Editor Calls on U.S. Transportation Secretary to Resign Over Toyota ‘Damage’

U.S. News & World Report Contributing Editor Peter Roff has called on U.S.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to resign to “apologize for the damage
he did to Toyota by running his mouth before making sure his brain was in
gear.”

In an opinion column in the magazine titled, “Ray LaHood Should Resign Over
Toyota,” Roff noted that more than “a few eyebrows” were raised when LaHood
in February responded to media questions about the safety Toyota vehicles
by saying anyone who didn’t feel safe behind the wheels of a Toyota should
“stop driving” them.

“La Hood later apologized for making the suggestion—but his apology was a
little like locking the garage door after the car has been stolen and
chopped up for parts,” Roff said.  He pointed out that the most recent
report by the government on the situation pins much of the problems on
“operator error.”

The column added that it would be a bad idea to turn a significant amount
of the $50 billion in proposed infrastructure spending over to LaHood’s
department. “Based on how he (LaHood) handled the Toyota business, at least
in public, he can’t be trusted with the money.”

To read the full column in U.S. News & World Report, please visit:
http://politics.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/peter-roff/2010/09/09/ray-lahood-should-resign-over-toyota.html

Posted via email from ReifelTower's Posterous

Read more!

Toyota Fast Facts: TMS’ August Sales Decline But Toyota Remains No. 1 Retail Brand

 

September 1, 2010

 

Toyota Fast Facts is an update on Toyota and industry news.

 

For more news, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com

 

1. TMS’ August Sales Decline But Toyota Remains No. 1 Retail Brand

 

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) today reported a 31.4 percent drop in sales in August on a daily selling rate (DSR) basis compared to last August at the peak of the federal "Cash for Clunkers" program. Toyota sold more vehicles than any other automaker during the U.S. incentive program, and those sales were almost half the brand’s sales that month.

"While August sales results trailed year ago levels when the CARS program generated significant incremental sales for the brand, we’re pleased with how the month shaped up," said Don Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operations. "Customer loyalty rates have returned to traditional levels as Toyota continues to lead the industry as the number one retail brand year-to-date."

August passenger car sales in the Toyota and Lexus divisions dropped 44.6 percent and 22.9 percent, respectively, on a DSR basis, and Toyota’s light truck sales declined 7.6 percent while Lexus’ increased 2.3 percent.

Automotive News

reported that Ford, General Motors, Honda and Hyundai all posted double-digit declines in August compared last August, while Chrysler had a modest gain.

Speaking with reporters today, Bob Carter, group vice president and Toyota Division general manager, cited some indicators that show "we are recovering back to historic levels." One indicator: 57 percent of Toyota’s August sales were conquests, meaning the buyer traded in a competitor’s product, compared to last year’s average of 54 percent, before the recall publicity. Another indicator: Toyota’s August fleet sales were just 6 percent of Toyota’s total (about 9 percent year-to-date), while Ford and GM fleet sales are as high as one-third of their totals. A final indicator: the satisfaction rate among Toyota owners who have had vehicles recalled and fixed this year is higher than for Toyota owners not affected by the recall. That speaks well of the dealers’ handling of the recalls.

To read the TMS press release, please click on

 

 

 

http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota-reports-august-sales-170997.aspx

To read the TMS sales chart, please click on

 

 

http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/document/August_PR_Sales_Chart.pdf

Posted via email from ReifelTower's Posterous

Read more!

Fallout 3 Nuke Megatron Blow Up

Posted via email from ReifelTower's Posterous

Read more!

Random HDR iPhone Pics

Random HDR pics taken with iPhone 4

Posted via email from ReifelTower's Posterous

Read more!

Nic Nac Chillin

Posted via email from ReifelTower's Posterous

Read more!

