Friday 22nd October 2010

Toyota Recalls 1.5 Million Cars Over Brake Worries

Another week, another global recall for Toyota (and Lexus)

---

Can you see the tarnish on that badge?

Worries over brake and fuel pump defects have caused Toyota to issue a recall for 1.5 million cars globally. This takes its total number of vehicles recalled during the past year to more than 10 million and its tally of separate recall for 2010 to 14.

The latest recall will affect 740,000 cars in the US, 600,000 in Japan and 17,000 in the UK and covers some Toyota Highlander and Avalon models and various Lexuses. UK models affected are some IS, GS and RX models built between 2003 and 2005.

Toyota has revealed that fluid may be leaking from some cars' brake master cylinders. This could cause a spongy brake pedal and a gradual decline in braking performance - although Toyota says that even when the brake warning light is triggered, the car still has 200 miles to go before braking performance begins to deteriorate.

To be fair to Toyota, you can't fault the lengths it's prepared to go to in order to show that it's doing everything it can to make sure its cars are safe - but5 a 1.5 million car recall has got to be the last thing ToMoCo's bruised public image needed...

[Andrew[MG]]

Where did it all go wrong?

[rutthenut]

Hope the master cylinder leak isn't above a hot exhaust manifold. Might give rise to one more potential problem - that stuff does catch fire rather easily!

Disastrous record at Toyota lately with all these recalls. Customer confidence must be really taking a hit, and sales with it?

[Insight]

I don't think it's so bad. All publicity is good publicity. Gives Toyota a chance to chat 1 on 1 with 1.5 million of their clients when they bring them in to have the check up.

[dublet]

I suspect Toyota will have many more recalls as they've started to improve their QA again and are digging out at leas 10 years worth of cut corners due to bean counting. My late 2003 Avensis' build quality was horrible compared to my 1994 Carina E and 1991 Celica (RIP).

[soad]

That sounds bad...maybe worse that the situation is.

Quality of some newer cars (sadly) leaves a lot to be desired for

[GTRene]

Toyota Recall

vs

Total Recall

[RedBarron]

Hmmm, so now; 'The car up the back of you is a Toyota'

[Gillet]

dublet said:

I suspect Toyota will have many more recalls as they've started to improve their QA again and are digging out at leas 10 years worth of cut corners due to bean counting. My late 2003 Avensis' build quality was horrible compared to my 1994 Carina E and 1991 Celica (RIP).

Your not wrong there, Toyota have properly dropped the ball in the past 12 years or so, going from the most reliable car maker to possibly the worst.

I'm now about to have the 4th engine rebuild on my Gen 7 Celica due to oil starvation problems, to be fair to them they did offer an extended warranty so you could have your engine replaced for free, but this was 2 years after my 1st rebuild so it was refused. What they should have done is recalled all 1.8 VVTi engines, but this would have ended Toyota for good I feel.

Bunch of jokers and they shall not be seeing any of my money ever again.

[ShadownINja]

GTRene said:

Toyota Recall

vs

Total Recall

Already done for the last time it happened.



And I the cheeky fecker didn't even have to change the strapline.

Edited by ShadownINja on Thursday 21st October 15:13

[GTRene]

lol have not seen it before...but thought I saw that title when I read Toyota recall, I thought huh? Total Recall? the movie...I need glasses or action

[infernal]

I'm still not put off by this... the FT-86 / FR-2/S will more than likely be my next car

[Ed.]

How does this relate to the last recall that was mainly explained by driver error and stacking floor mats. Leaky master cylinder is bad but driving along with a brake warning on the dash is stupid.

[Pingman]

Pistonheads. said:

To be fair to Toyota, you can't fault the lengths it's prepared to go to in order to show that it's doing everything it can to make sure its cars are safe - but5 a 1.5 million car recall has got to be the last thing ToMoCo's bruised public image needed...

On the contrary, I think that demonstrating this level of commitment to quality customer service just reinforces how good a brand Toyota.

I suspect that many less scrupulous manufacturers would not have globally recalled their vehicles for a warrenty type repair, probably instead just telling individual customers during routine servicing that the part needs replacing due to wear and tear.

[Alfanatic]

Pingman said:

Pistonheads. said:

To be fair to Toyota, you can't fault the lengths it's prepared to go to in order to show that it's doing everything it can to make sure its cars are safe - but5 a 1.5 million car recall has got to be the last thing ToMoCo's bruised public image needed...

On the contrary, I think that demonstrating this level of commitment to quality customer service just reinforces how good a brand Toyota.

I suspect that many less scrupulous manufacturers would not have globally recalled their vehicles for a warrenty type repair, probably instead just telling individual customers during routine servicing that the part needs replacing due to wear and tear.

