How a company could fall so far so fast. This was in a front page article in today's New York Times. Doubts Raised on Book’s Tale of Atom Bomb - NYTimes.com “This book is a Toyota,†said Robert S. Norris, the author of “Racing for the Bomb†and an atomic historian. “The publisher should recall it, issue an apology and fix the parts that endanger the historical record.â€
There are lots of frauds that take credit for historical events... I personally hope they take some of the fortune back from the fraudsters family.
A little bit of a stretch man.... Totally unrelated: I stopped by a GM/Chevy dealership a few days ago looking to buy a used car (for track use). I stopped in the secondary lot they had which had the "used cars" sign displayed prominently. The employee there told me that the used cars were in the main dealership lot only after 3 minutes of telling me how bad/dangerous my Prius was. Wth? I can take jokes, but holy crap. To their credit, the salesman was very patient as I inspected the car and the experience was positive (even after the initial why-can't-you-tell-me-where-to-find-the-damn-used-cars-already? reaction). I mean from a dealership perspective, shouldn't it be standard procedure to tell your sales staff to figure out what your customers want before railing at them?
I forbid negative talk from our sales teams. When this story started I made all managers aware that our teams could say whatever they wanted in private about Toyota, but were not to speak of Toyota's problems with customers, period. you win the battle and lose the war, on here that is another matter.
Too bad you don't follow your own sales directives. Or do you realise you've already lost the war here?
I haven't lost the war, just battle after battle after battle after battle. On the first of January, who would have thought the word Toyota would be used as a noun to describe something bad on a front page article in the Sunday New York Times. I even have hope for you hyo silver, someday you will trade your prius for a volt. Maybe even Hill, no that would be impossible.
Ya know what Bra... I waited... And waited... And waited for some kinda electric/hybrid from Detroit that wasn't just an "in town" car. The volt still isn't here. Don't go pointing finger at good folks just because of a story. And so far... the volt is just a story... it ain't selling... so don't make like there's a choice about it up through now. Now it your complaint is about the godlike following of some folks and this company... well... you're right... there is... Like me early Plymouths and Vettes. Even with me knowing I actually own a vert C4 L98 auto (if you don't get the joke, you are smarter than me)... it doesn't run at the moment, as most from that era experience from time to time to time to time to, well... rodders will get it... why we want to own a particular headache of a car... Only problem with me is... the Toyotas I have owned, including this little Prius, have worked well and not broken before I sold em... I can't say that about my Fords, Mopars or GMs... Even with all the hype... I'm going to keep this Prius for at least another 4 years... maybe 6 if it stays as nice as this... it pays for itself every single day... it ain't a Corvette... well, DUH... It has been dependable and thrifty... even if I did over pay for it at the top of the sales hump.
You know I am half kidding about buying a volt. There is a group of folks who will never buy from detroit on herre no matter what. There is another group who worship toyota as you say and there is a group that is just trying to pay less at the pump. Anyone with their heart in Detroit is watching this story play out in absolute astonishment. Toyota enjoyed one year as the number one seller in the world, and now this. This continues to to worsen and the damage is really piling up for toyota now.
Indeed. They never dreamed of such a distraction from their our troubles. But when the dust settles, Toyota is still there in the leadership position. Sales are the ultimate gauge of merit. GM can hype Volt all it wants. But until the quantity punches into the mainstream (5,000 per month), it's just a niche... a distraction from their production which consists almost entirely of non-hybrids. .
Do you really think toyota will be number one in the worold in 2010? Hybrids are still just a niche for toyota, unless you think less than 10% consititutes a majority or a 'core' product.
I bought my Prius because no other car matched it in gas mileage (and with a 20K average of 53.7 mpg...) and low emissions, so the Toyota quality wasn't an issue. I have a long history of driving vehicles that CR rated as "much worse than average" repair records with few issues. I take care of them and they have done fine. So far, the Prius has been great, but I don't expect any machine to be perfect forever, just like people. NHTSA is going to be tougher on everyone after all of this, not just Toyota. Toyota will survive the scrutiny. Even Audi came back. Hyundai has left the Excel behind. Firestone tires have come back. And now I read that pediatricians are demanding the federal government require the re-design of the hot dog because they cause so many choking deaths in children each year.
Malorn, here is the sad part, the Volt is all you got, and its not even out yet, or proven itself, GM has a dismal record of new products, I'm betting it will have recall after recall until they get it right with the Volt, so do be so glum, you lose in the end. GM's hybrids are a joke, actually a pathetic joke at this point, 2mpgs better then a regular version, how bad is that, its sad. Toyota I'm not worried about, reality is stronger then your fear mongering, Toyota will focus now on quality even better, I don't worry about that, the Prius is actually a well proven vehicle, and Toyota's car line has a tract record of proven reliability, this mess is not something that will destroy them, hurt them yes, its mainly fear mongering at this point.
Another stunning development. But two of the recalled models -- the Corolla and the Camry -- were No. 2 and No. 3 in terms of vehicles purchased by U.S. rental car companies in 2009, according to figures from an industry source. Further proof that Toyota was in trouble before this acceleration mess. Rental cars kill the value of the brand. Toyota's Rental Car Problem
I agree with you on this one Bra... they don't have a dismal record on new products... although, these days, everything seems to be retro-styled with new underpinnings.
