Toyota woes driving away would-be buyers

What most folks don't realize is that there is a giant divide between manufacturing (one company) & sales (another company), unfortunately ... whether it be GM Toyota Ford etc. This is truly something that needs to be fixed, but what with bankruptcies, recalls, or whatever, it's low on the totum poll. Heck, I'd like to see sales completely done by internet & cut out all the dealerships all together (... except for malorn, of course ) ... just think how much that could drop your cost!

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Toyota has been lacking in two main areas, dealership and customer relations, and service and customer relations, with customers almost never coming out on top, they were holding on by reputation, this will cause them to finally address the situation.

 

In the end Hill, I don't think it would save you a nickel. The average gross nationwide is about $1000 and $600 in F & I. do you think the manufacturers could run an organziation to sell and deliver cars for that kind of money? No way, everytime they try they figure it out.

 

I have a 2005 Gen II and I don't have any unresolved safety issues. As I mentioned in another thread mine works perfectly, absolutely perfectly, at 142,000 miles.

I'm planning on adding another 140,000 miles to it over the next 4 yrs. Maybe then it might be starting to show some wear.

 

At $40000 plus Taxes and being limited to 3 markets, it's a joke for the next several years. In the latter years of this decade it may be a step for the future.

But here's a concept that GM has to be concerned about. GM knows next to nothing about all-electronic vehicles. Toyota is admittedly on the bleeding edge and they are paying for it now in the short term.

GM is coming out with its most advanced vehicle - ever. The engineers at GM must be sweating bullets over the beating being given to the Prius ( the media darling ) and Toyota in general. GM must get every single nit-picking detail perfect or the media hounds will kill the Volt in its crib.

Headlines for the future?

• Another GM Failure?
• We Waited All These Years for THIS?
• Why Can't GM Get these EV-Vehicles Right?
• What GM Didn't Learn from Toyota in 2010?
• Re-Volt-ing!!!!

 

Good on you. Are you saying the tech that confirmed the issue in the OPs car was basically incompetent? And that all of the other owners of Gen II Prius cars who have reported the issue are also imagining it?

 

What if GM gets it right? I know it is a novel concept, but what if they get it right?

 

Its a good concept. Much more straight forward than hsd. pure electric plus a small gas generator when the juice runs out. Its around $32.5K after the rebate so nor much more than a prius.

Before all the UIA issues, I would have said, but its gm. They won't get it right toyota will. Not so sure toyota will now, so I hope gm does.

Oh and DeadPhish why don't you want anouther choice of green car. Competition is good. That's right you already know it is bad, like you know everything else. You don't need to see it.

 

Well I need to get my wife a Valentines gift since it is Friday. I'll just go down to the Huntsville GM dealer and trade-in our 2010 Prius on a Volt. No problem, right?

Surely the GM dealers have them in stock and I can drive one right off the lot.

Bob Wilson

 

Well, you could place an order for a Leaf and include the order in the Valentine card....

Part of why I think GM has a shot at getting the Volt right is that they are taking a very measured approach to the Volt's release - initial limited production release in places like California to do an expanded market test followed by production line tweaks based on what is learned from the early market test.

They could still screw it up; but I am willing to not damn them before they actually do screw it up.

 

Wow i feel the love! You better hide this post from Hill!

 

Hill might have me on his Ignore list.

 

Unfortunately, these cars still require service. Even more unfortunately, since there's (still) such a lack of experience with hybrids in the mainstream, you have to take it to a Toyota dealer. These things have little to do with either manufacturing or sales - service is the single factor that makes me (and now my family and friends, given my own experience) cringe when thinking of purchasing a Toyota. For us, it's not the recent recalls and scandals/whatever that's driving us away, it's the ownership experience.

 

Right. It's as novel of a concept as the Detroit Lions winning the Super Bowl.

 

I know you may think I'm crazy but these issues that Toyota is having have NOT persuaded me to look else where when it comes time to replace my current model (2004). I still have confidence in the brand and I would not feel unsafe in a future model. Of all the vehicles I've owned over the years, my 2004 Prius has been the most reliable. I have a little over 90,000 miles and I've never even had to change a burned out bulb!!!

 

two years ago who would have thought?

 

Good on ya, mate!

While Toyota certainly could have been quicker to respond, on the whole, compared to the competition, they have done the right here.

The Ford Fusion Hybrid problem is potentially more serious, yet, nary a peep from the mainstream media compared to Toyota. Let's not forget the problem with the Ford Bronco II in the 80's, and Ford's somewhat callous response (Cheaper to pay lawsuits, boy there is Customer Service for you!). Let's not forget the Firestone fiasco with Ford cars as well.

At least Toyota reimbursed owners when their trucks displayed rust problems.

All in all, their track record is far better than the domestic automakers.

 

I'm not ready to damn them before either, but the problem for me is I will have to wait a long time before they gain my confidence. Short term success will mean nothing to me. It's like a JD Powers Initial Quality rating. Hey, if initially the quality is high, I'm interested. But it doesn't mean anything without quality in the long term. Right now, there aren't many automobile manufacturers that can do that, if any. American car companies haven't shown me a thing. Toyota has shown me a little more at this point, even with the recent problems.

I'd love to buy American again. It will be a long time before I do, however, due to my long term lack of faith.

I think I'm in the minority on this. Just my 2 cents.

 

Vaporware.

 

Because your neck of the woods won't be getting the initial production. But that doesn't make it vaporware.