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If they bring back the Supra, it will be made to compete with the corvette and cost at least $50,000, making the car inaccessible to all the stupid kids who want one
If they bring back the Supra, it will be made to compete with the corvette and cost at least $50,000, making the car inaccessible to all the stupid kids who want one
Yeah, there's a ton of myth when it comes to Toyota. They built their reputation on the R and RE engines of the early years. The 22R is so good it also lives in forklifts. But then they quit making them, too bad. Toyota engine technology sucks and has since the R series died. Take the 3.0 V6 that Toyota quietly replaced over 100,000 of them as the from lobes on the cam broke off. Reason- crappy engine design with the oil the only coolant at the front bearings which sat on top of the front cylinder- like that's gonna work....it didn't. Toyota was hammered in a class action suit and the feds made them extend the warranty. Then you have the frames rusting in half on not just the Taco, but the 1st generation Tundra. It's kind of a DUH that frames rust in a salt environment. The US auto makers didn't have the issues. Then the 1st Generation Tundra was more prone to rollovers than the Explorer. But Toyota, being the golden boy, kept it quiet in the news media. I'm sure someone will come up with the Toyota and sudden acceleration. It's never been proven or ever recreated in a lab- ever. So more than likely it's the Toyota drivers that have no clue how drive rather than the cars. You have the Sequoia with their dandy ball joints that fail and then locks up the steering. Gee, what a surprise as the 6000lb behemoth plows into a school bus. It's almost like they haven't a clue how to build anything reliably. So yeah, it's a myth when it comes to Toyota and the word reliability. But I know how it is with the fan boys. My brother is one. For what he spends on keeping his Taco and 4 Runner on the street, he could buy several Fords and not have to fix all of the grossly over priced parts that fail time, and time again. That's probably why Toyota is under investigation by the feds for price gouging on parts, up to 300% over the exact same parts that fits another vehicle. You see fan boys, while you might want to walk around like a peacock with your Toyota attitude, they use a lot of the same parts that US makers do. Example: the accelerator motor. It's the same drive by wire used in the Ford E Vans. Same part, same maker, same specs, 3 times the price. Just like the Prius battery and the Ford Hybrid battery- it's the same exact battery made by the same people. Yeah, loads of myth. Nothing wrong with being brand loyal, just don't get stupid about it.
California was the beach head for imports... mild climate and not much as far as adverse weather...
My friends in Europe had a different take on the early Japanese cars... they simply rusted away... something I have yet to find here in the SF Bay Area... plus Toyota was the last UAW car maker in California.
Mom has only owned one new car in her life... she never owned a car that cost more that a $1000 prior to that... she had a used 76 Toyota for decades... and sold it for what she paid.
When she needed power steering due to a shoulder injury she again looked to Toyota.
In 2001 she special ordered a 2001 Corolla S and I wrote a letter to the President of Toyota asking if we could see her car being built and the answer was yes... we spent an entire day watching her car go from bare shell to it's first start at the end of the line... I have pictures with Mom sitting in her car going down the line before the doors were on it... the line workers signed it as it was going by...
We are no one special... just a 65 year old widow buying her first new car.
Now it's been 15 years and she has not had a single issue... even the original Delco Battery went 12 years before I decided to replace it...
Normal items like tires, fluids and brake pads/shoes...
Her 2001 Corolla is exactly why Toyota has the reputation it does... 15 years outside and looks as new... zero problems... dead reliable and up to 40 mpg...
That's our story and what's more neighbors and her friends have been so impressed by Mom's car they all went and bought Toyota... one as recent as last year.
Now I have a friend with a 80k Range Rover bought new... beautiful car when it is not in the shop... I bet it has had 30k in work with the latest being a 6k steering column replacement plus several air suspension failures and then their was the transmission and... well you get the idea.
My neighbor bought a brand new GMC 3/4 for his business... at 2100 miles it had left him stranded twice and once on the Bay Bridge towing a 22' long trailer for his business...
