|
Post by Rebel on Mar 4, 2010 19:32:40 GMT -5
I have never been a big supporter of the Japanese car industry, I'm pretty much a Be American, Buy American whenever possible.
We all know how much trouble Toyota has had with their recall. Today I read an article that Toyota has been using software in the black boxes they have in their cars that could not be read by any other computer than just one single laptop in the USA that they own. Toyota has been caught in a lie about what information the black boxes collect. Toyota hides the information they can collect and will not release it in court cases where they are being sued. when they have released the information it has the important stuff left off, like was the car accelerating, was the brake applied.
They, toyota, has been selling cars for years pretending to be a quality, safe car. Seems they have been caught with their pants down again. Seems to me that they are showing their true colors and how little they care about the people they sell cars to as long as they are making money. Seems to me that the society they come from has the same opinion of itself that it did on December 7th of 1941, they are the only ones that matter and they are the only ones that count, screw the rest of the world.
|
|
|
Post by jct842 on Mar 7, 2010 0:34:47 GMT -5
I also have been a buyer of american cars. I did have a yugo over 20 years ago. (and was a real good car for what I paid new...$2800) scooters and motorcycles are a different bird, not much available here outside of harleys. I have never owned an american bike. I don't know what I will do when I have to replace my Malibu. That toyota thing has been known a long time. I was given a rental a few years ago when my car picked up a dent in the side in a parking lot. An hour after the car was delivered, the girl at the rental place was on the phone with me asking if the toyotas floor mat was in the car and to take it out if it was there. I didn't know what that was all about till now! I hate the feds have to make more laws and restrictions but in this case they better get to the bottom of this crap and soon. I still can't understand why these dumb asses who let their toyota run off don't turn the key off or shift out of gear/ (kill switchs?) or at least don't smash it up before the speed gets up there and kills them. stomping on the break with engine WOT and expecting it to stop aint real bright. ................ john
|
|
|
Post by workdog on Mar 7, 2010 23:37:39 GMT -5
I still can't understand why these dumb asses who let their toyota run off don't turn the key off or shift out of gear/ (kill switchs?) I think the same thing.
|
|
|
Post by gmoney on Mar 8, 2010 7:56:31 GMT -5
From what I've read, the newer Toyota's don't use a key any longer, they have a button that you push to start and stop the engine. Apparently it takes holding the button down at least 3 seconds to stop the engine. When your in and emergency situation, and distracted with sudden acceleration, people forget it takes 3 seconds to shut down the engine. I think it's a big mistake getting away from keys in the ignition. What happens when the battery is dead and you have a keyless vehicle?? You can't open the door to unlatch the hood so your screwed!
Gary
|
|
|
Post by kz1000st on Mar 8, 2010 10:31:05 GMT -5
You guys are kidding right? For years American companies built cars that ate themselves alive in three years and the Japanese came along and showed us cars could last ten and fifteen years. I heard everybody screaming about Ford using seat belts that were so thin they would cut a man in half in an accident. Chryslers with bad transmissions, Buicks with bad cranks, Chevys with bad cams. Bad paint all around, not mention electronic woes. Fix Or Restore Daily. Sound familiar?
Now a bunch of bozos are saying Toyotas are having trouble with sudden acceleration, heard it before. Remember Audi? Nothing to that either. Even though they've redesigned the pedal the same bozos are saying it's still not right. Hysteria at it's highest. Americans are the worst drivers on the planet and someone is always to blame when they have a problem. Toyota is the whipping boy now.
Oh, and Doug. Toyota probably set up those black boxes so an insurance company couldn't just plug into it, find out information that might deny your claim in accident and leave you to foot the bill for repairs, medical and liability. On Star had a big fight over the same thing a couple of years ago because they had tracking info that would have indicated if their customers were speeding before an accident.
|
|
xs650
Non-Com
Lance Corporal, 3rd Mixed Mechanized Close Combat Forces
Posts: 133
|
Post by xs650 on Mar 8, 2010 11:56:38 GMT -5
From what I've read, the newer Toyota's don't use a key any longer, they have a button that you push to start and stop the engine. Apparently it takes holding the button down at least 3 seconds to stop the engine. When your in and emergency situation, and distracted with sudden acceleration, people forget it takes 3 seconds to shut down the engine. I think it's a big mistake getting away from keys in the ignition. What happens when the battery is dead and you have a keyless vehicle?? You can't open the door to unlatch the hood so your screwed! Gary I would rather have a key, but I do have a Corvette with keyless entry and keyless ignition. There is an easy way to get in if the battery is dead, I've done it. Having had both GM and Toyota products, I would assume the the Toyota system is even better.
|
|
|
Post by Rebel on Mar 8, 2010 17:32:15 GMT -5
Actually, no, I'm not kidding. I started reading about how bad American cars were back in the 70's, and never had the trouble all the experts said I would. I just figured it was all about being paid off by some companies or a genuine dislike of almost anything American made. I learned to just trust my own judgment when it came to cars and trucks.
