats a honda)... My point is My family has owned fords since as long as I can remember... And if you look at all the reports ford is nipping on their toes and well above bmw and other quality imports..... That quote was based off of 2004 numbers.

Roger

[BMF281]

Originally Posted by blazinsteed

and you don't think that has anything to do with them being made cheaply.... Give me an explorer over a spontaneously combusting crv anytime.... (yes I know thats a honda)... My point is My family has owned fords since as long as I can remember... And if you look at all the reports ford is nipping on their toes and well above bmw and other quality imports..... That quote was based off of 2004 numbers.

Roger

Being made cheaply?? A Toyota supra handling 700-800 HP on stock bottom end is considered cheap construction? So that would mean my Mach 1 is made out of a tinker toy set then huh? I lvoe Ford too and Chevy and any other domestic just as much as the next person but the fact of the matter is these domestic manufacturers are lacking BIG time.

[blazinsteed]

your also pulling the most expensive model the toyota monciker made to the tune of 40 k at that time I believe. And as I remember they had problems with them as well.

Roger

[MACH & ROLL]

Toyota does build a quality product, but every Toyota dealer has a full service dept just like everyone else.

[BMF281]

Originally Posted by blazinsteed

your also pulling the most expensive model the toyota monciker made to the tune of 40 k at that time I believe. And as I remember they had problems with them as well.

Roger

We are not discussing price we are discussing production street cars and the quality of build by the manufacturer. You are right there were issues with the rear speakers in the Supra and a few other minor things . If you want to talk price AND product, then lets talk about something that easily goes for 40+ from ford. Their larger F series trucks such as the F350s. Sure they are great trucks and have alot of advantages but take a look over at www.f150online.net and check out all the problems people are complaining about that Ford won't fix.

I myself have problems with my Mach and it completely escapes me how Ford would let things like this through. For instance, I have had my car in to fix the darn seat rubbing against the door issue god knows how many times. I agree its a dealer issue, however the reason the dealer has to fix it in the first place is because Ford did not engineer it correctly. Additionally the pillar noise that is common on the Machs is a royal pain and annoying. Ford's solution??? Stick a piece of foam somethiner or rather under it so that one pillar extrudes more than the passenger side one and the noise is still not gone. Great quality building if you ask me... even better fixes hehe

[RnJstel]

Originally Posted by BMF281

How many MAJOR accidents which left people injured did it take for ford to recall their exploders? Even then Ford would not take the blame for it and was blaming it all on Firestone.

The Explorer roll-over issue should not be blamed on Ford ever. The truth of the roll-over issue is it was the fault of the vehicle owners and not Ford.

The Explorer and Mountaineer were set to run at a lower pressure (28psi) for the optimum NVH characteristics. Although a truck, the average Explorer owner can not realize it is a truck and demands a ride characteristic similar to a sedan. They also are lax in fundamental responsibilities of ownership as in checking tire pressure regularly.

The vehicles that rolled were driven outside of the design envelope for a truck. We have all seen the idiot SUV driver whipping in and out of traffic at 90mph. This placed stresses on the belts of the tires due to under inflation and temperatures beyond the design range. The Firestone tire is less robust than the Goodyear tire that replaced it.

People have not changed their driving or maintenance habits on the Explorer, the only thing that changed is they no longer run the Firestone tire.

Nissan as well suffered the same “problem” with the Pathfinder but there is a 30 to 1 ratio of Explorers to Pathfinders, ergo Ford takes the bad press and bloodsucking lawyers get involved.

Does Toyota make a good car? Sure, there is no such thing as a bad car unless it comes from the former Communist Block or China.

Every manufacturer has the same problems as their sub-suppliers are all the same anyway. Where the Japanese excel is being able to better read warranty trends/failures and do faster cut-ins than US manufacturers. Toyota and other Japanese manufacturers have a better philosophy towards their dealers and does not try to slam them with b.s. warranty times etc.

It is not Toyota’s quality is better, its perceived notion of quality is. Ford is on the upswing, you can not undo Jaques Nasser’s nightmare reign overnight.

That being said, I would rather push a 75 Pinto than own any Toyota.

[BMF281]

RnJstel: I do agree with you to an extent about all manufacturers having problems and Toyotas ability to get in there and take care of this faster and nip them in the butt. However I disagree about Toyota still not engineering their stuff better.

