Is Toyota's Quality Slipping?

[BUrban29]

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.Com
October 11, 2006
Is Toyota's quality slipping? The company lost ground in an annual vehicle value survey. While many consumers still give the Japanese automaker high markssome analysts are suggesting the auto giant is growing too fast in its pursuit of General MotorsSan Diego-based Strategic Vision surveyed more than 64,000 people who purchased new vehicles from October 2005 to March 2006. Consumers were surveyed after 90 days of ownership and asked if they thought they got their money�s worth.Toyota, which had seven segment winners in 2005....Continues At Link.

[BUrban29]

Read it, hate it, love it, do what you want; just don't shoot the messenger.

[EchoHoLiK]

Hey, another one out of the thousand articles about the same shit. Seems like journalists nowadays got nothing new to write about.

[trxr]

Theey will one they see Ford's Q3 results.

[xpeed]

^That post absolutely made no sense whatsoever.

[Blacksupra93]

In short. Yes, yes it is slipping.

and it bothers me alot...but at least theyre being fairly proactive about it.

We'll see how things go in the next few years. Theyre still tops though. The only other thing i'd buy is MAYBE a honda...or a dodge challenger or chevy camaro when they come out...and thats just me being irrational b/c theyre sweet cars

[dsmnick]

Toyota needs to stop the obsession with trying to overtake General Motors and start getting back to focusing on quality. GM isn't on the death bed anymore and they're getting stronger day by day...and there's new pressure from Hyundai, Ford, and others. They need to refocus on the mantra of "quality is #1."

Toyota also needs to scold the dealers who pull crap on the customers like was mentioned in the article. Some of the excuses were just absurd.

"I had noted other cars (at the dealership) had varying degrees of the drip strip immediately below the dip in the door. I received the ridiculous explanation from the service manager that this was 'orange peel & they can't help that the customer doesn't like where the manufacturer put it.'"

Either the guy doesn't know what orange peel is or he's blatently lying through his teeth...you don't "put" orange peel on a car...

"We went in there today to get some rattling corrected in the window and had (written) on the back window about the car being a lemon. This upset them and the service manager told us to remove it or he would call the police."

LOL, I hope they were kidding. How does writing on your own car justify them threatening to call the police??

[EchoHoLiK]

Someone please wake me up when there's something new and fresh to talk about....

[SILVERadoTACOMA]

Some of the claims seem valid but this guy here, come on! What? he didn't like his bling bling rims that are optional or the seats are too low??? He didn't notice that when he bought it?

Art in Florida is fed up with his 2006 Toyota Tundra truck. "I have never paid so much for a truck and got so little. From the 20-inch tires to the seats that have been lowered so nothing can be stored under them. I hate this truck."

[toyoonly]

So I agree with the Avalon owner. That sounds crappy, and from what ive heard, they arent the best so far.

The lady complaining about her Prius with the "Toyota Advertised" 60 mpg, talk to the EPA about that.

And of course, the Tundra guy needs to be more careful when he buys. Dont like the seats, dont buy.

[RAV4EVR]

....... too funny...

Mind is a terrible thing to waste if it is used to determine that a "recall" can tell us about a car's long term durability.


Last I heard, GM still had plans to continue closing plants....LOL !!

Toyota has got nothing to worry about but focus on LESS recalls.... and they are proactively working on it..........

[rolla-XRS]

Funny...did we suddenly pickup new users of GM origin?

Toyota has nothing to worry about. GM can't get better when they're focused on cost cutting rather than building their infrastructure. Last time I heard, GM was still screwing over their long term multi-vehicle customers where Toyota's rewarding them.

Funny how product loyalty and customer service means nothing to GM.

[Z28Wilson]

And where was GM mentioned in this article again?

I think some of these "shock and awe" articles about Toyota quality are premature. They were able to find, what, 3 or 4 unsatisfied Toyota owners (1, as pointed out, apparently didn't even bother to look at the Tundra before buying it )? With Toyota sales and market share constantly increasing, it would stand to reason that there are far more satisfied owners than dissatisfied.

[Bakemono]

No, Toyota's quality is not slipping. With the increase in production, of course you are going to see more problems. Thats just a matter of probability.
Dsmnick, Toyota is not obsessed with becoming #1. They have said time and time and time again that quality always was, still is and will always be job #1. If Ford and GM took that lesson to heart, perhaps they wouldnt be on their deathbeds right now.
Rollaxrs, we've had some of these GM guys for a while now. They come here for no other reason than to brag up the domestics while they cut down Toyota every chance they get.

[EchoHoLiK]

^^^ Sad but true (about the last statement) especially the constant posting of new domestic vehicles that, frankly, most of us couldn't give a fuck about.