I agree with that, it seems far more honourable than Ford's approach has infamously been on occasion, but I do think it's going to hurt them image wise anyway, since the small print looks good but the headline looks disastrous.

Edited by Alfanatic on Thursday 21st October 19:08

[nsmith1180]

I can't believe this! Another bloody recall!

Though I fear that you are a little behind the times PH:

Pistonheads said:

This takes its total number of vehicles recalled during the past year to more than 10 million and its tally of separate recall for 2010 to 14.

The article I published on Sommewheredifferent.com on the 27th of August when they announced the recall for the ECMs on US Corrola and Matrix:

Sommewheredifferent.com said:

Another recall was issued last month for 700,000 units affected by steering and engine issues. This most recent recall brings Toyota's 2010 tally to 14 with 11.1 Millon units affected in 2010. That number may include duplicate units.

My tally now makes this 15 recalls affecting approximately 12.6 Million units world wide.

Its diabolical, any other marque that had to recall that many cars would have been crucified.

[MrTrilby]

nsmith1180 said:

I can't believe this! Another bloody recall!

Though I fear that you are a little behind the times PH:

Pistonheads said:

This takes its total number of vehicles recalled during the past year to more than 10 million and its tally of separate recall for 2010 to 14.

The article I published on Sommewheredifferent.com on the 27th of August when they announced the recall for the ECMs on US Corrola and Matrix:

Sommewheredifferent.com said:

Another recall was issued last month for 700,000 units affected by steering and engine issues. This most recent recall brings Toyota's 2010 tally to 14 with 11.1 Millon units affected in 2010. That number may include duplicate units.

My tally now makes this 15 recalls affecting approximately 12.6 Million units world wide.

Its diabolical, any other marque that had to recall that many cars would have been crucified.

Do you mean "any marque provided that it's not American"? Ford have recalled 16 million vehicles over a faulty cruise control switch that can (and has) caused cars to catch fire. Yet oddly I don't remember seeing new reports plastered everywhere about Ford having to explain themselves to Congress. Odd that. http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/13/news/companies/For...

[nsmith1180]

MrTrilby said:

nsmith1180 said:

I can't believe this! Another bloody recall!

Though I fear that you are a little behind the times PH:

Pistonheads said:

This takes its total number of vehicles recalled during the past year to more than 10 million and its tally of separate recall for 2010 to 14.

The article I published on Sommewheredifferent.com on the 27th of August when they announced the recall for the ECMs on US Corrola and Matrix:

Sommewheredifferent.com said:

Another recall was issued last month for 700,000 units affected by steering and engine issues. This most recent recall brings Toyota's 2010 tally to 14 with 11.1 Millon units affected in 2010. That number may include duplicate units.

My tally now makes this 15 recalls affecting approximately 12.6 Million units world wide.

Its diabolical, any other marque that had to recall that many cars would have been crucified.

Do you mean "any marque provided that it's not American"? Ford have recalled 16 million vehicles over a faulty cruise control switch that can (and has) caused cars to catch fire. Yet oddly I don't remember seeing new reports plastered everywhere about Ford having to explain themselves to Congress. Odd that. http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/13/news/companies/For...

And Ford have very nearly paid the ultimate price in loss of confidence and therefore loss of sales. They nearly went out of business during the recession.

[blunder13]

I still would buy a toyota. They have always been honest and fixed thier problems.

[forzaminardi]

All this has had no effect on my liking of the Toyota brand and confidence in their reliability. They had a (as it turned out, very minor) problem that was blown out of proportion by stupid Americans who can't drive and the media. Its fair to say that everything they have done as a result has been overly cautious, and good on them for being honest and getting on with it as opposed to trying to brush it under the carpet as some other manufacturers do.

Now, if they could start building that RWD coupe thing...

[timmybob]

nsmith1180 said:

MrTrilby said:

Do you mean "any marque provided that it's not American"? Ford have recalled 16 million vehicles over a faulty cruise control switch that can (and has) caused cars to catch fire. Yet oddly I don't remember seeing new reports plastered everywhere about Ford having to explain themselves to Congress. Odd that. http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/13/news/companies/For...

And Ford have very nearly paid the ultimate price in loss of confidence and therefore loss of sales. They nearly went out of business during the recession.

However Ford, GM or Chrylser have not had to face Congress to answer questions on the safety of their products despite numberous recalls, which I think is the point that was being made. The fact that all 3 were losing sales was more to do with them making products that were no longer competetive. Ironically, on the day the Toyota announcement was made over here, and given high profile media coverage, Dodge/Chrysler quietly issued a recall regading a fault that has been linked to fires...