"The rollover problem had not become a priority until a controversy erupted in the late 1980's over the rollover record of the Bronco II, which was also based on a Ranger pickup truck underbody. Ford however did not learn from its past mistakes. Using the Ranger's underbody for the Explorer too, this gave Ford the image it wanted, with the budget it needed. But while the Explorer looked roomy, its design actually limited the weight it could safely carry. By extending the passenger compartment and installing a second row of seats, Ford made the Explorer more than 600 pounds heavier than the Ranger but did not upgrade the suspension and tires to carry the bigger load. That meant a typically equipped Explorer could carry 1,025 pounds, even less than the 1,100 pounds for a Taurus. Many Explorers are built to carry as little as 900 pounds —a 150-pound person in each of five seats and 150 pounds of cargo. Ford also chose the same size tires it had long chosen for the Ford Ranger. Those tires had the lowest possible rating for withstanding high temperatures. And when Ford lowered the recommended tire pressure in 1989 to increase stability and soften the ride, it also further reduced the tires' ability to carry weight without overheating. Tire pressure has of course become an issue in the Firestone controversy, with Firestone arguing that the lower recommended pressure — 26 pounds per square inch, compared with 35 for the Ranger — had contributed to the tires' failure, especially where Explorers were being driven at high speeds in during the hot summer months."

I would think that this proves Ford's inability to recognize their mistakes and fix them before future production takes place. It occured back with the Bronco II and occured again with the explorers, all due to the same issue. Ironic isnt it hehe...

[RnJstel]

You can’t really compare the Bronco2 instability to the Explorer tire issue. The Bronco2 has an inherently short wheelbase along with a high center of gravity.

That is a recipe for disaster for the average John-Jane Doe. Similar situation to the Suzuki “Somersault”. I also chalk that up to drivers.

The funny thing is the class action lawsuit for the Bronco 2 was to provide the owners with a Bag phone (this was 1992) and add a visor warning with a video on how to drive the vehicle.

The “ESUVEE.COM” ads you see are actually paid for by Ford due to the tire issue. As I said, the Firestone Wilderness AT tire is less robust than the Goodyear Wrangler that replaced it. Nothing has changed with the Explorer only the tire. I don’t know where you got that quote but, it is wrong. Tire Pressure was set to 28psi not 26, the problem usually occurred at 20psi and an extended high speed operation.

[BMF281]

Tire Pressure was set to 28psi not 26, the problem usually occurred at 20psi and an extended high speed operation.

I got the information straight from Ford's research....

Teams from Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone recognize Ford Explorer rollover due to tread leaving casing in the Venezuelan Tire Survey of problem tires. Suggested possible causes are excessive speed (173 Km/hr (26 Km in 9 minutes)), heavy load (8 passengers plus luggage), and high pavement temperature (55 degrees Celsius at 1:20 pm). Suggested possible results were tire fatigue and separations. 132 tires inspected at dealers in 4 locations revealed 8 underinflated tires (Wilderness P255/70R/16AT and P235/75R/15ATX)

The teams suggested as one of the possible actions to improve the circumstances in Venezuela, increasing the recommended inflation pressure on the vehicle from 28 to 30 in the front and from 26 to 30 in the back. The 30 psi standard was considered to be the USA standard of inflation.

[tims04mach1]

i work at the toyota plant in G-town Kentucky on the assembly line. we build great cars bottom line. a deficient ball joint does not mean bad truck design. suppliers have their issues too and that reflects bad on the auto manufacturer. i have owned 6 toyotas in the past and they've all been great, my wife has an 05 camry xle and i have my mach. but my mach already needs to go into the shop for some piss poor quality issues, and it only has 2500 miles on it. i love mustangs but ford and especially GM and chrysler have nothing on toyota on dependability and overall quality.

[FloridaOrange]

Originally Posted by RnJstel

The “ESUVEE.COM” ads you see are actually paid for by Ford due to the tire issue.

Those commercials rock!!!!!!!!

[grimreefer]

All's I know is that my grandmother's Corolla and Camry were utter crap. The Corolla was constantly in for repairs until they finally took the POS back and sold her an even bigger POS Camry.

Now my cousin's Yota on the other hand... helluva truck with just a couple of minor problems that were easily rectified early on.