Toyota Fast Facts: Camry Still Top Selling Car

> Toyota Fast Facts is an update on Toyota and industry news. For more news,
>
> 1. Camry Still Top Selling Car
>
> According to the Associated Press, the Toyota Camry remains the top selling
> car this calendar year-to-date. July year-to-date sales totaled just over
> 189,000 units, an increase of 2.8% over the same period last year on a
> daily selling rate basis.
>
> To read the Associated Press article, please click on:
> http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j-jylujemyjMHXCvmZr9tUH3HP-...
>
> (Embedded image moved to file: pic02494.jpg)
>
> 2. Toyota Unveils ‘Stories from the Road’ Minisite
>
> TMS has launched an updated “Stories from the Road” minisite, designed to
> provide a place for owners to share their Toyota product experiences.
>
> Over the years, Toyota owners have had many varied experiences with their
> vehicles. These range from longevity or high mileage accomplishments, to
> extreme use adventure stories. Now these owners can post their stories for
> others to read and enjoy.
>
> Owners who wish to share their stories can log onto the www.toyota.com
> website, then go to the “For Owners” tab, and click on the “Owners
> Homepage” tab. After landing on the Owners Homepage, they can select the
> “Toyota Community” tab. The “Stories from the Road” section is organized
> into three segments. Owners can post their story in the Truck, Hybrid or
> Cars/Van/SUV areas.
>
> So far, more than 400 owners have posted stories about their vehicles.
>
> (Embedded image moved to file: pic17673.jpg)
>
> 3. China Has Leg Up on Other Nations’ Automakers in Race to Build Hybrids
>
> According to an Automotive News analysis, China has a distinct advantage in
> the race to produce hybrid cars – it is sitting on the world’s largest
> supply of rare-earth metals used in the manufacture of hybrid vehicles,
> wind turbines and high-tech consumer products.
>
> There are 17 elements classified as rare-earth elements and China controls
> 97 percent of rare-earth metal production, the magazine reported Wednesday.
> That could leave automakers in other nations vulnerable to a supply crunch
> as demand increases. A car like the Toyota Prius uses 2.2 pounds of
> neodymium and 22 to 33 pounds of another rare-earth-metal, lanthanum, the
> Automotive News reported. Manufacturers are searching for other sources of
> rare-earth metals and striking deals to secure their supply.
>
> To read the article, please click on:
> http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100818/ANE/100819963
>
> (Embedded image moved to file: pic15954.jpg)
>
> 4. UAW President Attacks Foreign Brand Automobiles
>
> The Detroit News reported today that United Auto Workers President Bob King
> has reasserted his union’s policy of banning non-union-produced vehicles
> from UAW property in a “more hands-on and publicly forceful fashion that
> separates him from his predecessors.”
>
> “Buying a U.S./UAW vehicle makes a difference,” King wrote in a rebuttal to
> a blog post by a Kansas City Business Journal reporter who recently had to
> remove his Toyota Camry from a UAW local’s parking lot where he had parked
> to cover a bill signing event.
>
> The reporter noted that his Camry was assembled at Toyota’s Kentucky plant
> and had more American-made parts in it than a Ford F-150 assembled at the
> Kansas City plant.
>
> To read the Detroit News article, please click on:
> http://detnews.com/article/20100819/AUTO01/8190362/1148/UAW-s-Bob-King-reiter...
>
> To read the reporter’s account, please click on:
> http://kansascity.bizjournals.com/kansascity/blog/2010/07/driving_a_toyota_co...
>
> (Embedded image moved to file: pic01993.jpg)
>
>
>
>
>
>

Posted via email from ReifelTower's Posterous

Read more!

Toyota Dealers feel vindicated after Government findings on Toyota safety investigations.

BY ANDREW TANGEL

THE RECORD

STAFF WRITER

After the recalls, apologies and lost sales, Toyota Motor Sales Inc. dealers in North Jersey welcomed news that the federal government has so far found no evidence of electronic problems causing sudden acceleration.

CHRIS PEDOTA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Pat Sano of Uslip, NY with the Certified Used 2008 Toyota Tacoma he just purchased and the 1992 Toyota pick up he just traded in with over 200,000 miles.

"We've been believing all along that there's nothing really wrong with our vehicles," said Michael DeLaCruz, general manager of Parkway Toyota in Englewood Cliffs.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told Congress last week that preliminary findings of the agency's investigation showed no electronic defects. Drivers failed to apply the brakes in 35 of 58 crashes tied to unintended acceleration, the agency found.

Bill Strauss, president of Crestmont Toyota in Pompton Plains, said the report reinforced his theory that the government overstated safety concerns with Toyotas to boost sales of domestic carmakers.

"I thought in this country we were innocent until proven guilty — but not if you're a carmaker," Strauss said.

Fred Radulic, general manager of Toyota of Hackensack, called the government findings "great news." That dealership, on River Street in Hackensack, saw sales plunge this year when news of the potential dangerous defect spread, Radulic said. In February, he said, the dealership sold about 80 cars, down from the 250 that roll off the lot in a typical month.

Service revenue from recall-related repairs helped offset a drop in sales revenue, and the dealership's sales surged the next month to more than 400 vehicles, he said. While sales have bounced back, he added: "You still lost a lot of revenue and sales."

