toyota recalls 1 million vehicles

Toyota recall hits 1M vehicles

Faulty parts in 10 models worldwide will be replaced; drivers could
lose control of the steering wheel.

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it is recalling nearly 1
million vehicles across the globe to replace faulty parts that could
cause drivers to lose control of the steering wheel.

The recall affects about 986,000 vehicles across 10 models, including
its popular Prius hybrid car. More than half of the affected vehicles
are in Japan, company officials said.

The intermediate shafts and sliding yokes in the recalled cars lack the
necessary strength and could distort or crack under strong pressure,
causing drivers to lose control of the steering wheel, the Japanese
automaker said in a statement.

In the United States, Toyota is recalling about 170,000 Prius models
because the steering shaft assembly could become loose or crack under
certain conditions.

Toyota said there have been no reported crashes or injuries connected
to the problem in the United States. Owners are expected to be notified
of the recall in mid-June.

In Japan, the recall involves a total of 565,756 vehicles manufactured
under the Wish, Isis, Prius, Corolla, Corolla Runx, Corolla Fielder,
Corolla Spacio, Allex and Ractis brands between September 2002 and
November 2005, according to the statement.

The number in Japan included more than 300,000 Wish cars and more than
113,000 Prius cars.

Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong said the recall involves about 240,000
vehicles in Europe, including the Prius, Corolla and Avensis. An
additional 10,000 vehicles were being recalled in other parts of the
world, including China and New Zealand, he said.

The recall follows more than 30 complaints filed with Toyota since
March 2004, the carmaker said. Toyota announced Japan's largest
one-time recall in October, spending 15.5 billion yen ($139 million) to
fix headlamps on 1.27 million vehicles. President Katsuaki Watanabe
said earlier this month the automaker is planning to create a senior
managing director position responsible for maintaining vehicle quality.

Bloomberg News contributed to this report.

[url]http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060531/AUTO01/605310[/url]
340/1148

GM quality at Toyota prices.



"badgolferman" <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:xn0emvp3nrcuze3004@news.readfreenews.net...[color=blue]
> Toyota recall hits 1M vehicles
>
> Faulty parts in 10 models worldwide will be replaced; drivers could
> lose control of the steering wheel.
>
> Associated Press
>
> WASHINGTON -- Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it is recalling nearly 1
> million vehicles across the globe to replace faulty parts that could
> cause drivers to lose control of the steering wheel.
>
> The recall affects about 986,000 vehicles across 10 models, including
> its popular Prius hybrid car. More than half of the affected vehicles
> are in Japan, company officials said.
>
> The intermediate shafts and sliding yokes in the recalled cars lack the
> necessary strength and could distort or crack under strong pressure,
> causing drivers to lose control of the steering wheel, the Japanese
> automaker said in a statement.
>
> In the United States, Toyota is recalling about 170,000 Prius models
> because the steering shaft assembly could become loose or crack under
> certain conditions.
>
> Toyota said there have been no reported crashes or injuries connected
> to the problem in the United States. Owners are expected to be notified
> of the recall in mid-June.
>
> In Japan, the recall involves a total of 565,756 vehicles manufactured
> under the Wish, Isis, Prius, Corolla, Corolla Runx, Corolla Fielder,
> Corolla Spacio, Allex and Ractis brands between September 2002 and
> November 2005, according to the statement.
>
> The number in Japan included more than 300,000 Wish cars and more than
> 113,000 Prius cars.
>
> Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong said the recall involves about 240,000
> vehicles in Europe, including the Prius, Corolla and Avensis. An
> additional 10,000 vehicles were being recalled in other parts of the
> world, including China and New Zealand, he said.
>
> The recall follows more than 30 complaints filed with Toyota since
> March 2004, the carmaker said. Toyota announced Japan's largest
> one-time recall in October, spending 15.5 billion yen ($139 million) to
> fix headlamps on 1.27 million vehicles. President Katsuaki Watanabe
> said earlier this month the automaker is planning to create a senior
> managing director position responsible for maintaining vehicle quality.
>
> Bloomberg News contributed to this report.
>
> [url]http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060531/AUTO01/605310[/url]
> 340/1148[/color]

"Art" <begunaNOSPAMPLEASE@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:1djfg.187$jB5.20@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...[color=blue]
> GM quality at Toyota prices.[/color]

Persoanlly, I think this is a refreshing change for Toyota. Far better to
recall defective vehciels that to claim nothing is wrong and that any
problems are the Customers fault.

Ed

Art wrote:
[color=blue]
> GM quality at Toyota prices.[/color]

Shut up, troll. At least Toyota works to fix problems like this, unlike the
big 3.

"badgolferman" <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:xn0emvp3nrcuze3004@news.readfreenews.net...[color=blue]
> Toyota recall hits 1M vehicles
>
> Faulty parts in 10 models worldwide will be replaced; drivers could
> lose control of the steering wheel.
>[/color]
*snip*[color=blue]
>
> In the United States, Toyota is recalling about 170,000 Prius models
> because the steering shaft assembly could become loose or crack under
> certain conditions.[/color]

This makes me want a pious even less.

Natalie

*snipping more*

Actually what is amusing is that with all the complicated stuff, something
bread and butter has to be recalled.


