Toyota troubles

[kissmybASS01]

Well, now it gets interesting. It seems that current Toyota president Akio Toyoda (yes, not with a "T") is appearing before a foreign country's congress. This is huge news on several levels. Not only is the head of a major automotive giant acknowleging responsibility, but he is also for the lack of better explaination, attempting to save face and maintain "the essence of being Japanese." Hopefully, this will be something Toyota will be able to ride out the storm and eventually recover from this devestating time. If it worked for GM, surely it will work for Toyota as well.

Historically, major recalls have plagued virtually all manufacturers. Everything from the Pintos, the exploding gas tanks of the Crown Vics, GMs and Hondas with premature air bag deployment, and even the Japanese/US tire company Bridgestone/Firestone. Safety recalls are nothing new, and will continue to happen regardless of how careful we are.

As an aside:
I also find it interesting that it took this flurry of recalls (and several tragic deaths) for the media to declare Toyota as the world's largest automaker. Before these events occur the Big Three were the Big Three and Toyota was Toyota.

Just my take on this, and now I'm getting off my soap box

[tribus]

have you noticed that toyota slogan is "moving forward" that is because they cant stop.

[Steve]

Just wait until they announce that they can't maintain the quality they want with American workers and factories and are moving all their operations back to Japan....

[kissmybASS01]

Originally Posted by tribus

have you noticed that toyota slogan is "moving forward" that is because they cant stop.

lol

[kissmybASS01]

Originally Posted by Steve

Just wait until they announce that they can't maintain the quality they want with American workers and factories and are moving all their operations back to Japan....

Eventhough they could possibly afford to, (being the largest auto company) I don't think they would. The US, Canada and others would rape Toyota with extreme import duties as retaliation from the loud auto unions for taking away jobs.

[Woodchuck]

I guess hiring former NHSA members to curry favor has its price.

[IotaNet]

I personally believe that Toyota is getting its comeuppance.

This article appeared in Businessweek almost 6 months ago ...

Originally Posted by Businessweek Magazine - October 2, 2009

Toyoda on Toyota: "Grasping for Salvation"
Posted by: Kenji Hall on October 02, 2009

Akio Toyoda thinks he knows what’s wrong with Toyota, the world’s biggest car maker. Success has made it cocky. It has been expanding in an undisciplined fashion. It has been in denial about the peril it faces. Now Toyota is “grasping for salvation,” Toyota’s president told a news conference today at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo. “But I’m not the savior.”

Dramatic stuff. But the 53-year-old grandson of the company’s founder was merely trying to illustrate a point by borrowing language from Jim Collins, author of popular business books like “How the Mighty Fall”. Collins explained that great companies typically go through five stages on their path to ruin. Toyota is at the fourth stage; the final stage is “capitulation to irrelevance or death.”

Read the rest here: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbi..._on_toyot.html

The real irony in this situation is that Toyota is hurting precisely when the American Auto Industry is putting out some of the best cars in it's history.

Case in point: I recently got a Ford Fusion and after 1000 miles, I can tell you that so far, I can see why Motor Trend named it 2010 Car of the Year. It's really that good.

[TrooperFarva]

Originally Posted by kissmybASS01

I also find it interesting that it took this flurry of recalls (and several tragic deaths) for the media to declare Toyota as the world's largest automaker. Before these events occur the Big Three were the Big Three and Toyota was Toyota.

Toyota has been acknowledged as the largest automaker ever since it surpassed GM and took the title. The Big 3 just refers to the 3 largest automobile manufacturers in the US. They'll be the Big 3 until one or more of them collapse.

[LAG]

Toyota's quality has been going down hill for the last couple of years, a known fact inside the industry. GM has regained it's lead as the no.1 selling automaker.



Toyota: Moving Forward - Even If You Don't Want It To

[Philbiker]

It's a shame for Toyota. Hope they get it together. It's strange that the phenomenon is so rare. Anybody remember the similar problem with Audis in the early 80s? As it turned out there was never a problem at all, but that didn't stop Audi from being devastated. This Toyota problem as I understand it is incredibly rare. That's got to make it difficult to determine.

[kissmybASS01]

Originally Posted by TrooperFarva

Toyota has been acknowledged as the largest automaker ever since it surpassed GM and took the title. The Big 3 just refers to the 3 largest automobile manufacturers in the US. They'll be the Big 3 until one or more of them collapse.

I stand corrected.