Toyota / Lexus Tidbits

[rrocket]

This appears to be more than floor mats  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYWqqgr7Wcg

Oh...were they also unable to bump the car into neutral??   

[quadzilla]

Just watched the video and did you see that Camry after it went into the Pacific? How did that guy survive?

Still, I'm shocked at the number of people that don't know to put the car in neutral in this situation....but then again I'm guess I'm really not. People just want the car to go from A to B but don't want to learn the basics.

I'm having a hard time believing the floor mat answer. Was it the electronics, who knows. Will they ever prove it was, probably not.

[rrocket]

Just watched the video and did you see that Camry after it went into the Pacific? How did that guy survive?

Still, I'm shocked at the number of people that don't know to put the car in neutral in this situation....but then again I'm guess I'm really not. People just want the car to go from A to B but don't want to learn the basics.

I'm having a hard time believing the floor mat answer. Was it the electronics, who knows. Will they ever prove it was, probably not.

Me too....me too...

[articsteve]

 

If I crash I'm gonna tell the Po Po it was the car, not ME! and then sue Toyota.  That is a much better strategy than owning up to the fact you suck as a driver.

Oh wait, I gotta be in the USA for that to happen where ppl successfully sue McDoanlds because when they spilled coffee on themselves they got burnt.  

[rrocket]

If I crash I'm gonna tell the Po Po it was the car, not ME! and then sue Toyota.  That is a much better strategy than owning up to the fact you suck as a driver.

Oh wait, I gotta be in the USA for that to happen where ppl successfully sue McDoanlds because when they spilled coffee on themselves they got burnt.  

Heh....it's true.  Sad but true.

[articsteve]

I'm having a hard time believing the floor mat answer. Was it the electronics, who knows. Will they ever prove it was, probably not.

40 million Toyotas out the door in the last five years and only a handlful of lawsuits in a country were there is absolutely no risk in being a plaintiff.

[tpl]

I watched that video and I don't see why one would not just turn off the engine... not all the way to lock the steering but just turn it off.

The driver was probably pushing the gas to the floor and wondering why she had no brakes.

Darwin award candidate.

[dorin]

WTF?  How the hell do regular boring Toyotas "suddenly surge" to 100+ mph?  If it sounds like a case of moron drivers and it looks like a case of moron drivers, then it's probably a case of moron drivers.

[TopGun]

I watched that video and I don't see why one would not just turn off the engine... not all the way to lock the steering but just turn it off.

Turning the engine off might cut off steering assist.  Given you don't expect it, I can see this being a big problem.

One thing I don't understand - Toyota owners are the smartest folks in the world right?...How can they make an error driving?

[Honda Owner]

Deja vu all over again, circa 1988 and Audi. How says hysteria does not repeat itself. In a sample group of 30,000,000 you are bound to find a couple of thousand idiots. Once the hysteria builds, so does the bandwagon.

[rrocket]

One thing I don't understand - Toyota owners are the smartest folks in the world right?...How can they make an error driving?

Just because they are smart buyers, doesn't mean they are smart drivers...

[tpl]

I watched that video and I don't see why one would not just turn off the engine... not all the way to lock the steering but just turn it off.

Turning the engine off might cut off steering assist.  Given you don't expect it, I can see this being a big problem.

One thing I don't understand - Toyota owners are the smartest folks in the world right?...How can they make an error driving?

It would indeed cut off assist and the brakes would lose their assist as well.   But you could get stopped or at least slowed down.    Enlighten me tho'   If you turn off the engine on a Slushbox equipped car do you get a lot of engine braking through the torque converter?

I don't understand why one could not just bang the selector into neutral tho'

[rrocket]

I don't understand why one could not just bang the selector into neutral tho'

That's the great mystery in all of this...

[2hondas]

Honestly, some people don't even know what some of the letters and numbers mean, on the gear shift. All they know is P, R, and D. 

[articsteve]

There is always an engineering solution.

http://www.yikers.com/video_mythbusters_-_the_car_ejection_seat.html

[Leviathan]

REPORT: Toyota plans to trim trucks, focus on hybrids, improve quality

by Jeremy Korzeniewski

Stick with what you know. That seems to be Toyota's new mantra going forward, as the Japanese automaker has reportedly diverted its attention away from large trucks like the largely unsuccessful and slow-selling Tundra pickup and back to hybrid vehicles – possibly all wearing the Prius badge, including a minivan and something smaller than the current Prius – and returning to its previous levels of unquestionable quality.

Atsushi Niimi, executive vice president for North America and global manufacturing, tells Automotive News that Toyota will try to build more longevity into its current lineup, addressing issues such as excessive rust and corrosion and introducing new "fail-safe functions" designed to minimize the possibility of "tragic accidents." We suspect that means push-button ignitions that can more easily shut down the car and floor mats that can't bunch up under the accelerator pedal.

In addition, Toyota will focus on the North American market, giving U.S. engineers a larger say when it comes to new vehicle design and the choices of which models make the overseas trek. To speed up the new model renaissance, Toyota will hold back on midcycle refreshes, instead working to get more substantial updates ready in less time.

On the manufacturing side, Toyota believes that it expanded too rapidly over the last decade and will attempt to slow down and restore the trust that customers had in the brand. Apparently, that slowdown will indeed affect the recently-built and still-idle plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi.

[Source: Automotive News (products, manufacturing) (quality) - Sub. Req'd]

[johngenx]

That is the right road.  Honda has the right idea for product: keep the line trim.  Yes, Honda has the somewhat ridiculous Ridgeline, but otherwise, they keep it pretty simple.

