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Target Toyota: Why the Recall Backlash Is Overblown
Popular Mechanics ^ | February 9, 2010 | James B. Meigs

Posted on 02/10/2010 4:40:56 PM PST by Oklahoma

To judge by press accounts and statements from government officials, those innocuous-looking Toyota sedans and SUVs in millions of American driveways are somehow kin to the homicidal '58 Plymouth Fury in the Stephen King novel "Christine"—haunted by technological poltergeists and prone to fits of mechanical mayhem. In the midst of three major recalls, Toyota has been hammered by daily newspaper and TV pieces suggesting it has been slow to address safety problems. U.S. transportation secretary Ray LaHood announced that anyone who owns one of the recalled vehicles should "stop driving it." (He quickly backpedaled on that pronouncement, but warned, "We're not finished with Toyota.") Displaying a previously undisclosed concern for the safety of American owners of foreign-badged automobiles, the UAW quickly piled on. And now, Toyota's North American president Yoshi Inaba must submit to ritual humiliation at the hands of the U.S. Congress in a hearing on Wednesday.

(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: acceleration; brakes; michigan; toyota
More on the sudden-acceleration front.
1 posted on 02/10/2010 4:40:56 PM PST by Oklahoma
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To: Oklahoma

To what extent are Toyota’s actions driven by fear of U.S. government auto industry regulators?

To what extent are government officials acting consciously for the benefit of the GM relationship?

To what extent is the MSM going along, knowingly, for the ride?


2 posted on 02/10/2010 4:45:39 PM PST by mbarker12474 (If thine enemy offend thee, give his childe a drum.)
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To: Oklahoma

I agree with the author. I am neutral about Toyota as a car manufacturer, but as I have watched this unfold it has seemed like much ado about pretty much nothing. There are always lots of recalls against all car manufacturers and, although this one is significant, it is being treated like the Pinto gas tanks.

I infer from it that there is a fairly good chance that there is some other agenda afoot.


3 posted on 02/10/2010 4:47:33 PM PST by RobRoy (The US today: Revelation 18:4)
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To: mbarker12474

The Chicago way ...is the Obama way ...


4 posted on 02/10/2010 4:48:02 PM PST by sushiman
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To: Oklahoma

ACORN & the UAW are probably filing Toyato claims in between filing voter registrations.


5 posted on 02/10/2010 4:48:11 PM PST by TexasCajun
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To: Oklahoma

This attack on Toyota is a combined offensive against non-union labor, with the UAW and Federal Government teaming up to bring down Toyota. This is how the Democrat Party operates. BTW, I drive two Tahoes, 96 and 05, they both have had recalls.


6 posted on 02/10/2010 4:50:36 PM PST by centurion316
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To: Oklahoma
Good for Popular Mechanics for helping "pull the covers" off the sinsiter conspiracy via Secretary LaHood and the UWA to freak out the American market from a car my son is a top technician for.

This administration is simply obscene!!! They've probably found some way to sabotoge Toyota and I sincerely hope Toyota finds solid evidence of it and has the last humungous laugh!!!

7 posted on 02/10/2010 4:51:07 PM PST by SierraWasp (NO MORE BOLSHEVIK PLOTTERS IN THE WHITEHOUSE!!! NO MORE IN OUR GOVERNMENT!!!)
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To: RobRoy
I have a 2010 Toyota Prius. I love it! I called the dealer today to inquire about the recall and have an appointment for next Monday to have the computer reprogrammed to correct the braking problem. No problems.

"Oh! What a feeling!" It wasn't built by the UAW!

8 posted on 02/10/2010 4:52:48 PM PST by Redleg Duke
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To: Oklahoma
Why the Recall Backlash Is Overblown The primary reason this issue has been brought to the public's attention by the media, is the media's support for Barak Hussein Obama. Remember, to the democrats everything from the Haitian earthquake to the common flue is politics. The democrats include the UAW and the rich U.S. car company management, and for every Toyota sale they can prevent, it is money in their pockets and money in the democrat campaign fund.

Good post from the link / article.

9 posted on 02/10/2010 4:57:27 PM PST by jaz.357 ("If the present tries to sit in judgment on the past, it will lose the future." W.Churchill)
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To: Redleg Duke

I just remembered, my Scion xBox is basically a Toyota. Oops.

I love my 2001 Chrysler 300m, but when a headlight went out I found out it will cost $200 just in labor to replace it. You have to remove the front of the car to replace a single headlight bulb.

WTF?


10 posted on 02/10/2010 4:59:20 PM PST by RobRoy (The US today: Revelation 18:4)
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To: AdmSmith; Berosus; bigheadfred; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; ...
Thanks Oklahoma.Sure is odd, Obama okays the sale of arms to Taiwan on the one hand, then starts verbally raping Toyota, a Japanese giant.
11 posted on 02/10/2010 5:38:01 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Happy New Year! Freedom is Priceless.)
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To: RobRoy

People predicted the government would go after non Government auto companies because of the new competition paradigm. Government motors can never again be efficient and must limit its offerings to government approved designs. As such GovMo can’t compete in the market place unless the government “levels the playing field” by pushing private companies out one way or another. The government is not limited to the free market for sale of its products and is not worried about profitability.


12 posted on 02/10/2010 8:06:13 PM PST by arthurus ("If you don't believe in shooting abortionists, don't shoot an abortionist." -Ann C.)
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To: RobRoy

I have a Chinese scooter like that. One has spend an hour to completely disassemble the rear portion of the thing to replace a tail light bulb. I did that but I also added a trailer tail light outside of the bodywork. If it goes out it is a matter of 5 minutes to replace it. If the factory tail light goes out again it can stay out.


13 posted on 02/10/2010 8:20:51 PM PST by arthurus ("If you don't believe in shooting abortionists, don't shoot an abortionist." -Ann C.)
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To: Oklahoma

Mc-Car-thyism?


14 posted on 02/11/2010 2:54:28 AM PST by CDFingers (I don't want 0bama to fail. He wants it bad enough for the both of us!)
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To: Oklahoma

This isn’t Toyota’s first major screw-up.

Google “Toyota sludge”


15 posted on 02/11/2010 3:16:50 AM PST by Fresh Wind ("...a whip of political correctness strangles their voice"-Vaclav Klaus on GW skeptics)
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To: mbarker12474

99.99999%


16 posted on 02/11/2010 4:36:39 PM PST by dervish (I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself)
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