Nonstopdrivel
15 years ago

Toyota problems minor when recalling past recalls 

Posted by: Hardie on February 9, 2010 at 5:20PM EST

Is it just me or have we gone completely overboard with the recalls involving Toyotas?
I am certainly not making light of the safety concerns of a sticky accelerator or dodgy brakes, but youd think this was one of the worst auto recalls ever.
For the sake of transparency, I drive a Toyota model sort of. My car is a 1999 Chevrolet Prizm, which up until 2002 was made in the same plant that the Toyota Corolla was made. It was basically a Toyota car with a Chevy nameplate with a cheaper price tag. That year is not involved in the latest recall dare I say yet?
The latest Toyota recall seems to grow in numbers each day, but the last count was more than 8 million cars worldwide. That seems like a lot, but it pales in comparison the No. 1 recall of all time issued by Ford in 2008 (according to www.mylemon.com) that affected 12 million vehicles made in the U.S. from 1993 to 2004. That recall was for a faulty cruise control switch that caused vehicles to catch fire even hours after the vehicle had been parked.
Ford also has the dubious distinction to be No. 2 on the domestic recall list with 8.6 million vehicles in 1996 covering fires caused by faulty ignition systems on many of its 1988-93 cars.
Remember the Pinto!
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Fords and fires seem to be a recurring theme. How can we forget about the flaming fireball known as the Ford Pinto or the Mercury Bobcat? That 1978 recall was to fix fuel tank design defects that could cause a fire with rear-end collisions. How many of you recall the funny Pinto (Pinto crash) scene in the otherwise unforgettable 1984 movie Top Secret?
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GM has not escaped unscathed. In 1971 it recalled 6.7 million vehicles because the engine mounts began separating from the frames and falling back onto throttles. Sort of makes a stuck accelerator pale in comparison.
GM also recalled 5.8 million vehicles in 1981 because suspension bolts loosened causing the loss of steering.
Ive driven two Pintos, a Bobcat and multiple Ford and GM vehicles subject to these recalls. Some of them were fixed. Others were not. I didnt feel any less safe or safer.
Lets face it. When you drive a car, you inherit risk. There is no vehicle that is 100 percent absolutely safe, especially when you factor in human error.
I also think that society in general enjoys when the top dog gets humbled. Perhaps thats the reason were paying so much attention to the Toyota troubles because there are some who revel in a sad sort of way that the company that was known for reliability is having some problems.
I think we have far more serious problems to contemplate than sticky accelerators just throw the vehicle in neutral and stomp on the brake. Of course some of the vehicles Ive driven over the years didnt have brakes at times, so Im probably not the person to ask.

Chris Hardie is the River Valley Newspaper Group executive editor. He started his journalism career in 1983 with the La Crosse Tribune and has worked in a variety of newsroom positions, collecting more than two dozen state and national journalism awards. Chris grew up on a dairy farm in rural Jackson County, where he now resides. Chris and his wife Sherry, married for 26-plus years with two grown children, live in the farmhouse built by his great-grandparents, where they also operate Brambleberry Bed and Breakfast. They also raise sheep, pigs, chickens and organic fruits and vegetables, along with enjoying fine wines. Chris finds therapy when he's digging in the dirt, walking in the woods or just sitting on the porch watching the sun slip beneath the horizon.


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Packerchick
15 years ago
Pintos are the ugliest cars one could ever own.
I am a woman and I love football.
dfosterf
15 years ago
When I was 17 a co-worker begged me to help him install a header on his Pinto.

37 years later and I'm still laughing at his dumb ass. I've owned riding mowers with a more intimidating resonance.
Nonstopdrivel
15 years ago
That made me laugh out loud. I've never understood the point of headers. I like my cars whisper quiet, so I can't even hear them when I'm cruising down the Interstate at 85 miles per hour.

I loved my Honda Accord (though Accords get bad marks from Consumer Reports for being louder than average), but the thing I hated about it was that the dumbass kid who'd owned it prior to me had put some sort of sporty header on the exhaust, so that thing roared like a man with fireass after a night of eating too many hotwings. It drove me nuts driving down the highway.

Nah, give 'em to me soft and quiet.
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zombieslayer
15 years ago
Yeah, whatever. That was then. This is now.

Fords aren't accelerating off cliffs in 2010. Toyota's are.

The writer's an idiot. I got 272k miles out of my Ford before the trannie went out and I junked it. Wonderful car.
My man Donald Driver
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(thanks to Pack93z for the pic)
2010 will be seen as the beginning of the new Packers dynasty. šŸ‡¹šŸ‡¹ šŸ‡²šŸ‡² šŸ‡¦šŸ‡·
Nonstopdrivel
15 years ago
I don't think the writer is an idiot. I do agree the blog is poorly written (ironic, since he's listed as "executive editor").
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dfosterf
15 years ago
LOL

I told you the Ford people are a touchy lot...

LOL
Nonstopdrivel
15 years ago
By the way, Foster, I love your Latin sig.
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dfosterf
15 years ago

By the way, Foster, I love your Latin sig.

"Nonstopdrivel" wrote:



::wink:
Formo
15 years ago
I know Foster and 93z are GM/Chevy guys (at least, anti-Ford guys).. But I'm with Zombie on this 'debate'.

What put me over the edge you ask? Ford was the ONE major motor company that DIDN'T get/ask for a bail out. Also, GM's owned by the gov'ment. No thanks, even if it breaks down a bit more often, I'll take a Ford over a GM ANY day. ... lol Says the guy that drives a '98 Chevy Cavalier. lol
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Thanks to TheViking88 for the sig!!
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