And i do know people that have toyotas that will take off on them. I have no idea as to why they keep them, I guess it is just because they have been conditioned to think anything American is going to be worse. Oh Well, see them at the morgue.
|
|
|
Post by jct842 on Mar 9, 2010 19:03:29 GMT -5
Why can't some one market a small car for poor people like so many of us today. (retired and get poorer by the day) a no frills car with a 1200/1600cc engine. no power anything, headlights on all the time as a motorcycle, no switch to fail. possibly a twist and go type transmission, possibly a simple fuel injection. price about the same as the down payment on a midsized car. Had a yugo and apart from the jokes it was a real reliable car. no frills, I think it did have a radio but that was it. all the rubber as in hoses and trim was bad but replaceable. just don't drive thru a big puddle and drowned the distributor which was just inside the grill/ for what it cost I was willing to put up with a few inconveniences. when I bought it other small cars were going for $6500/$7000, I paid $2800. and it got 40 miles per gal. john
|
|
|
Post by Rocketdog on Mar 9, 2010 19:14:57 GMT -5
Give me a throttle cable any day of the week and a Bellcrank on my clutch.
RD
|
|
|
Post by Rebel on Mar 9, 2010 19:33:43 GMT -5
I had a friend that bought Yugo just to get around in as he when back to college for a couple years. He got it after putting up with a VW rabbit diesel that kept blowing head gaskets. He figured all he had to get out of it was about 50,000 miles and he did that. Problem is that the kind of car you are asking about is too practical and few people just want practical transportation.
|
|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 11, 2010 2:26:01 GMT -5
Well, at the risk of sounding "outdated"... I have to agree with doug. I've never purchased an Asian car, and probably never will. I too believe the Pearl Harbor mentality still exists. My daily driver is a 1989 Mercury Grand Marquis station wagon. It has over 400,000 miles on the clock. Total repairs to date have been 2 sets of brakes, 1 set of tie-rod ends, 2 fuel injectors replaced and one transmission rebuild at 160,000. Oh, and several sets of inexpensive, standard "inch-sized" American tires.
It's big enough to live in, weighs around 5,000 pounds, rides like a Pulman coach and still gives 16 mpg in town, and 19 on the highway. I paid $1,600 for it 14 years ago, with 60,000 miles showing, and have put about $2,000 total repairs in it over all that time. My total cost is about $3,600 and it still is totally reliable, and drives smoother than a new, large BMW.
THAT, fellow Rebs, is what we old geezers like about those supposedly "junk-eighties" American cars. Since my Wife hates driving big cars, My Grandson recently gave us his old '95 Honda Accord. (I won't BUY one, but I sure won't turn down a FREE one... LOL!) Heck, I'm OLD, not STUPID... It's reliable at 160,000 miles, and drives OK. It's incredibly fast for a teensy 4-banger (no wonder the tuner kids like 'em) but I feel like a sardine stuffed into it. You sort of "wear" it, rather than get into it. Makes my scoot seem downright roomy!
Will it last like the old Merc wagon? Maybe, maybe not, but I'll still take the big American iron. To each his own... That's what makes it a horse race!
Stay safe whatever you drive or ride!
Leo in Texas
|
|
|
Post by Rocketdog on Mar 11, 2010 4:33:56 GMT -5
I don't understand why you can't put these cars in neutral. Or throw the thing in park for that matter. Who cares if the transmission get scattered over a few miles of asphalt. I understand your under a bit of pressure when things go amiss and your vehicle begins to accelerate at an alarming pace. But that would be the first thing I would do. I had a '52 GMC do that once. The bellcrank on the throttle over cammed and was stuck wide open. I pushed in the clutch and turned off the ignition.
I like my '95 Ford truck. 270,000 and no major repairs. It does need a pinion bearing but it will last till it warms up and I can fix it. I've had great cars and poor ones. Any company can have problems with manufacturing. I know a guy who bought a new Toyota truck, in the 80's, and it never ran very well. It idled rough and no one could figure it out. Turned out that one of the crankshaft throws was a several of degrees off. They gave him a new engine.
RD
|
|
jmkjr72
contributing staff
Commander 132nd Northern Cav. Division
Posts: 2,779
|
Post by jmkjr72 on Mar 11, 2010 7:37:53 GMT -5
thats it i just think most of these people dont know how to drive i used to race circle track so you dont know how many times i have had things hand or brakes go out you just have to have you witts about you get it in neutral and find a guard rail or k barrier to srub up agiasnt if your brakes are gone heck even if you cant get it into neutral holding the brakes and rubbing agianst a k rail will slow it down to a very reasonable speed
|
|
|
Post by Rebel on Mar 11, 2010 12:22:02 GMT -5
well, there have been two recent Prius events in the news, one in California, I think the other was in New York. I know that the advice the CHP gave was for the driver to apply both breaks and parking break, that slowed it down to about 50 from 94, then turn it off put it in neutral and was assisted in stopping by a CHP car.
I think that cars built now, if you turn them off, you loose some steering and breaking control. It seems to me that there is a genuine problem with the cars. And it seems to me that Toyota is doing all it can to deny any design problem with the electronics. They have failed to provide information in court regarding the details.
|
|
|
Post by jct842 on Mar 11, 2010 20:07:08 GMT -5
time for george toyota or what ever his name is that it is time to do the honorable thing like all the old japanese did when they failed... hari-kari? ;D
|
|