Furor over Toyota recall?

[The Doctor]

Isn't this a conflict of interest on the part of our government, which owns such a stake in Government Motors?

Where were they during all the other recalls? (http://biggovernment.com/brjohnson/2010/02/17/toyota-and-the-union-backed-government-led-witch-hunt/)

Isn't this the worst kind of protectionism? One which is predicated on the special interest of the UAW?

[JRINJAX]

If Toyota were to give in to UAW organization, the Obama administration would immediately drop all of the hearings.
I have had several cars in the past where the throttle was pinned by a mat or bottle pushing the accelerator. I just calmly moved the bottle/slid the mat back instead of calling 911 and crashing at 120+ MPH. I have also had a new American made van where the anti-lock brakes failed and went to the floor.
My Wife's Honda Pilot will have the brakes "stutter" on some of the very rough roads up in Yankeeland at high speeds, just like the Prius's do. It is a matter of the tires leaving contact with the ground and the problem can be fixed by using the road taxes to fix the roads....

[forged alloy]

IMO Toyota is more to blame in this than any Gov - Union conspiracy.

An old adage in business is "your first loss is your least". What's biting Toyota is that appears rather then just openly confronting and dealing with a potential personal safety defect years ago, they have stonewalled and sidestepped it for a long period of time. Rather than taking bold initial actions, they have been dragged kicking and screaming into the arena.

Horrible PR, horrible decision making which they will be paying a heavy price for years to come. There always seemed to be an eloof arrogance to their company. Feature to feature their vehicles were overpriced, but they would point to their quality reputation as the reason, and people were willing to pay the price. The dealership experience reflected this.

They may recover eventually, but I feel this will cost them big time, for a long time. I don't feel a bit sorry for them.

I also believe that our domestics are on a more workable path to advanced technology. Ethanol, hydrogen, batteries are dog and pony shows. The real answer is higher tech petroleum internal combustion powerplants.

[jmac00]

In fact, the differences in efficiency and productivity (and why the unions are determined to penetrate Toyota’s workforce), do not stop there. When GM fired over 35,000 employees between 2006 and 2008, Toyota laid off zero. GM loses almost $2,500 in profitability per vehicle where Toyota makes almost $1,500 per vehicle. This is largely due to GM’s forced union contracts. GM’s union, the United Auto Workers (UAW) mandates that GM pay, on average, each non-skilled line worker about $33 dollars per hour. This inflated wage includes workers who are “idle,” meaning they don’t have a specific job that day, but can still come to work, sit in a special facility and collect a pay check

this one paragraph says volumes about why Unions are very bad for the automotive business.:patriot:

[JRINJAX]

IMO Toyota is more to blame in this than any Gov - Union conspiracy.

An old adage in business is "your first loss is your least". What's biting Toyota is that appears rather then just openly confronting and dealing with a potential personal safety defect years ago, they have stonewalled and sidestepped it for a long period of time. Rather than taking bold initial actions, they have been dragged kicking and screaming into the arena.

Horrible PR, horrible decision making which they will be paying a heavy price for years to come. There always seemed to be an eloof arrogance to their company. Feature to feature their vehicles were overpriced, but they would point to their quality reputation as the reason, and people were willing to pay the price. The dealership experience reflected this.

They may recover eventually, but I feel this will cost them big time, for a long time. I don't feel a bit sorry for them.

I also believe that our domestics are on a more workable path to advanced technology. Ethanol, hydrogen, batteries are dog and pony shows. The real answer is higher tech petroleum internal combustion powerplants.

What ever happened to having to do periodic maintenance and having a finite warranty period like almost every other product?

The manufacturers of air conditioning equipment tell you to "go-fly-a-kite" when the fins on the condenser coils fall off after 6 years or the base pans on large RTUs rust out/collapse after 5 years.

Why should Toyota be responsible for replacing a gas pedal that is worn out on a 8 year-old vehicle with 60,000 miles?

We have nothing but trouble with the brakes on our heavy loaded American Service Vans but the Manufacturers have no interest in participating in the repair cost/redesign of the brakes on them.

We also have 80% failure rate on the palstic van radiators but are never reimbursed since they fail after the warranty..

[forged alloy]

The manufacturers of air conditioning equipment tell you to "go-fly-a-kite" when the fins on the condenser coils fall off after 6 years or the base pans on large RTUs rust out/collapse after 5 years.

The key is death and/or personal injury, and the appearance of a cover-up.

[JRINJAX]

I can't tell you how many dirtbikes, streetbikes, Go-karts, minibikes and boat throttles have stuck wide open on me in the past. They were machines and machines wear out or break. If I took good care of them they did not do it.

[Pneuma]

this one paragraph says volumes about why Unions are very bad for the automotive business.:patriot:

The problem with the paragraph is there is no force and there in no union mandate. The relationship between a union and management is defined by the terms in a contract that is only valid when agreed to and signed by both sides. I'm not defending auto workers or techers or any other unions. But this point is always missed by antiunion crowds, that a bad union contract has to be signed by both sides and so both sides should share in the blame for how bad it is.

[forged alloy]

The problem with the paragraph is there is no force and there in no union mandate. The relationship between a union and management is defined by the terms in a contract that is only valid when agreed to and signed by both sides. I'm not defending auto workers or techers or any other unions. But this point is always missed by antiunion crowds, that a bad union contract has to be signed by both sides and so both sides should share in the blame for how bad it is.

True to an extent, but there is an extortive power held by the unions and supported by the government, backed with the eventual threat of violence and disruption and shut down of a private enterprise.

It is not a free, uninfluenced agreement between the two parties. This point is always dismissed by the pro-union crowd.

[ga-hvac-tech]

I wondered why the Obama crowd was sooo quiet lately... it appears they may go after Toyota to buy the votes of the UAW...

When are we the people going to wake up and put a stop to this stupidity...

Guaranteeing a level playing field for ALL players is the only thing a government should be involved in when it comes to auto manufacturing.

[jmac00]

I wondered why the Obama crowd was sooo quiet lately... it appears they may go after Toyota to buy the votes of the UAW...

When are we the people going to wake up and put a stop to this stupidity...

Guaranteeing a level playing field for ALL players is the only thing a government should be involved in when it comes to auto manufacturing.


we had that til the "card check" came along :patriot: