I am not sure if the US-made components are the same specs as the Japanese ones, but they should be. If not, there you go: evidence of a difference, the difference that is making the US-built one worse. The Japanese-built Toyotas use Japanese components. I know some of the supplier are even from Toyota City in Japan. (Toyota is a place in Japan) What I am curious to see is how some of the new Lexus RX330s are going to turn out. For the first time, a Lexus is going to be built outside of Japan. Some the new RXs are being built in Canada.
Unbiased Toyota Report/Problem
- Thread starter JohnBrowning
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After owning a few American and Japanese cars, I've decided the Japanese cars are superior in both assembly and engineering. A couple of examples -
I bought a new Mustang in 1990. After about 2-3 years, but of course after the warranty expires, the wiper motor goes out. I go get a new one, and the design is identical to the one that failed. And yes, it lasts 2-3 years. When it fails, I go get another new motor. By now they've completely redesigned it but it's not a bolt in. I have to cut and splice the wires to install it. No adapter plug is provided.
Poor engineering, and twice at that. And keep in mind by 1990 they'd been building these cars 10 years and had plenty of time to get it right.
While installing an antenna in the rear window I notice this "lump" under the insulation that's glued to the body under the rear seat. I poke around and what do I find? An "extra" right hand rear seat hinge bracket. Just laying there. Some UAW drone had just stuck the insulation down over it, and they just grabbed another later to install the seat. Poor assembly.
When the car had about 2000 miles I decide to install some Koni shocks and struts. The front struts on the Fox Mustangs are held to the spindle with 2 high strength fine thread bolts. Torque spec on these bolts is 195-205 ft/lbs. IOW, breaker bar and a long &^% cheater and they "crack" when you break them loose. The left strut bolts are true to every one I've ever done. Tight! The first bolt on the right doesn't seem all that tight. In fact, I took the second bolt out with a 3/8" drive ratchet with just my hand. It's was more like 15-20 ft/lbs tops. *Really* poor assembly and
Contrast the above to my 1980 Corolla, a car that was a complete redesign in that year. After about 3-4 years the fuel gage starts to give inaccurate readings. I deduce it's the sender get a new one from the Toyota store. When I remove the old one I notice the new sender is a complete redesign. But it bolts and plugs right in and worked until I got rid of the car 10 years later. Problem identified and an immediate design change is implemented to correct it and do it cleanly.
I could come up with *lots* more of these by comparing something like Honda motorcycles to Harley Davidsons, Briggs and Stratton to Kawasaki, etc., but I won't. I think the point is obvious.
I don't fault American engineers much but maybe that's because "I are one." I will say though, when an engineer is lucky to ever make $75K a year while the sales and marketing and MBA guys are all over 6 figures and don't have to worry about their stuff working or people dying if they screw up, it's not hard to understand why bright people aren't standing in line to go to engineering school...
I bought a new Mustang in 1990. After about 2-3 years, but of course after the warranty expires, the wiper motor goes out. I go get a new one, and the design is identical to the one that failed. And yes, it lasts 2-3 years. When it fails, I go get another new motor. By now they've completely redesigned it but it's not a bolt in. I have to cut and splice the wires to install it. No adapter plug is provided.
While installing an antenna in the rear window I notice this "lump" under the insulation that's glued to the body under the rear seat. I poke around and what do I find? An "extra" right hand rear seat hinge bracket. Just laying there. Some UAW drone had just stuck the insulation down over it, and they just grabbed another later to install the seat. Poor assembly.
When the car had about 2000 miles I decide to install some Koni shocks and struts. The front struts on the Fox Mustangs are held to the spindle with 2 high strength fine thread bolts. Torque spec on these bolts is 195-205 ft/lbs. IOW, breaker bar and a long &^% cheater and they "crack" when you break them loose. The left strut bolts are true to every one I've ever done. Tight! The first bolt on the right doesn't seem all that tight. In fact, I took the second bolt out with a 3/8" drive ratchet with just my hand. It's was more like 15-20 ft/lbs tops. *Really* poor assembly and
Contrast the above to my 1980 Corolla, a car that was a complete redesign in that year. After about 3-4 years the fuel gage starts to give inaccurate readings. I deduce it's the sender get a new one from the Toyota store. When I remove the old one I notice the new sender is a complete redesign. But it bolts and plugs right in and worked until I got rid of the car 10 years later. Problem identified and an immediate design change is implemented to correct it and do it cleanly.
I could come up with *lots* more of these by comparing something like Honda motorcycles to Harley Davidsons, Briggs and Stratton to Kawasaki, etc., but I won't. I think the point is obvious.
I don't fault American engineers much but maybe that's because "I are one." I will say though, when an engineer is lucky to ever make $75K a year while the sales and marketing and MBA guys are all over 6 figures and don't have to worry about their stuff working or people dying if they screw up, it's not hard to understand why bright people aren't standing in line to go to engineering school...
I've heard it claimed that Ford's pickup trucks last much longer than their passenger cars do.quote:
Originally posted by tpi:
Something tells me the Toyota would require less repair over 200K miles but who knows
I wouldn't be surprised if that's because the average pickup truck owner took better care of their vehicle.
Most of the guts of both Ford pickup trucks and passenger cars are the same. A 1988 F150 would have the same 2G alternator that my 1988 Mustang had (before I replaced it with something better), for example.
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