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Toyota Recalls 470,000 Vehicles in Japan

3K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Octane 
#1 ·
TOKYO - Toyota recalled 470,000 vehicles in Japan Wednesday for engine, steering and motor problems in the latest sign of growing quality problems as the automaker embarks on ambitious global growth.

None of the recalled models were exported, Toyota Motor Corp. (nyse: TM - news - people ) said. There were no reports of accidents related to the defects, but more than 300 problems were reported, it said.

President Katsuaki Watanabe has repeatedly cautioned about the need for more vigilance in product quality as the Japanese manufacturer of Camry sedans and Lexus luxury models boosts production to meet demand.

Toyota was investigated last year in Japan on suspicion of negligence in a faulty part that may have caused a 2004 head-on crash. The probe has not resulted in any charges. But Watanabe has apologized for public fears about quality problems.

Toyota has faced an increasing numbers of recalls in recent years, partly due to its effort to cut costs by using the same parts across different models.

In the latest recall, an engine problem was found in the Crown sedan and several other models, sold from 1999 through 2004, which may cause fuel to leak, Toyota said.

Separately, a defect in the fuel pump of the Vitz compact and other models could cause the engine to stall and fail to restart, it said. Those recalled models were sold from 2003 through 2005.

Toyota also found that the bolt connecting the steering shaft with the gear box wasn't properly tightened in the bB vehicle, sold from January last year through March this year, which could result in uncontrollable steering.

Toyota declined to say how much the recall would cost.

Earlier this year, Toyota set a goal of selling 10.4 million vehicles globally in 2009, well above the industry's 30-year-old record held by General Motors Corp. (nyse: GM - news - people )

At that time, Watanabe said he was going after quality - not quantity.

Toyota is planning to sell 9.3 million vehicles this year, a number that could end up beating GM, the world's No. 1 automaker. GM, which sold 9.1 million vehicles worldwide last year, doesn't give a forecast for this year.
 
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#3 ·
more fuel for their pyre ;)

Quotes from page 1 of 5(at the moment):
...This same wheeler has been loaded in the bed of 2 of my Tacomas and a T-100 with no problem over the last 10 years and now Toyota's biggest truck ever has a tailgate that wont support what a 1996 Tacoma, 1999 Tacoma , and a 97 T-100 could...
...so much for the "truck that is changing it all"...
...Count me in too! After reading this post I went out and looked at my tailgate because I loaded my 700 lb ATV last weekend. Much to my amazement, my tailgate is coming apart in the same manner!...
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/tundra/114436-tundra-tailate-failures-i-am-club/

apparently, if you load anything heavy, you run the risk of the tailgate cracking and coming apart

link to a different & larger pic showing multiple failures.

Of course this isn't new, quote:
"The 05+ Tacomas are the same way. Toyota has a TSB out for the tailgate fix on the Tacomas..."
 
#4 ·
I wonder if the recall on the Toyota bB will be expanded to include the Scion xB, because those 2 cars are pretty much the same thing.
I used to be a big Toyota fan. I used to post on several Toyota forums under the names "Octane" or "Bakemono" but with all the quality problems Toyota is having, those days are over.
I was all for buying an import when they were better, but if the quality is the same, why buy an import?
Yesterday we had a nice little bonfire and lets just say that every hat and t-shirt I had that said Toyota on it is no more.
 
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