yes, this is a TIC title. but, man oh man, WTF is going on with them?
Funny thing is, it’s a worldwide recall for something that 10 people claimed happened to them, 8 of which are bad drivers, one was a fluke, and one was a real genuine problem. Now everyone else is piling on.
(No, I can’t back that up. But really, if people don’t know how to shift into neutral, signal, and coast to the side of the road, that’s not completely Toyota’s fault.)
um, it’s their fault for manufacturing things with blatant defects.
this is like saying it’s your fault for dying from e-coli tainted beef because you didn’t go to a doctor fast enough.
Does the CEO micromanage to the point where they’re looking at part designs?
Give them credit for doing a recall for a problem that, so far, had affected an infinitesimally small percentage of their cars. That in itself, I would think, is the honorable thing to do.
no, you misunderstand the point of my post:
I’m not blaming the CEO for fucking up. I’m just commenting on how Toyota is taking (self-inflicting, according to some here) a beating on their reputation for reliability and noting that in feudal japan, samurai would gut themselves for lesser.
I’m just finishing up reading Unsafe and Any Speed (a tedious slog!), and find it quite interesting to ponder the extent to which I feel liability for accidents should be attributed to the manufacturer or the user. Yeah, it is fine and dandy to say that a driver involved in an accident was an idiot. But if you willingly sell your product to idiots …
Not until he’s done everything he can to fix the mistakes. Then look for him to resign. Hopefully not kill himself.
I highly doubt he will kill himself. If he does, or anyone else in charge of manufacturing, it will be a really sad thing to hear about.
I would not be surprised if many people are fired, however.
OMG. People. what part of “yes, this is a TIC title” aren’t we getting!
now I feel all bad and stuff that people actually think I think the CEO should off himself.
I still think that this whole “story” is being blown out of proportion by a media conglomeration that sees this as a chance to knock Toyota off of its rise to prominence in the North American car industry.
Have Ford or GM not had any recalls?
Does anyone know of any corporate convergence of interests between large media conglomerates and the N. American car companies?
This was the first thing I thought of when the CEO was on television. It’s not that I expect it. There are just to many stories of tradition not to think of it.
You’re so evil.
Not at all. A vehicle is a weapon. It has the capability of converting people into dead. It has sharp edges, it has explosive and poisonous compounds. The problem is failing to properly train for it’s use and operation.
You HAVE seen the 'precision machined steel reinforcements, haven’t you?
I’m saying (JIMHO) that people are not adequately prepared to handle an unexpected automotive situation.
I have a 1962 South Bend Lathe. It has no warning labels. It has no safety interconnects. I still have my fingers and eyesight. I also know when it picks up a sharp spinny mess of aluminum shavings, to NOT reach into the fray when it happens.
Is there a defect in these cars? Probably. Is it being blown all out of proportion? Most definately.
If your gas pedal sticks and you CANNOT REACH BETWEEN YOUR LEGS AND PULL THE FOOT MAT BACK. Well, then perhaps there’s not enough personal responsibility going on between cellphone calls and Latte sipping. Again. IMHO.
TIC = Tongue in Cheek, right?
I thought the car that crashed with all those people in it (I can’t remember where it happened, even though they keep playing the 911 call on the news) was a Lexus with some kind of ultra-fancy gearshift that didn’t have a logical way to shift into neutral, and that the driver wasn’t familiar with the vehicle. Granted, that doesn’t excuse the driver completely – the last car I rented had a manual in the glove box. I had to read it (after I had parked!) to figure out how to operate the radio.
I’ll be sure to come and laugh at you in hospital when the lathe malfunctions, throws out a piece of metal in your direction, and embeds itself in your throat. I’ll be sure to mention this conversation and point out that you weren’t fast enough to dodge out of the way.
I agree with this.
But do you think a manufacturer should have ZERO obligation to engineer or at least warn WRT features they know could lead to injuries with foreseeable use? (Foreseeable misuse is another wrinkle.)
The “TIC” part. I hate when people use non-obvious initializations. I skipped right past that part thinking “I don’t know what ‘TIC’ means, but if it was important he would have spelled it out in full.”
Or:
The “TIC” part. IHW people use NOI. ISRP that part thinking “IDK what ‘TIC’ means, but IIWI he would have SIOIF.”
See what I mean?
I love the fact you’re so dead set on being right you cannot see my statements have any value. I also love that you’d wish harm on an anonymous internet forum member.
I have seen pictures of what happens when you don’t respect machine tools. It ain’t pretty. I wouldn’t wish it on, nor laugh at, anyone it happened to.
There’s a difference between what I’m saying, and what you’re reading. I’m thinking a little preparedness and personal responsibility is necessary. That’s all.
Is Toyota negligent? Possibly. Cars are VERY complex things. There’s a balance between carrying forward the lessons learned in older designs, and the need to build a new shiny every few years that’s hard to reconcile.
Read up on Audi’s ‘unintended acceleration’ for a history lesson.
I’ll save you the trouble:
thread here.
Fancy radio that requires 8 hours of classroom instruction before use? Fine, whatever. But it shouldn’t take a manual to figure out how to get the car into neutral or kill the engine, or perform any other safety-related task. Items like that should follow established paradigms, e.g. brake pedal on left, accelerator pedal on right, horn button in center of wheel, and standard PRNDL selector on steering column or on center console. Take away those familiar items, and it’s no surprise that someone can’t figure out how to use the new controls in a panic situation.
Re: seppuku by an official of a company whose product/service has killed people, this wouldn’t be the first time.
Just a little point I’d like to make.
Toyota is not the only car manufacturer using these “defective parts”. However, they are the only one correcting the potential problem.
There’s a saying… Product liability is strict liability.
Learn it. Love it. It’s a good rule of law.