Toyoda Hubris To Blame

It's confirmed. This guy is definitely a troll. lol

 

It was obvious from the first post that getting the update simply wasn't enough.

Imagine if we retaliated for all the crap we had to put up with over the years, all the intentional greenwashing trying to undermine the advancement of hybrids.

It is rather fortunate posts like this didn't emerge back in the days of the Classic model. I could just imagine something like complaints of the 0-60 in 12.5 seconds acceleration time being blown way out of proportation as a safety problem.
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Well I am still looking forward to taking delivery of my G3 later this month. I don't feel the need to be childish and prove credentials. My parting with $48,000AU is proof enough for me thanks. We get stiffed on the price comparitively speaking in Australia and yet I still have the confidence to purchase from Toyota even in this bleak hour.

The Prius is still the most advanced hybrid on the market today and Toyota are still the clear leaders in the field. Yes, there is a problem which will be resolved. It certainly isn't the first and won't be the last. We are dealing with one of the most advanced vehicles of the modern age. Frankly I'm surprised there have not been more issues.

Toyota is the largest car manufacturer in the world. At this stage anything they do to remedy the braking issue has to be done correctly and first time, not only from an economic point of view, but more importantly from a reputation perspective.

Let the company deal with problem and sort it out. Baying for personal blood on a daily basis is hardly constructive to the problem even if you live in a society of blame.

 

Again, no patience. How will complaining get the update to them any faster anyway?

With the firestorm of misinformation attacks we've seen just here alone, it does tend to make sense that an official announcement would fall on deaf ears. People are mixing up which situations applies to which vehicles.

And is there a problem with waiting a few days until after the public apology has taken place?
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The "we" includes Toyota that apparently has a fix at the factories since January. There are stories suggesting it will be sent to our local dealers. The "we" also includes the problem half of the 2010 owners who have experienced and 20% consider it severe.

I'm part of the problem free 50% who have yet to replicate the problem. This is the problem described as brakes not working sometimes after a pothole, road patch, manhole cover, railroad tracks, snow, ice patch, wet leaves, or a rippled road. So far, I've found two potholes, one is already patched, that seemed to trigger a brief event that ends as soon as the pothole is past.

This is not a trivial problem to replicate. Some have more luck than others but that is how life is sometimes. You win some; you lose some; and some get rained out. Like I said, I'm part of the 50% who don't experience the problem.

Bob Wilson

 

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Confirmed on what? All I read from any Toyota statement did not admitted there is a problem. All they said is "there is a feel of brake lost" (i.e. no actual brake lost) and "they are looking into it and will do something if necessary" (i.e. after someone got kill)

 

trol slayer part X

 

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I have logged 1500 miles on my 2010 V and can't seem to replicate the problem either. I have found that all the attention in the media has caused me to explain the complex technology to my friends and family who are now more intrigued than ever to buy a Prius after hearing about what is actually happening to produce 50 mpg... I do believe that the problems will be addressed, a software patch will become available shortly, and we will all be just fine. In the mean time, be vigilant about being careful, patient, and proud to own one of the most forward thinking vehicles ever brought to market. I understand PriusPhile's anger; his points are to be heard and respected. But when you think about all the factors that can go wrong when designing a car with this much technology, I also agree with centurion whose point is that he is surprised there haven't been more problems...

 

Sorry for a double post, but I hope I can clear up a few points and offer some reassurance.

Firstly, no matter what you read in any press or hear on the TV and radio, there is currently no recall on third-generation Prius anywhere in the world.

Toyota has received customer complaints about the way the brakes work (i.e brake feel). There is no evidence of brakes failing.

Some customers have reported that, under certain braking conditions, such as when hitting a bump, pothole or low grip surface, they notice a change in the braking feel of their third-generation Toyota Prius. This change in braking feel is due to the specific set-up of the anti-lock braking system on third-generation Prius. At no time are drivers without brakes.

However, to answer customer criticisms and in line with Toyota’s traditional Kaisen (continuous improvement) philosophy, a change to the software was introduced in production from late January 2010. This change does not alter the effectiveness of the brakes, but gives the driver a more consistent braking feeling.

Safety and customer satisfaction are paramount to Toyota. We continue to investigate any customer reports on braking issues. We are also investigating how and when we could offer customers with third-generation Prius built before January 2010 the same software upgrade as has been applied to production. We will be in contact with customers shortly on this matter.

If you have any concerns please contact your Toyota Retailer or our UK Customer Relations free-phone line on 0800 1388 744.

 

Well said, Centurion.

We now have 7500 km on our July '09 I-tech here in Brisbane and are LOVING IT! We have experienced the brake shudder issue on 4 occasions but no other problems at all....certainly none of the braking issues some of the US cars seem to be experiencing. My wife and I still have total confidence in all aspects of the car, and no-one else in the Prius Club of Queensland has reported any major faults either.
Toyota Australia is monitoring the problem here, and will advise us of any rectification measures in due course.

We would be happy to welcome you to the Club here in Brisbane if you are interested anytime.

Enjoy your Prius.

