Washington -- The government sharply criticized Toyota Motor Corp. Wednesday for its "inaccurate and misleading" suggestion that sudden acceleration in some vehicles bound for recall may be due only to improperly fitting floor mats.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's criticism of Toyota's statement is the latest hit to the automaker's reputation from what will be the largest safety recall in its history: 3.8 million vehicles.
NHTSA said Toyota inaccurately suggested in a press release this week that the agency had concluded "that no defect exists in vehicles in which the driver's floor mat is compatible with the vehicle and properly secured," the agency said in a statement.
"It was never our intention to mislead or provide inaccurate information. Toyota agrees with NHTSA's position that the removal of the floor mats is an interim measure and that further vehicle-based action is required," said Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons.
"We are in the process of developing vehicle-based remedies to help avoid the potential for an unsecured or incompatible floor mat to trap the accelerator pedal."
On Monday, Toyota refuted suggestions that other defects might be causing the accidental acceleration, and pointed to the government's decision not to investigate a consumer complaint.
Bob Carter, general manager of the Toyota-brand division of Toyota Motor Sales USA, told reporters there is "absolutely no evidence" pointing to a defect other than poor-fitting floor mats.
Sean Kane, president of Massachusetts-based Safety Research & Strategies, said Toyota was "waving the agency's denial of the latest petition for a defect investigation like a victory banner."
While NHTSA hasn't found a vehicle-based defect that is causing unwanted acceleration, "it doesn't mean there isn't one," he said. "It just means that the agency hasn't found it."
NHTSA says removing the recalled floor mats is the most immediate way to address the safety risk.
"But it is simply an interim measure. This remedy does not correct the underlying defect in the vehicles involving the potential for entrapment of the accelerator by floor mats, which is related to accelerator and floor pan design," the agency said.
On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:47:57 -0600, cuhulin wrote: > It was TOYOPET before they changed the name to TOYOTA. NISSAN used to be > DATSUN. > cuhulin
Toyopet was just a model. It was still Toyota Motor Co. I don't call myself Hachiroku fer nuttin'!
It's amazing you even remember the Toyopet. IIRC, you said you were in Japan for a while?
They were so horrible, Toyota started selling them in the US in 1958, and stopped selling them as the 1960 model year began. They came back couple years later with the Land Cruiser, and then followed that with the Corolla a couple years after that.
Why would ANYBODY buy a Toyota when there are so many other brands on the market, that are as good or better, that are not underpowered and/or over priced, should be the question. ;)
> Why would ANYBODY buy a Toyota when there are so many other brands on the > market, that are as good or better, that are not underpowered and/or over > priced, should be the question. ;)
> > Why would ANYBODY buy a Toyota when there are so many other brands on the > > market, that are as good or better, that are not underpowered and/or over > > priced, should be the question. ;)
On Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:15:49 GMT, "Sharx35" <shar...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>"Mike Hunter" <Mikehunt2@lycos,com> wrote in message >news:4af5d7cb$0$14951$ce5e7886@news-radius.ptd.net... >> Why would ANYBODY buy a Toyota when there are so many other brands on the >> market, that are as good or better, that are not underpowered and/or over >> priced, should be the question. ;)
> "Mike Hunter" <Mikehunt2@lycos,com> wrote in message > news:4af5d7cb$0$14951$ce5e7886@news-radius.ptd.net... >> Why would ANYBODY buy a Toyota when there are so many other brands on >> the market, that are as good or better, that are not underpowered >> and/or over priced, should be the question. ;)
> FORD----Fix Or Repair Daily
Here's Ford's vision for the future. Finally, a car I can afford!
> On Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:15:49 GMT, "Sharx35" <shar...@hotmail.com> > wrote:
>>"Mike Hunter" <Mikehunt2@lycos,com> wrote in message >>news:4af5d7cb$0$14951$ce5e7886@news-radius.ptd.net... >>> Why would ANYBODY buy a Toyota when there are so many other brands on >>> the >>> market, that are as good or better, that are not underpowered and/or >>> over >>> priced, should be the question. ;)
----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Hunter" <Mikehunt2@lycos,com>
Newsgroups: alt.autos.toyota,alt.autos.toyota.camry,alt.autos.toyota.prius,alt.autos.le xus,rec.autos.tech Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 4:26 PM Subject: Re: U.S. criticizes Toyota for 'misleading' public in recall
> Why would ANYBODY buy a Toyota when there are so many other brands on the > market, that are as good or better, that are not underpowered and/or over > priced, should be the question. ;)
Not always true...at leat for my Mother. We looked at vehicles from Ford, Toyota, and Honda and decided the Highlander best met here requirments. The closest Ford was an Edge and the MSRP was thousands more with less standard equipment. With rebates it came close to the same and the Edge did have a V6 instead of th Hghlander's four, but this was irrelevant to m y Mother. I think everyone in my family agreed that the Highlander was a far better vehicle for the money for my Mother.