"Wickeddoll®" <wickeddoll1958DIEspammersDIE@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:e5ktdn.3m0.1@news.evilcabal.org...[color=blue]
>
> "badgolferman" <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:xn0emvp3nrcuze3004@news.readfreenews.net...[color=green]
>> Toyota recall hits 1M vehicles
>>
>> Faulty parts in 10 models worldwide will be replaced; drivers could
>> lose control of the steering wheel.
>>[/color]
> *snip*[color=green]
>>
>> In the United States, Toyota is recalling about 170,000 Prius models
>> because the steering shaft assembly could become loose or crack under
>> certain conditions.[/color]
>
> This makes me want a pious even less.
>
> Natalie
>
> *snipping more*
>[/color]

"Art" <begunaNOSPAMPLEASE@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:PHrfg.10070$y4.1722@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...[color=blue]
> Actually what is amusing is that with all the complicated stuff, something
> bread and butter has to be recalled.[/color]

I don't think it is that surprising. Toyota probably farmed the steering
gear parts out to a supplier. The supplier change something to cut costs.
Since the part is so simple and used so extensively, nobody though to test
the "refinement." And then the problem showed up. I've seen it more than
once where I work. You squeeze the supplier and they cut corners without
really making it clear that they have changed something until it is too
late. Toyota (like many OEMs) is know for squeezing suppliers. I am guessing
this time it burned them.

I saw where Toyota is creating a new executive position to try and correct
all their recent quality problems. A very GM like thing to do. I guess that
is Moving Forward.

Ed

On Thu, 1 Jun 2006 07:47:58 -0400, "C. E. White"
<cewhite3@removemindspring.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>I saw where Toyota is creating a new executive position to try and correct
>all their recent quality problems. A very GM like thing to do. I guess that
>is Moving Forward.[/color]

I would bet that the Toyota position will actually do something.

That is the problem (well one of the problems...) at GM.

"Scott in Florida" <askifyouwant@mindspring.net> wrote in message
news:4osu72djekjr9tlpd50ocjacmn6or407n7@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> On Thu, 1 Jun 2006 07:47:58 -0400, "C. E. White"
> <cewhite3@removemindspring.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
>>I saw where Toyota is creating a new executive position to try and
>>correct
>>all their recent quality problems. A very GM like thing to do. I guess
>>that
>>is Moving Forward.[/color]
>
> I would bet that the Toyota position will actually do something.
>
> That is the problem (well one of the problems...) at GM.
>[/color]

Yup - GM created executive jobs to spread the wealth among the hierarchy,
not to help the customers.

Natalie

GM Formula for Recall:

n =number of cars with potential safety defects
m =average lawsuit settlement for victim
p =percentage of cars which will fail

c =cost of correcting recall vechicle

z=cost of lawsuits from victims ( n * p * m )

r = cost of recall ( n * c )

if z < r then don't do the recall

Pretty scary huh?

Scott in Florida wrote:
[color=blue]
> On Thu, 1 Jun 2006 07:47:58 -0400, "C. E. White"
> <cewhite3@removemindspring.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
>>I saw where Toyota is creating a new executive position to try and correct
>>all their recent quality problems. A very GM like thing to do. I guess that
>>is Moving Forward.[/color]
>
> I would bet that the Toyota position will actually do something.
>
> That is the problem (well one of the problems...) at GM.[/color]

Please don't feed the trolls.

<mike.frankl@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1149207068.961921.138050@j55g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> GM Formula for Recall:
>
> n =number of cars with potential safety defects
> m =average lawsuit settlement for victim
> p =percentage of cars which will fail
>
> c =cost of correcting recall vechicle
>
> z=cost of lawsuits from victims ( n * p * m )
>
> r = cost of recall ( n * c )
>
> if z < r then don't do the recall
>
> Pretty scary huh?
>[/color]

And sadly true

Natalie

Scott in Florida wrote:[color=blue]
> On Thu, 1 Jun 2006 07:47:58 -0400, "C. E. White"
> <cewhite3@removemindspring.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
>> I saw where Toyota is creating a new executive position to try and correct
>> all their recent quality problems. A very GM like thing to do. I guess that
>> is Moving Forward.[/color]
>
> I would bet that the Toyota position will actually do something.
>
> That is the problem (well one of the problems...) at GM.
>[/color]

That's exactly what I was thinking...

Accountability, what a concept!

<mike.frankl@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1149207068.961921.138050@j55g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> GM Formula for Recall:
>
> n =number of cars with potential safety defects
> m =average lawsuit settlement for victim
> p =percentage of cars which will fail
>
> c =cost of correcting recall vechicle
>
> z=cost of lawsuits from victims ( n * p * m )
>
> r = cost of recall ( n * c )
>
> if z < r then don't do the recall[/color]

Totyota uses the same formula, except in the past Toyota management has
clamined that n was zero. The steering colum recall is the first one I can
remember where Toyota wasn't dragged kicking and screaming into doing it.
Sometime when you have a few minutes, go to the NHTSA database and read all
the letter related to the Toyota Truck Ball Joint Recall. It is a good for a
laugh or two.

Ed

<mike.frankl@gmail.com> writes:
[color=blue]
> GM Formula for Recall:[/color]

[...]
[color=blue]
> if z < r then don't do the recall[/color]
[color=blue]
> Pretty scary huh?[/color]


Eminently rational, I'd say. And I doubt that this formula
is unique to GM. Ford seems to have used such a calculus
where the Pinto's gas tank defect was concerned.

Where did you see this, by the way?

Of course, invoking a recall because of the likelihood of
costly lawsuits and the bad PR resulting from them doesn't
preclude invoking a recall _also_ because people's safety
is at stake.



Geoff

--
"Yep, ain't it a shame? Here we stand, with our Cokes, our
Beavis-n-Buttheads and our carrier battlegroups. We rule.
You suck." -- Ken Strayhorn