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[rcjordan]

Or have they been covering up (err, more so than the other auto manufacturers) and the shit has finally hit the fan?

[isthisthingon]

I don't know all the details regarding the Toyota recall but I'm thinking we're being appropriately hard on them.  Have these defective vehicles fixed ASAP and move on IMO.  Of course this is from a spokesperson but it rings true: "We want to make sure our customers understand that this situation is rare and generally does not occur suddenly."  Yet during peak hours, a stuck accelerator could result in fleeing crowd-rape, Godzilla style.

It wasn't too long ago when Ford's marriage with Firestone was front page news.  They were committed to their denial in the face of resultant driving deaths.  An exploding front tire on a Ford Explorer doing 70mph is about as hairy as you can get imo and the whole issue was resolved eventually through the legal system.

Yet another thing that should never have a dollar value associated with it:

~ Life ~

[rcjordan]

YEAH, BUT....

It seems they may be caught up in some sort of meme-du-jour.

I read a user-limited version of reddit (programming category) and digg as well as the regular news aggregators. Over the last year or two, I've seen Apple's Wosniak mentioned for dating some gal, dissing the ipod, and Dancing With The Stars. IOW, his status as a celebrity seems to be only slightly higher than Gary Coleman. So now we're using Wozniak Prius claims as headlines?

And WTF is the Sec of Transportation doing making those kinds of remarks before the House Appropriations committee? Inciting a riot? Wonder how much Ford stock his family owns?

<added>
Headline:
Complaints pile up about Prius brakes

In the U.S., more than 100 complaints
In Japan, 14 complaints
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/03/autos/prius_complaints/

114 a "pile up" ??

[isthisthingon]

Testifying before the House appropriations committee, Mr. LaHood was asked what advice he would give to owners of Toyotas subject to the recall. "My advice is, if anybody owns one of these vehicles, stop driving it, take it to the Toyota dealer because they believe they have the fix for it," Mr. LaHood said.

His staff immediately sought to clarify the comments, and after the hearing Mr. LaHood said the remark was an "obvious misstatement." He said that he intended to urge Toyota owners to take their vehicles to dealers to have them examined and, if necessary, fixed.

   Seems like he was quoted a little out of context.  Think Raising Arizona: "wull whats it gonna be mister?  Do you want us to drive them to the dealer or stop drivin em?  Cuz if we stop drivin em, wul then we can't take 'em to the dealer cuz then we'd be drivin em.

But it does smack of a witch hunt now that I read more into it. 

>Woz

He's been on used car ads here in San Jose.  He's a terrible actor.

[rcjordan]

>>Woz
>used car ads

That may be lower status than the latest on Gary Coleman:

http://www.tmz.com/2010/01/24/gary-coleman-arrested-domestic-violence/

[perkiset]

He's a terrible actor.

But a great dancer.

[perkiset]

Am I the only one that finds it ironic that his bail amount is ... wait for it ... really small?

[rcjordan]

>really small

budda bing!

Personal injury lawyers starting to feed on the chum:

Lawyers advise Toyota drivers of legal danger of driving after product recall
  - British Toyota owners warned to stop driving immediately as accelerator fault fears grow

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/feb/03/toyota-legal-fears-drivers-recall

BTW, I do tend to think these stories have some validity.

[perkiset]

FUDGen on full ... real public protection or corporate machinations to cut a hole for Ford et al to reenter the marketplace?

You be the judge!

[isthisthingon]

 



 

Who you callin Willis??  I tell you what I'm talkin bout! 

Truth is stranger than fiction.  It's also way funnier 

[perkiset]

Wow ... I knew I'd seen that mug before...

separated at birth?

[nutballs]

Lol

[isthisthingon]

For the grand prize of $50 dollars!!!, which side is considered "dark?"

[cdc]

More FUD for the fire:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Blotter/toyota-admits-problems-2010-hybrid-prius/story?id=9744744

I do think it's interesting that Toyota goes for years (decades?) without any major problem and now the media has come out with three stories bashing them in the past month:

1. Toyota is losing market share

2. The accelerator gets stuck

3. The breaks get stuck and they've "known" about it for months, "hiding" it from the public.

All while Obama desperately needs the auto industry in America to rebound. These headlines and stories are all written with an increasingly witch-hunt bent to them.

And now for the obligatory movie quote:

A new car built by my company leaves somewhere traveling at 60 mph. The rear differential locks up. The car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside. Now, should we initiate a recall? Take the number of vehicles in the field, A, multiply by the probable rate of failure, B, multiply by the average out-of-court settlement, C. A times B times C equals X. If X is less than the cost of a recall, we don't do one.

All car companies work like this, as I would expect them to. So why are we putting all of Toyota's problems under a microscope?

[rcjordan]

>Wonder how much Ford stock his family owns?

Turns out it's not his family, but his employer....

Is US bullying Toyota on recall?

"The US transportation chief's public rebukes of Toyota's handling of a massive safety recall have raised eyebrows, given the US government's major stake in rivals General Motors and Chrysler."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5im7AzPBsRb2Q_qT0FXa8DxrjjLwA