Posts Tagged ‘ Toyota ’
Vintage Cars Rock as Hard Drive on Wheels may be Hell on Wheels
March 12th, 2010. By Hunter West
I have a prediction: this whole Toyota mess is going to spawn a re-birth of vintage cars.
I have a friend who has a vintage Volkswagen Beetle. An original Veedub. It was made at the original Wolfsburg factory in Germany, has a carburetor and no pollution controls. It coughs, and wheezes. Despite the obvious fact that it’s loads of fun to drive, my pal has had it parked for a few years now due to his attempt to respect the environment—even though legally he can drive it as is—given the fact the car is so old it is grandfathered and is not governed by modern-day pollution control standards. 
He would sit there, at the red light, an obvious Old-World stench belching from the exhaust pipe, cowering under the scorn of other drivers sitting behind the wheels of their gleaming Toyotas that didn’t stink so much.
So he parked the car. There it sits in the garage, replaced by a more modern vehicle. He’s aware there are others in the vintage car communities who have done the same. They’re driving their vintage cars less, if at all, out of respect for the environment. Besides, newer cars are that much safer.
Or, are they?
Don’t be surprised if you see more old cars out on the road now. Cars that drive by mechanics, not electronics. The only circuit you’ll find is the battery that connects the starter, the headlights, the horn, the wipers and the radio.
That’s it. Cars according to KISS: ‘keep it simple, stupid…”
Are cars getting too complicated?
Toyota has been beleaguered with trouble. We all know that. We’ve all heard about the recall, and the sticky pedals. We’ve all heard that Toyota said it was NOT electronics that were at fault, then say they weren’t sure, and then say again as late as this week that in their view the electronics are fine. It’s sticking pedals and floor mats that are causing unexplained acceleration.
And yet we hear of reports where Toyota owners have experienced more incidents whereby their recalled cars have sped away seemingly under their own power AFTER the safety repairs were made. This week a guy driving a Prius is lucky to be alive after his car sped up along a California Interstate. He said the pedal stuck and wouldn’t let go. He even tried to pry it free with his hand. It wouldn’t budge. Floor mats were not the issue.
His car wasn’t on the recall list.
On Wednesday a woman was just heading out of her driveway when her Toyota suddenly lurched forward, sped up and she slammed into a retaining wall across from her property. 
Okay, so is the problem mechanical? Or electronic? Or a combination of both? Do you ever recall a 1964 Impala doing this kind of stuff?
Most agree that cars are getting increasingly complicated. Some say, too much so. Well if that’s you, then you don’t want to ever meet up with the 2010 Lexus HS 250h, manufactured by Toyota.
More computing power than a moonshot
Here is a car that can literally drive itself. Roman Mica, a reporter and producer for CNN reviewed Toyota’s latest marvel, calling the Lexus HS 250h a technological ‘tour de force.’ You don’t drive the car any more,
Cuomo’s Helping Hand to NY for Toyota Recall
February 24th, 2010. By AbiK
This just in…been affected by the Toyota recall mess and live in New York? NY State Attorney General Cuomo’s got your back—at least when it comes to making the process of getting your car repaired a bit easier.
According to nypost.com this morning, Toyota has agreed to guarantee New Yorkers who’ve been thrown into the recall mess the following:
- Pick up of the vehicle at the owner’s home
- Return the vehicle after it’s been repaired
- Pay for out-of-pocket transportation costs
- Offer drivers free rental cars during repairs
That’s good news especially considering the number of emails and comments we’ve received from Toyota drivers who are concerned about driving their cars–even to the dealership–until the repairs are made. Cuomo, himself, gave a nod to this very issue in his prepared statement:
“It is unacceptable that New York consumers should face additional burdens when dealing with a safety problem that is Toyota’s responsibility,” Cuomo said in a prepared statement obtained by the AP before a scheduled noon announcement. “New Yorkers who own recalled vehicles understandably may be reluctant to drive their cars and assume the risk of harm to themselves and others on the road.”
If you’re in NY and you’ve got a recalled Toyota sitting in your drive, there’s also a website that’s been set up to provide further information: nytoyotahelp.com.
Your Toyota Recall Stories…Got one? Share it!
February 13th, 2010. By AbiK
Here’s what some of our readers have been experiencing with their Toyota’s and the Toyota Recall. Got a Toyota story? Share it!