When I see Tacoma, Tundra, FJ Cruiser, Venza, Highlander, 4-Runner, Sequoia, and RAV-4, I know it's coming apart somewhere.

Look at the car lines: Yaris, (HB and sedan) Corolla (sedan and Matrix), Camry and um, well, not much more.  Sure, you could throw the Avalon on the list, but do they actually sell any of them?

I think:

Ditch the Tundra.  Keep the Tacoma and trim the line to one body style.  Throw out the Sequoia, 4-Runner and FJ Cruiser and make one "Land Cruiser" that is closer to the smaller gen of 4-Runner (the new is fat, fat, fat) and offer a cool diesel.  Keep the RAV-4.  Keep one of the Venza or Highlander.

So... my revised Toyota line

RAV-4
Venza
Land Cruiser
Tacoma

Yaris HB (why the sedan and Corolla sedan?  Seems silly)
Corolla
Matrix
Camry

Engines?  1.5L for Yaris, 1.8L for Corolla/Matrix, 2.4L for Camry and Venza, 3.5L V-6 for Camry and Tacoma and Venza and Land Cruiser.  2.5-3.0L turbo diesel for Land Cruiser.  Tacoma and Land Cruiser could share body on frame platform.  Camry and Venza share platforms.  Total platforms excluding Sienna and Prius?  Four.  Total engines excluding hybrids?  Five.

Prius remains.

Sienna remains, but update and perhaps think of a "Prius" driveline?  Otherwise use 2.4L and/or 3.5L from above.

[Erik]

One thing I don't understand - Toyota owners are the smartest folks in the world right?...How can they make an error driving?

Just because they are smart buyers, doesn't mean they are smart drivers...

Or, they are just idiots in both ways.

[articsteve]

That is the right road.  Honda has the right idea for product: keep the line trim.  Yes, Honda has the somewhat ridiculous Ridgeline, but otherwise, they keep it pretty simple.

When I see Tacoma, Tundra, FJ Cruiser, Venza, Highlander, 4-Runner, Sequoia, and RAV-4, I know it's coming apart somewhere.

Look at the car lines: Yaris, (HB and sedan) Corolla (sedan and Matrix), Camry and um, well, not much more.  Sure, you could throw the Avalon on the list, but do they actually sell any of them?

I think:

Ditch the Tundra.  Keep the Tacoma and trim the line to one body style.  Throw out the Sequoia, 4-Runner and FJ Cruiser and make one "Land Cruiser" that is closer to the smaller gen of 4-Runner (the new is fat, fat, fat) and offer a cool diesel.  Keep the RAV-4.  Keep one of the Venza or Highlander.

So... my revised Toyota line

RAV-4
Venza
Land Cruiser
Tacoma

Yaris HB (why the sedan and Corolla sedan?  Seems silly)
Corolla
Matrix
Camry

Engines?  1.5L for Yaris, 1.8L for Corolla/Matrix, 2.4L for Camry and Venza, 3.5L V-6 for Camry and Tacoma and Venza and Land Cruiser.  2.5-3.0L turbo diesel for Land Cruiser.  Tacoma and Land Cruiser could share body on frame platform.  Camry and Venza share platforms.  Total platforms excluding Sienna and Prius?  Four.  Total engines excluding hybrids?  Five.

Prius remains.

Sienna remains, but update and perhaps think of a "Prius" driveline?  Otherwise use 2.4L and/or 3.5L from above.

We thank the almighty that you are not running the Toyota North American show.    and what evidence is there that things at Toyota are coming apart; bogus floor mat claims 

Camry, Venza, Avalon all same platform made in same plant sharing same parts.  BTW, motors are 2.5; 2.7 and 3.5 V6.  All excellent.  Sienna and Highland same platform assembled in same plant in Indiana and share parts with the above-mentioned.  All doing fine in the sales department.

Sure, you could throw the Avalon on the list, but do they actually sell any of them?

Out sells LaCrosse, Grand Marquis and probably Lucerne if it weren't for the massive GM incentives.

Ditch the Tundra.  What the heck for?  They'd sell a whole lot more of them if they thru 8K on the hood like the domestics do.  When you see ppl driving Tundras, they chose to pay more because they are premium 1/2 tons and the resale values back that up.  Very soon one of the domestics will die.  Then the incentive money will dwindle and the Tundra will gain market share.  If Toyota comes thru with a Hino diesel it will be awesome.

Keep the Tacoma and trim the line to one body style.     That truck is GOLD.  It's the only mid sized pickup worth owning.  Ranger and Colorado sales together don't equal Tacoma.  Don't mess with success.

Just so you know the Taco, 4 Runner and FJ are the same platform and share many of the same running gear  Hino assembles both the the FJ and 4 runner in the same Japanese plant.  I think  the FJ is a goner.  Rav 4 is an awesome earner.

So there are 2 trucks platforms, 4 passenger car platforms plus the Pirus and not that many different motors and transmissions.

It's an awesome company and it re-organized very quickly.

[Patate]

Out sells LaCrosse, Grand Marquis and probably Lucerne if it weren't for the massive GM incentives.

they chose to pay more because they are premium 1/2 tons and the resale values back that up.  Very soon one of the domestics will die.  Then the incentive money will dwindle and the Tundra will gain market share.  If Toyota comes thru with a Hino diesel it will be awesome.

It's an awesome company and it re-organized very quickly.

Even Mr.Toyoda doesn't believe in his company as much as you do.  He recognizes there are serious flaws in his company.  Maybe he should listen to you.. the same way the guys at GM listened to some fanatics for decades before realizing their company was going to collapse.

The difference now though is that, in 2009, GM is building the greatest products there is, while Toyota is stuck with the same boring lineup with no major changes  coming anytime soon.