That 60k truck has been in and out of the dealer so often the last time the factory sent a complete new powertrain as a unit... so far so good.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
2,254 posts, read 2,738,942 times
Reputation: 3203
Quote:
Originally Posted by BadCredit4Life
As for the choice of vehicles for 80% of the world, that alone doesn't grant them superiority status. For example, full size American trucks aren't allowed to be sold anywhere on Japanese soil due to unfair tariff laws imposed by that government. Reason being? Because obviously domestic sales would no doubt threaten Japans monopoly over their own market share in their own country. It's no secret either that the playing field is heavily in their advantage when it comes to domestic sales over here. Again, the superior product approach is a myth. There might have been some truth to it in the mid seventies, but not in this day and age.
If Toyota or Nissan was better then Ford or Dodge, then why on earth do almost all of our law enforcements across North America depend on a ford product ( Police Interceptor) to protect our streets, highways, schools, play grounds... Why are 80% of our ambulances stamped with a Ford logo... if these products were unreliable then why do the people that we put the safety of our lives into their hands depend on and put their lives into the hands of a Ford/Dodge?
A couple of points. For a car to actually sell in Japan, the car has to be flawless in every way. The paint, the panel gaps, the wires for the defroster, everything. I've been in dealerships in Tokyo watching a car buyer measuring the defroster wire gaps with a ruler to make sure they are perfectly parallel. Completely different than the US. There are Chevrolet dealers in Tokyo, where they try to market the Cruze. Pretty nice car, the Cruze. But it is not up to Japanese standards and they sell very few. There isn't a GM product that is any better. Until they fix that problem they won't sell.
American cars are also just plain too big for Japanese buyers. Even the Cruze is a large car in Tokyo.
Ford and Dodge win from a law enforcement standpoint because they are cheap, have lots of power, are large enough for a big cop and their utility belt, have available heavy duty battery and suspension systems, and rear wheel drive, not because they are reliable. Ask any cop what they think of the Dodge Charger and you will hear many tales them being left stranded by a car that mysteriously dies, won't start, etc. In my town I can't tell you how many times I've seen Dodge police cars on a flat bed getting towed away from breaking down.
The Taurus is a pretty good car as long as they get the Interceptor model, rather than the detectives version.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
2,254 posts, read 2,738,942 times
Reputation: 3203
Quote:
Originally Posted by TrapperL
Yeah, there's a ton of myth when it comes to Toyota. They built their reputation on the R and RE engines of the early years. The 22R is so good it also lives in forklifts. But then they quit making them, too bad. Toyota engine technology sucks and has since the R series died. Take the 3.0 V6 that Toyota quietly replaced over 100,000 of them as the from lobes on the cam broke off. Reason- crappy engine design with the oil the only coolant at the front bearings which sat on top of the front cylinder- like that's gonna work....it didn't. Toyota was hammered in a class action suit and the feds made them extend the warranty. Then you have the frames rusting in half on not just the Taco, but the 1st generation Tundra. It's kind of a DUH that frames rust in a salt environment. The US auto makers didn't have the issues. Then the 1st Generation Tundra was more prone to rollovers than the Explorer. But Toyota, being the golden boy, kept it quiet in the news media. I'm sure someone will come up with the Toyota and sudden acceleration. It's never been proven or ever recreated in a lab- ever. So more than likely it's the Toyota drivers that have no clue how drive rather than the cars. You have the Sequoia with their dandy ball joints that fail and then locks up the steering. Gee, what a surprise as the 6000lb behemoth plows into a school bus. It's almost like they haven't a clue how to build anything reliably. So yeah, it's a myth when it comes to Toyota and the word reliability. But I know how it is with the fan boys. My brother is one. For what he spends on keeping his Taco and 4 Runner on the street, he could buy several Fords and not have to fix all of the grossly over priced parts that fail time, and time again. That's probably why Toyota is under investigation by the feds for price gouging on parts, up to 300% over the exact same parts that fits another vehicle. You see fan boys, while you might want to walk around like a peacock with your Toyota attitude, they use a lot of the same parts that US makers do. Example: the accelerator motor. It's the same drive by wire used in the Ford E Vans. Same part, same maker, same specs, 3 times the price. Just like the Prius battery and the Ford Hybrid battery- it's the same exact battery made by the same people. Yeah, loads of myth. Nothing wrong with being brand loyal, just don't get stupid about it.