Despite its global recall, Toyota posted strong earnings for the three-month period ended June 30, the first quarter of its 2011 fiscal year.

Toyota reported 1.8 million vehicle sales worldwide in the last quarter, up from 1.4 million in the same period a year ago. The Japanese company also swung to profitability in the quarter, earning $2.2 billion, compared with a loss of $900 million the same period a year ago.

David Whiston, an analyst at the investment research firm Morningstar Inc. in Chicago, said Toyota's market share in the United States this year through July only fell about 1 percent, compared with the same period last year. He attributed the decline to safety concerns but also competition from rival Hyundai.

"I wouldn't say it was catastrophic damage — it was noticeable damage," Whiston said, referring to Toyota's safety questions. "I don't think it's a long-term problem."

Customers at the Hackensack Toyota dealership on Tuesday shrugged off any suggestion of possible defects.

Incentives that Toyota rolled out in the wake of the recalls – deals on maintenance and financing — just sweetened the deal for Evan Little and Elizabeth Tactuk, a Wayne couple in the market for a blue Toyota Corolla.

"They're reliable, and they last forever," said Little, 19, a jackhammer operator.

Pat Sano of Long Island, who supervises bus maintenance in New York City, said he was initially worried about possible defects, especially because his son, sister and other relatives drive Toyotas. No one in his family ever experienced safety or defect issues, he said.

Nevertheless, after some online research, Sano became convinced there were no problems.

"I'm more than satisfied," Sano, 60, said, shortly after he bought a certified used 2008 Toyota Tacoma pickup.

This article contains material from Bloomberg News.

Posted via email from ReifelTower's Posterous

Read more!

2011 Audi to come with hotspur creating capabilities built in....

Your EVO 4G, EPIC, DROID 2, and DROID X all have hotspot capabilities when they leave the factory. So why not your car? Audi has announced that they will have a factory installed “Marvell Mobile Hotspot” built-in to the new 2011 Audi A8 that is set to debut later this year. The hotspot will allow you to connect up to eight devices to your car, bringing sweet, sweet eyes-off-the-road internet capabilities to your German luxury sedan. The hotspot works by installing a data capable SIM into the A8’s car-phone or by connecting to a device equipped with the SIM Access Profile. Marvell has said the technology is “optimized for extremely low power consumption on battery-powered consumer electronics, enabling passengers to connect to the vehicle’s network without affecting the battery life of their connected devices.” Pricing for the 2011 model has not yet been announced, but the 2010 A8 has a base MSRP of $78,400. I better start writing some more blog posts!

Posted via email from ReifelTower's Posterous

Read more!

Can we please leave Toyota alone now?

While we are on the subject, how about the Goverment giving back the millions Toyota paid in fines?