From Mervin…
I have a 2010 toyoto corolla I bought it in august 2009 it is the worst money I ever spent . I have had it to the dealer about 12 times with problems . The car will just stop running and will take 45 minutes to an hour before I can gey it to start again . This happens two or three times a week if any body out there has such problems please contact me . Thank you.
From Jim…
I have 1999 Toyota Sienna that my wife and i both encountered the same problem. Once we press the gas pedal, it was stuck and wouldn’t come back, you need to repeatly press couple of times so it then can be released. We thought it is the structure defect, has more metal contact so it is not easy to return.
Now we are a little bit scared if the Sienna has the same behavior like other recalled cars, what are we going to do?
Besides, the sliding door handles are too easy to broke. We changed the handle, and it still gives us the feeling “will be broke” again.
From C.R….
With all information Toyota kept secret, who knows which cars are really affected? My niece died last month in a Toyota Yaris in a mainly residential neighborhood. No skid marks at the scene. It does make you wonder and worry for anyone driving a Toyota right now and the fix they are proposing seems rediculous. I wouln’t trust it.
Car Recalls: Technocrats and Bureaucrats Need to put Safety First
February 12th, 2010. By Hunter West
(Source: A.S. Sangiovanni-Vincentelli, EE 249, UC Berkeley, Fall 2002.)
If the recall troubles of Toyota and now Honda are knocking you out of your comfort zone, better get used to it. As cars become more complicated and sophisticated, recalls are going to be a fact of life.
In other words, the more automakers do, the more they have to ‘undo.’
Tacked onto an MSNBC story about the recent Honda expanded recall for airbags was a comment from Yoshihiko Tabei, chief analyst at Kazaka Securities.
“While the way automakers handle recalls is important, I think people should be careful not to overreact to every single recall,” he said. “Rather, my concern for the auto industry is their earnings for the next financial year, given the absence of the boost they enjoyed from government incentives this year.”
Other automotive analysts agree that automakers regularly trigger recalls, although some have suggested the media reaction to the Toyota case has been overblown. That latter statement may, or may not be true depending upon one’s perspective. In the Toyota case, the story for decades has been that the Japanese automakers had it
Week Adjourned: 2.5.10
February 5th, 2010. By LucyC
Top Class Actions
Toyota: “Moving Forward” Alright. This week is really the week of the Toyota class action. I have to be honest—I’ve lost count as to the number of lawsuits that have been filed, but I did see a report today that put the number at 29, and counting. That may just be some kind of world record.
At the heart of the issue is the now infamous sticking gas pedals. (It puts a whole new spin on the expression ‘give it some gas’—and certainly creates a little irony for Toyota’s tagline: moving forward.)
Of course, it’s not really funny, given that hundreds if not thousands or possibly millions of people will be at the very least inconvenienced by the recalls, now totalling some eight million cars—but it will also affect people’s livelihoods, and at worst there are reports of injuries.
In the highly unlikely event you’ve not heard about this issue, you can find more out all the recalls here.
Overdoing the Overdraft thing. Again. Yet another overdraft fees lawsuit was filed this week, this time the accused party is Fifth Third Bank. The lead plaintiffs in this lawsuit allege that they were illegally charged overdraft fees for purchases made on the ATM and debit cards, even when they had enough funds in their accounts to pay
Share this Page
Links
Archive by Category
- Accidents (RSS)
- Airlines (RSS)
- Asbestos Mesothelioma (RSS)
- Automotive (RSS)
- Class Action (RSS)
- Consumer Fraud (RSS)
- Court of Public Opinion (RSS)
- Defective Products (RSS)
- Drugs/Medical (RSS)
- Emerging Issues (RSS)
- Employment (RSS)
- Environment (RSS)
- Financial (RSS)
- Food Illness (RSS)
- Insurance (RSS)
- Intellectual Property (RSS)
- Internet/E-commerce (RSS)
- lawsuits (RSS)
- Lawyers (RSS)
- Lex Levity (RSS)
- Personal Injury (RSS)
- Pleading Ignorance (RSS)
- Securities (RSS)
- Settlement (RSS)
- Totally Tortelicious (RSS)
- Veterans (RSS)
- Week Adjourned (RSS)