Yep - lots of myth in your statements. The 3.0 V6? Yep, here was a manufacturing issue with the head gasket so Toyota replaced them. I have owned a 1994 4Runner SR5 with the 3.0 V6 since new. No, I did not have a head gasket failure but they replaced it under recall at 75k miles anyways. Seems like they were taking car of me. I now have almost 400k on that engine. Other than that gasket, plus a bunch of oxygen sensors, I have not had a single issue with the drivetrain. Of course, I continue to follow the maintenance schedule to the letter. I would never accuse anyone of being able to coax sudden acceleration out of that vehicle. Or any real acceleration at all.
The frames on some American-made Tacomas did in fact rust. You can talk to the American manufacturer, Dana, about that one. Toyota stepped up and replaced the frames on the affected vehicles at huge cost. The Japan-built Hi-Lux didn't have this problem. Think any of the big 3 would do this for their trucks, vans, etc? Based on what I see in Ohio, they would have their hands full with all those replacements. Ford sure didn't step up to fix the frame on my father in laws 5 year old Econoline, whose frame rusted away completed at the steering box.
Regarding taxis, the Crown Vics do a great job. Of course, other than the sheet metal that car did't change for almost 30 years so all of the bugs were finally worked out. And, with all the Crown Vics coming off police duty, the taxi companies could buy lots of cars and repair parts cheap. Now that the last of those cars are starting to become unreliable, those same cab companies are turning to Japanese made hybrids, sedans, and vans.
But what do I know. I have a 1998 Land Cruiser with over 330k miles on it, owned since new. Replaced 2 starters so far, in 18 years. Not a single other non-maintenace item. Nothing. And that truck gets used hard. My K2500 Suburban didn't make it 2 years from new before it started having major system failures and was sent packing.
It's sad that it is taking so long for the US-based manufacturers to start building and selling quality product in the US. In many cases they have good cars and trucks in other markets, they just don't sell them here. It's too easy to sell poorly made but super high profit SUVs and trucks.
Location: San Ramon, Seattle, Anchorage, Reykjavik
2,254 posts, read 2,738,942 times
Reputation: 3203
Quote:
Originally Posted by BadCredit4Life
that's because they are smart enough to support American products and American economy, unlike, the average American consumer, who doesn't want anything American. So much for American patriotism, I find it so ironic, how many Americans hang their flags, and are so proud of their country, yet go and buy Asian made products, and hate on their own police, health system, government, etc.
My K2500 Suburban? Made in Ramos Arizepe, MX. My old Chevy Lumina Z34? Built in Oshawa, Ontario. Yee hah.
Toyota has infiltrated into Washington playing up to elected officials for quite some time. Trust me, a Japanese corporation isn't going to open up assembly plants in this country for our benefit. That's strictly a PR move and it's been ground into the heads of American consumers as if in doing so, they should be perceived as an American company. Worst of all it's working.
Fact if the matter is that the American consumer is perhaps the dumbest on the planet. Japan has envied our auto industry and copied off of it for literally decades
It's to avoid our own tariffs #1. Ie the chicken tax.
#2 My Nissan is 94% American and 6% Japanese built in Tenessee. My folks Dodge was built in Canada. My wife's Hyundai is 92% American 8% Korean built in Alabama.
Nissan has exclusive contracts for taxi vans in NYC right now.
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