Posted on 02/01/2010 10:23:09 AM PST by Chi-townChief
It turns out that the “bad guy” in the Toyota recall may not be such a bad guy after all, and according to experts may actually benefit from the mess.
CTS, originally founded in 1896 under the name Chicago Telephone Supply, is widely reported to have made the gas pedal units at the center of the massive recall by No. 1 Toyota across several of its most popular models.
But, wait a minute, CTS executives on Friday sought to set the record straight on just what the company did and did not do in the gas pedal mess.
CTS Sets Record Straight
Ina release posted on its Web Site, CTS said:
“CTS Corporation (NYSE: CTS) today expressed its ‘deep concern that there is widespread confusion and incorrect information’ about the role of CTS-manufactured gas pedals in the media coverage of the recent Toyota recall.
CTS stated that since the problem of sudden unintended acceleration has been reported to have existed in some Lexus vehicles and Toyota vehicles going back to 1999 when CTS did not even make this product for any customer, CTS believes that the rare slow return pedal phenomenon, which may occur in extreme environmental conditions, should absolutely not be linked with any sudden unintended acceleration incidents. CTS is also not aware of any accidents and injuries caused by the rare slow return pedal condition, to the best of its knowledge. CTS wishes to clarify that it does not, and has never made, any accelerator pedals for Lexus vehicles and that CTS also has no accelerator pedals in Toyota vehicles prior to model year 2005.
‘We are disappointed that, despite these facts, CTS accelerator pedals have been frequently associated with the sudden unintended acceleration problems and incidents in various media reports,’ said Dennis Thornton, CTS Vice President and General Manager of Automotive Products Group. Toyota itself has also publically stated that this recall is separate from the earlier recalls which were done to remedy sudden acceleration in vehicles.
“CTS and Toyota continue to work closely in our partnership to resolve the slow return phenomenon.”
Toyota a Very Small Percentage of Business
In a meeting with reporters and analysts earlier last week CTS leaders said gas pedal production for Toyota only accounts for about 3 percent of its business and that the whole affair should have no substantial impact on its business.
In fact, the company is working closely with Toyota as a “partner” in fixing the mess that likely will result in an improved manufacturing process funded by Toyota, according to a report in USA Today.
Through the partnership, CTS is working with the automaker on a replacement gas pedal assembly design and several CTS plants have also seen an increase in business in recent days from the manufacture of replacement pedals, according to reports.
So, regardless of all the information and misinformation, CTS is actually a key player in the solution to the problem.
All the Publicity May Not Be So Bad
What’s more the company, a diversified designer and manufacturer of electronic components and sensors and provider of electronics manufacturing services to OEM’s in the automotive, communications, medical, defense and aerospace, industrial and computer markets, got more free publicity than it could have garnered in a thousand Super-Bowl commercials.
Toss in a little savvy positive marketing by the folks at CTS and this may end up being one of the best things to happen to the company in more than 100 years.
And, that’s not a bad place to be in today’s tough economy.
I my driveway would be a nice place to ‘put it’. I could use a nice Tacoma.
I fingred it out. It is all Obama’s fault!
I was very bored the other day.
So bored I was watching ABC News. And they were reporting on Toyota’s problems.
The amount of bias against Toyota was sickening. They were almost gleeful at the accelerator problems.
So I wonder. Why would the MSM take on this anti-Toyota agenda?
“So I wonder. Why would the MSM take on this anti-Toyota agenda?”
Connect the dots.
The MSM is populated with progressives, (e.g. communists).
The UAW is a progressive oranization, (e.g. communist).
Toyota doesn’t employ communists.
Follow the MONEY! Maybe, just maybe Lawyers and Unions will come to mind. GM(Government Motors) will be again receive Obama largess.
how many vehicles has Ford, Chrysler and GM have had recalled individually. I have a 2001 Ford ranger with a recall, and a 2000 Ford Escape with a recall. has the 2000 Ford ZX2 been recalled. What about the 1991 Mercury Capri XR2? the only Ford that I own that has not had a recall is the 1963 Ford Falcon! gee maybe I should stop buying Fords. No way. A few recalls makes for problems for Toyota and Honda. Instead the media gloats about the recalls on Toyota, Hondas. What about the Kia, Hyundai. Wait to the Chinese car comes to America. The owners will become crash test dummies.
They’d have to go a long way to get anywhere near the anti-GM agenda.
I'm pretty sure that Toyota refuses to worship at the altar of the UAW, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Democrat Party, who also own the MSM. So the MSM are carrying water for their "sister" corporation, the UAW. I often observe the same sort of bias against Wal-Mart, which has successfully fended off attempts to unionize its workforce.
Millions of cars sold. Billions of miles driven. Nine or so incidents? Sure, it’s the gas pedals. Ironically, this helps the car company Obama owns. Wooda thunk that?
From this vantage point, it appears to be more of a design tahn manufactruing problem and CTS fired off a warning shot here saying, in effect, if Toyota wants a contest, they’re pissing up the wrong tree.
I think your analysis is spot on. I would really like to see a better explanation of the accelerator problems. I have a Toyota, btw, but my model and year are not among those supposedly affected.
It went from stuck floor mats (which were not the original equipment, but had been added by the drivers) to slow return to sticking.
And the attacks have been really violent.
Wait a minute!
Doesn’t Toyota compete with Government Motors (GM)?
Case closed!
I have followed this story and darned if I’ve seen anything that leads me to believe they’ve even identified the problem, let alone know how to solve it. I’ve yet to see a definitive description of just how frequently it’s supposed to have happened and exactly what happened. Some reports are of unintended acceleration and others talk about about stuck pedals, or a slow return of the pedals.
I’ve yet to see a single report of an incident where they were able to say for certain what caused it, and how widespread the condition identified is in the fleet.
Sure looks to me like they’re doing something, anything, just to make it look like they’re solving the problem.
It doesn’t help that the MSM has absolutely no interest in providing fair and balanced coverage of the subject. And it also doesn’t help that Toyota appears to be pretty much on its own to get to the bottom of it.
I was thinking the same thing today. Let’s see. Push business away from non-union Toyota. Who will make up the difference?
HMMMM? HMMMMM? HMMMMM?
GM, Chrysler? perhaps.
I think CTS actually supplies Ford.
I think Americans, especially liberals, will suck up the Chinese cars just like they have the Japanese ones.
Are the CTS plants UAW? I haven’t checked that out yet.
GM has had more vehicle recalls than Toyota 4.0 Million trucks from 2000, 2,3 million GM vehicles for seat belts.
GM is Toyota competition O desires to destroy Toyota and Ford so people will have to buy only Chrysler (Fiats Fix it Again Tony ) crap boxes and Government Motor cars from Mexico and China. Great piece of work on Toyota. He will take on Ford next. Nascar will be soon, take away the Honda Racing Engine, including the Indy Car Class
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