Toyota a recall leader for 4 out of 5 past years!

[KrisZ]

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2013/12...-in-five-years/

I know, I know, some will say "but recalls are a sign of manufacturers being proactive and eliminating problems without affecting customers pockets" and I agree with that statement. However I still remember massive recalls from GM and Ford that were largely laughed at by the import crowd and hailed as a sign of poor quality. Coincidently a lot of GM and Ford models of the era had much to be desired.
Now that the tables have turned, Toyota also seem to have lots of models that have much to be desired, so perhaps recalls are a good gauge of manufacturers capabilities?

 

[NHGUY]

Its cost cutting.You can only cut so many corners and cheapen things so much before it catches up with you.Even the Japanese stuff isnt "bulletproof" anymore.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Toyota actually demanded its suppliers cut their prices or lose the business. Now it's finally catching up to them.

They were something in the old daze, but that was because the American mfgrs weren't playing the game. Now that everyone is all in it's a bit different, eh...

 

[michaelluscher]

I can't even rant about how far the Japanese have fallen anymore....
I'm too sad

 

[BHopkins]

What is hurting Toyota in regards to airbags, is the close relationship that Japanese automakers have with Takata. Japanese auto manufacturers have always given preference to Japanese suppliers. For airbags, that is Takata, which is the 3rd largest supplier of airbags.

However, Takata has always taken too many shortcuts on quality. They are deceptive with the customer, and put earnings before quality.

The reason this has hit toyota so hard, is they are not only one of Takata's largest customers, but also the largest auto manufacturer in the world. Consider this. Honda is somewhere around 8th, I believe.

 

[dishdude]

As much as I'd love to jump on a good bash the Japanese thread the way their fanboys put down domestics, the truth is that when you build a vehicle with so many parts from so many suppliers issues like this are likely to crop up. Toyota has been hit pretty hard the last few years, but it could just as easily be GM, Ford or VW next year.

All cars today are extremely high quality, yet all are susceptible to some failures. I never thought the Japanese nameplates as great as perceived and the domestics as bad as they were made out to be. Every manufacturer has built a few doozies.

 

[JC1]

I agree that Toyota's quality ain't what it used to be. I'm driving a 98 Sienna and I've been wanting to upgrade to something newer (albeit used), but doing my homework, I see there are more issues with the newer models than the older ones.

Regards, JC.

 

[Quest]

most segments of automotive prices in NA has remained fairly steady over the past 15 yrs: say, a corolla in the early 90s is around 14k to purchase; now, around 15k...

Factoring in the depreciation in money value, rising manufacturing costs for parts, etc. the ever tightening of emissions via EPA (OBD-II), which now relies extensively on electronic controls (more so than ever), additional air bags and controllers, yaw stability control, EBD, etc.

Costs manufacturers a lot more money you know. For that I wouldn't be all that surprised that given the complexity and costs to manufacture an automobile these days, there would be more recalls than ever.

cost-cutting in certain areas is only part of solution. more parts/components in automobiles (than what it used to be some 15+ yrs ago) will definitely lead to more issues.

Ever notice that nowadays most low end automobiles resorted to using hard plastic dashboards and trims? (as opposed to soft vinyl padded dashboards)? I noticed this in my dad's 7th gen civic, my fit, as well as my BIL's 12 corolla.

Q.

 

[crazyoildude]

Japanese cars were the best for a long time in the eighties and part of the 90's these days their quality is very bad.. After 2003 they went way down hill

 

[Falken]

I have a 2010 Honda Fit that barely missed the LMS recall so I didn't have to have that engine recall done.

I have owned it since November of 2010 and not one recall yet so far.

I am fairly happy with Honda, it is just too bad that they are a horrible deal to purchase used.

My next car purchase will probably be used. If Toyota looses some of it's resale value, that is the brand I will most likely purchase used.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Quest
most segments of automotive prices in NA has remained fairly steady over the past 15 yrs: say, a corolla in the early 90s is around 14k to purchase; now, around 15k...

Factoring in the depreciation in money value, rising manufacturing costs for parts, etc. the ever tightening of emissions via EPA (OBD-II), which now relies extensively on electronic controls (more so than ever), additional air bags and controllers, yaw stability control, EBD, etc.

Costs manufacturers a lot more money you know. For that I wouldn't be all that surprised that given the complexity and costs to manufacture an automobile these days, there would be more recalls than ever.

cost-cutting in certain areas is only part of solution. more parts/components in automobiles (than what it used to be some 15+ yrs ago) will definitely lead to more issues.

Ever notice that nowadays most low end automobiles resorted to using hard plastic dashboards and trims? (as opposed to soft vinyl padded dashboards)? I noticed this in my dad's 7th gen civic, my fit, as well as my BIL's 12 corolla.

Q.


Indeed, that's the main reason I'm holding on to my 90s car instead of moving "up" to something newer.

 

[GenSan]

All those recalls yet Toyota's resale value throughout their SUV/Truck division fetch top dollar. LINK

 

[SteveSRT8]

Not for everyone. Some of us aren't buying into the hype.

We routinely run all American trucks well beyond 200k miles without doing anything but fluid changes, brakes, and tires. There is an occasional hiccup, as there will be with ANY brand. But overall reliability has gotten so good that you even get 5 years FREE roadside assistance now with our truck's warranty.

And our resale is fantastic, even with very high miles. Admittedly, these are not cars, but they are a great value...