The NHTSA's results are in... and guess who caused those runaway Toyotas? Yep, the same evil people who caused the runaway Audi 5000s. Was it Satan worshipers? Hexes? Voodoo dolls? Possessed computers? No. It was the driver. Quelle surprise.  I hate to say "I told you so," but I did. The second the violence erupted over the accusations of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles, I called BS. And that was before I heard the outrageous and totally impossible testimony from Mrs. Rhonda Smith. (If you've forgotten about that hair-raising testimony, search for "rhonda smith testifies" on YouTube. Mrs. Smith recounts a deeply horrifying story about her Lexus accelerating out of control to over 100 mph. It sounds scary, but what she described is, from an engineering standpoint, not even possible*. And worse, even if it was accelerating out of control, she called her husband to say hi instead of trying to turn the damn car off. Perhaps she called her friends, too? Her pastor? Her hairdresser? Who knows. Next time, she needs to call me. I'll say "um, turn the car off, okay?") * For various reasons. The most damning of them is: Mrs. Smith insists that she shifted her "possessed" ES350 into all possible gears, including neutral and reverse. Toyota's non-hybrid vehicles use a physical connection between the shifter and the transmission. Even if the cars' computers were hell-bent on killing its passengers, engaging neutral or park would open a valve that dumps the hydraulic pressure in the transmission, immediately releasing the gear--regardless of what the computer is telling it to do. The dump valve neuters the computer and immediately severs the connection between engine and wheels. I've tried it. It's instantaneous. My guess is that, in her panic, Mrs. Smith inadvertently threw the shifter into the manual gate, so pressing up and down meant she was asking for gearchanges, not engaging neutral, reverse, or park. Regardless, she sold the '07 ES350 to some poor unsuspecting couple, who thankfully had no problems with it. In fact, they got Big Time lucky, as NHTSA bought it from them (to test) at the full price of a new one. And to date, no problems have been found with it. Anyway, I extend my full condolences to the families and friends of anyone hurt in any automobile accident. But we need to recognize that sometimes, it's the driver at fault. Today, I read that NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, examined the computers in 58 Toyota cars accused of unintended acceleration. The results are in: 35 cars: the driver didn't apply the brakes at all 14 cars: the driver applied "partial" brakes   8 cars: the driver applied the brakes, but only at the "last second" before impact. -------- 35 + 14 + 8 = 58 cars total. Wait! So that means in every case, the driver is at fault for not stopping the car. Wow. I've had a throttle stick wide open on me... at age 20, in a car with a big ol' 6.9-liter V-8 screaming under the hood. It was horrifying. But I threw the car in neutral, turned off the ignition, and breathed deep. Start to finish? Maybe a second. I've also had my fair share of experience being told I was imagining things by a Toyota dealer. That was frustrating as hell, and I solved that problem by filing a Lemon Law claim and eventually proving I was right. Now, 6 months into this Toyota PR disaster, we still have no proof. The only evidence we're seeing is that the drivers are at fault. (Remember the lady in Westchester, NY, who said her boss' Prius took off out of control while she was driving it? Yeah, NHTSA read her computer too: the poor dear had her foot on the floor. Too bad it was the gas pedal she was pressing on.) Back to the point: learn how to operate your machinery, folks. If someone bought a chainsaw, didn't read the instruction manual, and cut their hand off, should the manufacturer be liable? I sure hope not. We all treat cars like they're toys, but they're heavy, powerful, and potentially dangerous pieces of equipment--and we should know how to operate them. And by that I don't mean differentiating between hitting the gas and the brake--we all make mistakes. I'm talking about knowing what to do in case something like that does happen. Mechanical failures are always a possibility. Know how to put your vehicle in neutral; know how to turn it off. Know how to apply the brakes properly. Know how to use your emergency brake (whether it's a hand lever, foot lever, or - and here's the next lawsuit waiting to happen - just a button.) I literally almost cried when I heard the audio recording of the 911 call from the runaway Lexus with off-duty officer Saylor at the wheel. Seriously. Chills and everything. I never want to hear another call like that. I hope another call like that never happens. But whose fault was it? Sorry to say, it's the responsibility of the driver to know how to operate his machinery. I once got a ticket for speeding in a car I borrowed. The speedometer was inaccurate due to its owner putting the wrong size tires (by a country mile, mind you) on it. The speedo said 69, I was doing  77. I proved this by going to a state-run speedometer testing facility. The judge found me guilty anyway - she said it's the responsibility of the driver to ensure that the vehicle is in good working order - even if it's a borrowed car that you've been in for 10 seconds. Same applies to burned out bulbs - as the driver, it's your responsibility to make sure they work. And the same applies to that horrible, horrible crash. Not even the police officer knew how to put the car into neutral or switch it off. And that's even more upsetting than that hair-raising phone call. Apparently, the witch hunt against the Audi 5000 didn't teach us a lesson. It's easy to blame other people, but sometimes it's your own fault. Sure, Toyota made some big PR mistakes here. But it appears that the biggest mistakes were made by the drivers of its cars. So will everyone please leave Toyota alone now? Instead of watching videos of implausible testimonies and cursing the Big Evil Toyota, go and read your car's owner's manual and educate yourself on how to operate your car. Then, go somewhere safe and practice emergency ABS stops. See what happens if you throw your car in neutral under full throttle. Or press both pedals at the same time. Or turn it off while you're driving. Just don't come back here and blame me if you crash the thing while trying. If you crash, it's your own damn fault. **************************************************** Saw this on http://blogs.automobilemag.com/6674074/editors-soapbox/toyota-is-the-new-audi/index.html Posted August 10 2010 05:51 PM by Jason Cammisa

Posted via email from ReifelTower's Posterous

Read more!

Can we please leave Toyota alone now?

While we are on the subject, how about the Goverment giving back the millions Toyota paid in fines?

