Would appreciate it if some of our Japanese members can share their opinions on this article. True? False? Exaggerated? "Toyota has recalled eight million cars outside Japan because of unexpected acceleration and other problems, but has insisted that there are no systemic problems with its cars sold in Japan. Critics say many companies benefit from Japan’s weak consumer protections. (The country has only one full-time automobile recall investigator, supported by 15 others on limited contracts.)" No Toyotas recalled in Japan - None - CleanMPG Forums El Paso Inc
That will most likely be in the form of an update provided during routine maintenance... like we used to get here... before the hysteria screamed for a recall instead. It's sad looking back at that panic caused knowing we'd get it anyway. That's where things like SSC came from. .
There are no recalls in the EU either. At least I haven't heard of any. They seem to be isolated to North America only.
I heard there were recalls in EU, but since the word "recall" might be used loosely by the press, I checked Toyota's European site. I confirmed that they are recalling cars in EU, too. Welcome to Toyota Europe portal page. Select your country If the cars in Japan have the same issues, I hope Toyota clears them up soon. Not because of their PR, but for safety's sake.
Millions of cars have been recalled in the UK and Europe. Also, all Prius that are affected with the brake 'issue' are to be or have been recalled for the software update. Mine was updated about 2 weeks ago.
When you live in a country that has less than 5% of the world's population but 80% of the world's lawyers, you had better be prepared to expect the worst. Will Rogers was right when he remarked "The Nation is in no greater peril than when Congress is in session. Congress is 90% lawyers.
hmmm some interesting theory's in this thread, the main reason that japan spec vehicles dont have the pedal issue, is the fact they are assembled with different manufacturer supplied parts. the US spec are fitted with pedals made by a company called CTS. the jap spec have DENSO made pedals that have not shown any issues with sticking.
Here again, people are getting mislead by American media.. Toyota Japan has recall records that goes back last decade and it is online And yes, Japanese 2010 Prius had been recalled with VIN no. and accompanying pictorial explanations.
I don`t really think consumer protections are weak... The opposite, really. If someone dies as a result of something, it`s not just a cash settlement. You have to also pay the family all the projected money that person could have made during their life, etc. It`s usually cheaper to do a recall than settle. Anyway, there are recalls here too. All the time. Not just on cars, but on all kinds of products. Toyota has recalled in the past, did recall the Prius most recently, and does all sorts of fixes. Japanese media also loves a good story, so I have no doubt they`d jump up and down screaming with special reports if there was a huge problem... But at the same time I think that people in general tend to have a higher base level of education and be a bit more realistic. Not to mention there is also the huge weight of living with the humiliation that will haunt you for the rest of your life if it comes out that you lied about something to make money. While I completely believe that there were cases of unintended acceleration, I also believe that in the US there were probably a lot more cases of mistaken pedal - but who is going to admit that when they might get a huge settlement? Especially with lawyers wanting to cash in and hunting down possible cases. I think the biggest differences come down to life span of vehicles in Japan, differences in the dealer system and education, differences in maintenance... And a difference in culture when it comes to litigation. In Japan, cars are OLD by the time they`re 10. Between 7 and 10, most cars are replaced with new. There are very very few truly old cars on the road. On a daily commute, I may be lucky to spot one car that may have been made before 2000. There are no clunkers. Dealers and dealer mechanics are educated by Toyota prior to working. This is particularly true for the mechanics who actually attend the Toyota mechanic university. They know what they are doing when they look at a car and work on it. Dealers themselves are educated by regular update courses. Of course they are in sales so look to make money, but there is a strong feeling of connection made with these people when you buy from them. Dealers will come to your house to meet with you about sales, bring test drive vehicles to your door, etc... So when there is some kind of a problem, it is easy to tell them before it is something big. And most of the time they will bend over backward trying to find it. (The dealer we bought our first car from is now close to "friend" in status, and we play multi-player games with him when he is off. We`ve also exchanged gifts for childrens` birthdays, etc. Because of this, even though he wasn`t in the same department as Prius sales we went to him first and bought through him. Strong customer relationships will keep the customer. ) Maintenance is almost always handled by dealer mechanics (the people who went to the Toyota university), and is done following the dealer schedule. Few people do even the smallest maintenance on their own. In turn, because everyone has their oil and lights and such changed at the dealer it is usually cheapest to do it at the dealer because they get parts and materials in bulk directly from Toyota. Smaller private garages are usually only used for antique vehicles or modding. There aren`t really any old guys screwing up new cars by treating things the same as they were 30 years ago. As for litigation... I don`t think I need to comment any more. ETA; I used Toyota as an example, but I believe other makers are the same with mechanic education, dealer systems, etc.
A very core point that applies to a lot of other things: overall attention to detail in all things, freely admitting guilt instead of making excuses, wanting what is right instead of just what is good for the individual. This is not to say that Japanese consumers are easy to foist low quality crap on without complaint. FAR far from it. That attention to detail makes the market very unforgiving. They are WAY more picky than most Americans about product quality. The dealer service you mentioned HAS to be impeccable, the service staff courteous and attentive, or they will simply fail outright. Luckily the desire to be that way is very natural and sincere. Heck, an order taker at a McDonald's in Tokyo is more conscientious and quality focused than the service managers at my Toyota dealer. - D
We have recalls in Japan and they are available online. A decade ago Mitsubishi came under fire for hiding defects in their vehicles which prompted the resignation of the president of MMC as well as tarnishing the image of MMC for a number of years, I don't know if Toyota would try the same thing knowing that if they do get caught it will hurt profits.
And one of the big differences between the US and Japan: in the US we find a problem, the first priority is finding out who to punish (see the threads about Orange County's DA, vs Japan where the first priority is fixing the problem.
If you're talking of Prius, NO. ALL Prius have the Japanese Denso parts. Only some of the cars -assembled- in North America have the CTS parts. They do not -yet- assemble Prius in North America. God help us all when they do. -My Theory- , Japanese drivers actually have to pass a very tough drivers exam. They know how to drive. So even if some issue with the car comes up, it's a minor irritant. They know a Prius won't flip when you shift to "N", for example. They know to apply brakes when appropriate, not at the last second!
Nope. Look it up. Hasn't been that way for decades: Lawyers in the 111th Congress - Senate TOTAL NUMBER OF LAWYER-LEGISLATORS IN THE HOUSE: 162 out of 441 or appx. 36% TOTAL NUMBER OF LAWYER-CONGRESS PEOPLE IN CONGRESS: 220 out of 535 or appx 41% Who would you RATHER have write laws ... garbage men? bus boys? pole dancers? airplane pilots? drug dealers? actors/actresses? waitresses? welders? P.E. teachers? runway models? Just curious. If it's any consolation, as the numbers of attorneys going into politics shrinks, these are some of the trades that are taking their places. But yes, 200 years ago it was almost 100% ... which is why Thomas Jefferson said, "If the present Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise in a body to which the people send one hundred and fifty lawyers, whose trade it is to question everything, yield nothing, and talk by the hour? "
