Toyota, Where's the Warranty?

[KILLER74Z28]

Where's the Warranty?
Toyota has no plans to extend coverage

By RICHARD TRUETT | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

AutoWeek | Updated: 02/20/07, 2:16 pm et

CHICAGO - Although Toyota has recalled more than 3.4 million vehicles since 2005, its top U.S. boss, Jim Press, says consumer confidence in the company remains strong.

Press, president of Toyota Motor North America, also said the company is not going to follow Ford Motor Co. and General Motors by strengthening new- or used-vehicle warranties.

"It's something you need as a solution to a problem," Press said this month during the Chicago Auto Show. "It's not something you do because other people do it. Our long-term durability has been real good."

But for a company that has built its reputation on high-quality, long-lasting vehicles, Toyota has had problems of late.

Toyota's latest recall, announced in late January, affects 533,000 light trucks that might have a faulty ball joint.

The recall comes on the heels of a class-action settlement, announced in early January, that covers hefty repair bills for Toyota owners whose engines filled with oil sludge.

Also, Toyota recalled 2.2 million vehicles in 2005 to fix various problems.

GM and Ford boosted their new-car powertrain warranties last fall. Ford's warranty increased from 3 years/36,000 miles to 5 years/60,000 miles; GM boosted its powertrain coverage to 5 years/100,000 miles. And this month, GM said that starting March 5 it will extend powertrain coverage of used vehicles to 5 years/100,000 miles.

Press said no discussions have taken place at Toyota about beefing up warranty coverage.

He said: "We don't have reliability issues that go beyond our normal warranty."

[3whiterag]

Jim Press seems a little arrogant to me!!

[boxmonkeyracing]

Originally Posted by 3whiterag

Jim Press seems a little arrogant to me!!

not really when you have fan boys and naive people still buying toyotas over other makes because of a reputation that was built up a long time ago. . .

[Nickdago]

You can save yourself a lot of money by buying used Ford Mustangs and Rangers and Chevy Aveo's and Cobalts. As a matter of fact you can save so much money as opposed to a comparable Honda or Toyota that you could probably replace the engine twice. We bought our two boys a Mustang and a Ford Ranger and our Daughter a Honda Civic (with my disaproval) and the Honda by far has needed the most work and is the least fun to drive.

[stovt001]

Toyota doesn't have recalls. They have "warranty extensions". So they'll keep the same old warranties and when (not "if", definitely "when") the cars break they'll just extend those warranties. They should be concerned, because even import-lovers are beginning to question Toyota's reputation now. Honda is still deservedly the import golden boy. I have to admit, they stuck to what they do well, they resisted the temptation to sacrifice quality for quantity, and now they're reaping the rewards. We'll see if they keep up or go the way of Toyota, but I will say things have changed and quality/reliability is no longer a distinction between Japanese and American.

[MCPOAJ]

Originally Posted by boxmonkeyracing

not really when you have fan boys and naive people still buying toyotas over other makes because of a reputation that was built up a long time ago. . .

true that toyota is an overhyped company that is "cool" because people don't understand what real power and reliability is thats why for me its

[TAG UR IT]

Dang...suprised I never saw this!

I'm glad Toyota doesn't extend their warranties. People see that and WANT a car that is backed up by a good plan. It says, "We'll guarantee your new GM car will last. And if something does happen, we'll be there to take care of the customer." I guess Toyota doesn't care about taking care fo the customer!!!

[Silverado]

Originally Posted by stovt001

We'll see if they keep up or go the way of Toyota, but I will say things have changed and quality/reliability is no longer a distinction between Japanese and American.

You're right. Sort of.

Technically, there is no distinction between them for quality/reliablity (in reality, that distinction was never as big as it was made to be either). The problem is the "public perception". As posted earlier in the thread, people still buy Toyotas because of the perceived quality/reliability. These are the same people who grew up with their parents telling them that "American cars are just thrown together cheaply (not inexpesively, cheaply), but Japanese cars are where the quality is."

Sorry, I've always called BS on this. When Japanese cars were far less expensive than their American counterparts, you could forgive a little quality hiccup here and there. But now, now that they are priced the same if not more than their American counterparts, the quality hiccups are a real concern. I've told people for a long time now, if you take care of your vehicle, (meaning, maintain it properly), I don't care if it's American, Japanese, German, or Swedish, it's going to last for a long time.

People should not take lightly, the issues that Toyota has had/is having with the Tundras. They are evidence of possible larger problems for Toyota.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by KILLER74Z28

Toyota's latest recall, announced in late January, affects 533,000 light trucks that might have a faulty ball joint.

My dad's 2002 Tundra lost a wheel while driving; it broke off at the faulty ball joint and ended up underneath the truck. Luckily it flopped down flat or else it could have rolled under and really damaged the truck or caused a bad accident.

There recently was a recall for certain years of Tacomas which were rotting and rusting unreasonably. They were buying back those trucks.

I covered the issue pretty well in another thread...
http://camaro5.com/forums/showpost.p...9&postcount=14
http://camaro5.com/forums/showpost.p...2&postcount=27

Originally Posted by theholycow

Say it over and over again. In this day and age it is true. Now, the usual argument against that is to look at the statistics (generally people refer to surveys by Consumer Reports or JD Power). If you really look at the statistics and combine them with a little more information, they tell the whole story:
- Who buys Toyotas? People who buy into the reputation for longevity. What do those people do? Maintain their car perfectly so it will last long, and drive gently.
- Buick often makes the top of the list. Is the stuff in a Buick any different from the stuff in a Chevy or Pontiac? Mostly, no. Who drives a Buick? People who aren't in a hurry, take good care of their belongings, and drive gently.
- Pontiac probably ranks pretty low. Who drives Pontiac? Kids and excitement-seekers, neither of which are groups known for driving gently or good maintenance.

[Mr. Wyndham]

But Toyotas are Invincible!!!

[MCPOAJ]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

But Toyotas are Invincible!!!

umm... it hard to tell on the internet but... i hope to god you're being sarcastic because if your not you should be b!tch slapped lol j/m

[Mr. Wyndham]

The day you hear me say that seriously, is the day Hell has officially frozen over.
And not just a magazine report, Satan has to pop up and announce it himself.

I flinch even when just say "Toyota", so I usually stick with "Company T".


(and the rest) forever!