 

I am one of those that OWN 2010 (3G) PRIUS. I am also one of those 50% that Bob Wilson notes that has not been able to duplicate the brake problem and if I did I would label it not an issue since I understand the issue.

How do you think your flaming posts are doing anything to improve the situation? Have you read CNN.com lately to see that interest in the Prius has actually increased at the dealerships?

 

Toyota is bleeding and top management is worsening it by poor communications, slow desicions, and delayed actions. If (IF) the acceleration issue is impacted by EMI or other electronics - it's hard to imagine how that would impact Toyota. Or if there is evidence of coverups. Time will tell of course but this cloud will hang over Toyota for many many months.

Management better just bite the bullet and issue a true recall for the Prius braking issue - further delays are senseless. It;'s just another bullet in Media's gun to slam Toyota - right or wrong. (Are we hearing ANYTHING further on the Ford Hybrid brake recall???? nada...)

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News report:

Japanese Media Slam Toyota Chief for Crisis Response
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Associated Press

TOKYO — Japanese media sharply criticized Toyota's president Saturday for what they called a delayed and unconvincing explanation for the massive car recall that has sullied the world's biggest automaker, a Japanese corporate icon.

Akio Toyoda, the founder's grandson appointed to lead Toyota Motor Corp. last June, emerged late Friday to apologize and address criticism that the company mishandled a crisis over sticking gas pedals. But he stopped short of ordering a recall for Toyota's iconic Prius hybrid over separate braking problems.

Toyoda's appearance before reporters at a company office in the central Japanese city of Nagoya made front pages of the country's leading newspapers — but won no praise.

"Words are not enough," the top Nikkei business daily commented in an editorial. "The company's crisis management ability is being subjected to severe scrutiny."

"Utterly too late," the nationwide Asahi newspaper said of Toyota's delayed reaction since the crisis arose Jan. 21 with a global recall of millions of vehicles. "The entire world is watching how Toyota can humbly learn from its series of recent failures and make safe cars."

At his first news conference since the recall of 4.5 million cars, Toyoda promised to beef up quality control and said he would head a special committee to review quality checks, go over consumer complaints and listen to outside experts to develop a fix.

Toyota's failure to stem its widening safety crisis has stunned American consumers and experts who had come to expect only streamlined efficiency from a company at the pinnacle of the global auto industry.

"Toyota needs to be more assertive in terms of providing consumers comfort that the immediate problem is being addressed ... and that it can deal with these crises," said Sherman Abe, a business professor at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo.

It took prodding from the U.S. government for Toyota to recall the vehicles, about half of them in North America, for gas pedals that can stick and cause sudden acceleration.

Asked if he should have acted more quickly, Toyoda replied in hesitant English: "I will do my best."

The company name is spelled and pronounced differently from the founding family name because Toyota was considered to have a luckier number of brush strokes when written in Japanese.

Toyoda is the second successive Toyota president to apologize for car defects. The first, Katsuaki Watanabe, shocked a news conference in 2006, bowing low to the group before promising to improve quality.

Toyoda bowed as he greeted reporters, but not in apology. He told the hastily called news conference that the company had not decided what to do about problems in the braking system of the Prius gas-electric hybrid. The high-mileage, low-pollution car is a leader in its field and a symbol of Toyota technology.

Toyoda and Shinichi Sasaki, who oversees quality control, offered no new explanations for the braking problem.

Prius drivers, mostly in the U.S. but some in Japan, have complained of a short delay before the brakes kick in — a flaw Toyota says can be fixed with a software programming change. The lag occurs as the car is switching between brakes for the gas engine and the electric motor — a process that is key to the hybrid's increased mileage.

Japan's transport ministry has received nearly 80 complaints, including reports of five accidents involving no injuries, from Prius drivers in the past four days regarding possible brake problems, the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper reported Saturday, without citing sources. The ministry, which had received 14 complaints by the end of January, will urge Toyota to investigate the accidents, the newspaper said.

Officials at the ministry and with Toyota could not be reached for comment Saturday.

Toyota has acknowledged receiving dozens of complaints about the Prius in Japan.

Toyota spokesman Mike Michels said Friday that the company continues to weigh options on how to handle repairs of the problem, and it is communicating with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the U.S.

Among options are a campaign to notify Toyota owners to bring their cars in for repairs, or a full-fledged safety recall. Michels said he could not say when Toyota would make a decision.

The automaker said it fixed the programming glitch in Prius models that went on sale since last month, but it has done nothing on 270,000 Prius cars sold last year in Japan and the U.S.

The lack of action has raised questions about whether there is a bigger problem, but Sasaki denied any cover-up.

There is high-level government concern in Japan about Toyota's quality fiasco. Cabinet ministers have expressed alarm and urged the company to move more quickly.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama earlier this month ordered Industry and Trade Minister Masayuki Naoshima to convey the message. Consumer affairs minister Mizuho Fukushima also called Toyota's reaction "too slow." Transport Minister Seiji Maehara, who oversees auto regulation, has urged Toyota to consider a recall for the Prius brake problem.

 

Do you live in a perfect world? The danger comes if the skip happens in an unfortunate situation beyond the driver's control. And when you are driving around, there is a lot of things happening beyond your control. That's the dangerous part.