> Why would ANYBODY buy a Toyota when there are so many other brands on the > market, that are as good or better, that are not underpowered and/or over > priced, should be the question. ;)
Right. I have a Lexus, and my next car will be from Government Motors. I had a GM car before the Lexus, and I enjoyed visiting a mechanic every three weeks. ;)
> Why would ANYBODY buy a Toyota when there are so many other brands on the > market, that are as good or better, that are not underpowered and/or over > priced, should be the question. ;)
Sorry dude, but my brand new GM car has convinced me that I should never ever buy a new car again, and a GM car should be at or near the bottom of my list.
I bought a brand new '85 Chevy that was by far the absolute worst car I've ever bought. By far. The Pinto that they gave me for a company car on my very first job after high school was a better car. The '82 Honda Accord that I owned at teh same time as the '85 Chevy was a better car, by a wide margin. I traded the '85 fully loaded Chevy for a base model '86 Accord, and I got the better car when the deal was done.
Sorry man, but if others had the experience I had with my Chevy, having the government take the company over only makes me ask two questions, Why did they do it? and Why did it take so long?
> "Mike Hunter" <Mikehunt2@lycos,com> wrote in message > news:4af5d7cb$0$14951$ce5e7886@news-radius.ptd.net... >> Why would ANYBODY buy a Toyota when there are so many other brands on the >> market, that are as good or better, that are not underpowered and/or over >> priced, should be the question. ;)
> Sorry dude, but my brand new GM car has convinced me that I should never > ever buy a new car again, and a GM car should be at or near the bottom of > my list.
> I bought a brand new '85 Chevy that was by far the absolute worst car I've > ever bought. By far. The Pinto that they gave me for a company car on my > very first job after high school was a better car. The '82 Honda Accord > that I owned at teh same time as the '85 Chevy was a better car, by a wide > margin. I traded the '85 fully loaded Chevy for a base model '86 Accord, > and I got the better car when the deal was done.
> Sorry man, but if others had the experience I had with my Chevy, having > the government take the company over only makes me ask two questions, Why > did they do it? and Why did it take so long?
So you last owned a GM car in 1986? Don't you think things might have changed in 23 years? The last Toyota I owned was also over 20 years ago, and it was a horrid POS. However when my Mother needed a new car I didn't assume all Toyotas were as bad as that POS (although judging by some of my neighbor's Toyotas, they still can turn out some real POS's).
My experience has been that every manufacturer can screw up and produce some real turkeys. But they also can get it right too. I tend to pick cars more on my preceived needs than manfacturer. I've had really good luck with Fords, so in cases where Ford makes a vehicle that meets my precieved needs, I am more likelly to buy a Ford. However, when Ford doesn't make a vehicle like I need, then I'd buy from someone else (like the Toyota Highlander we just got for my Mother).
I was in Tokyo,Japan for a while in January,1964, on my way to Vietnam.We had an eight hour layover in Tokyo.I remember back around 1958 when Toyopet cars were for sale in America.I have seen them in America before. cuhulin
> Why would ANYBODY buy a Toyota when there are so many other brands on the > market, that are as good or better, that are not underpowered and/or over > priced, should be the question. ;)
Why? Because they make quality products. A Toyota will go over 200,000 miles where a Chevy will break down before 80,000 miles. Don't understand? Check Consumer Reports. Did you also notice that GM and Chrysler are going bankrupt? Maybe they build shit.
>> "Mike Hunter" <Mikehunt2@lycos,com> wrote in message >> news:4af5d7cb$0$14951$ce5e7886@news-radius.ptd.net... >>> Why would ANYBODY buy a Toyota when there are so many other brands on >>> the market, that are as good or better, that are not underpowered and/or >>> over priced, should be the question. ;)
>> FORD----Fix Or Repair Daily
> Here's Ford's vision for the future. Finally, a car I can afford!
My big old 1978 Dodge van had over 285,000 miles on it when I bought it in 1989.Since then, I have driven that van about 77,000 miles.
My big old 1983 Dodge van had about 72,000 miles on it when I bought it in September 2008.Way I figure it, it is just now getting broken in good. cuhulin
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