The NHTSA's results are in... and guess who caused those runaway Toyotas? Yep, the same evil people who caused the runaway Audi 5000s. Was it Satan worshipers? Hexes? Voodoo dolls? Possessed computers? No. It was the driver. Quelle surprise.  I hate to say "I told you so," but I did. The second the violence erupted over the accusations of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles, I called BS. And that was before I heard the outrageous and totally impossible testimony from Mrs. Rhonda Smith. (If you've forgotten about that hair-raising testimony, search for "rhonda smith testifies" on YouTube. Mrs. Smith recounts a deeply horrifying story about her Lexus accelerating out of control to over 100 mph. It sounds scary, but what she described is, from an engineering standpoint, not even possible*. And worse, even if it was accelerating out of control, she called her husband to say hi instead of trying to turn the damn car off. Perhaps she called her friends, too? Her pastor? Her hairdresser? Who knows. Next time, she needs to call me. I'll say "um, turn the car off, okay?") * For various reasons. The most damning of them is: Mrs. Smith insists that she shifted her "possessed" ES350 into all possible gears, including neutral and reverse. Toyota's non-hybrid vehicles use a physical connection between the shifter and the transmission. Even if the cars' computers were hell-bent on killing its passengers, engaging neutral or park would open a valve that dumps the hydraulic pressure in the transmission, immediately releasing the gear--regardless of what the computer is telling it to do. The dump valve neuters the computer and immediately severs the connection between engine and wheels. I've tried it. It's instantaneous. My guess is that, in her panic, Mrs. Smith inadvertently threw the shifter into the manual gate, so pressing up and down meant she was asking for gearchanges, not engaging neutral, reverse, or park. Regardless, she sold the '07 ES350 to some poor unsuspecting couple, who thankfully had no problems with it. In fact, they got Big Time lucky, as NHTSA bought it from them (to test) at the full price of a new one. And to date, no problems have been found with it. Anyway, I extend my full condolences to the families and friends of anyone hurt in any automobile accident. But we need to recognize that sometimes, it's the driver at fault. Today, I read that NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, examined the computers in 58 Toyota cars accused of unintended acceleration. The results are in: 35 cars: the driver didn't apply the brakes at all 14 cars: the driver applied "partial" brakes   8 cars: the driver applied the brakes, but only at the "last second" before impact. -------- 35 + 14 + 8 = 58 cars total. Wait! So that means in every case, the driver is at fault for not stopping the car. Wow. I've had a throttle stick wide open on me... at age 20, in a car with a big ol' 6.9-liter V-8 screaming under the hood. It was horrifying. But I threw the car in neutral, turned off the ignition, and breathed deep. Start to finish? Maybe a second. I've also had my fair share of experience being told I was imagining things by a Toyota dealer. That was frustrating as hell, and I solved that problem by filing a Lemon Law claim and eventually proving I was right. Now, 6 months into this Toyota PR disaster, we still have no proof. The only evidence we're seeing is that the drivers are at fault. (Remember the lady in Westchester, NY, who said her boss' Prius took off out of control while she was driving it? Yeah, NHTSA read her computer too: the poor dear had her foot on the floor. Too bad it was the gas pedal she was pressing on.) Back to the point: learn how to operate your machinery, folks. If someone bought a chainsaw, didn't read the instruction manual, and cut their hand off, should the manufacturer be liable? I sure hope not. We all treat cars like they're toys, but they're heavy, powerful, and potentially dangerous pieces of equipment--and we should know how to operate them. And by that I don't mean differentiating between hitting the gas and the brake--we all make mistakes. I'm talking about knowing what to do in case something like that does happen. Mechanical failures are always a possibility. Know how to put your vehicle in neutral; know how to turn it off. Know how to apply the brakes properly. Know how to use your emergency brake (whether it's a hand lever, foot lever, or - and here's the next lawsuit waiting to happen - just a button.) I literally almost cried when I heard the audio recording of the 911 call from the runaway Lexus with off-duty officer Saylor at the wheel. Seriously. Chills and everything. I never want to hear another call like that. I hope another call like that never happens. But whose fault was it? Sorry to say, it's the responsibility of the driver to know how to operate his machinery. I once got a ticket for speeding in a car I borrowed. The speedometer was inaccurate due to its owner putting the wrong size tires (by a country mile, mind you) on it. The speedo said 69, I was doing  77. I proved this by going to a state-run speedometer testing facility. The judge found me guilty anyway - she said it's the responsibility of the driver to ensure that the vehicle is in good working order - even if it's a borrowed car that you've been in for 10 seconds. Same applies to burned out bulbs - as the driver, it's your responsibility to make sure they work. And the same applies to that horrible, horrible crash. Not even the police officer knew how to put the car into neutral or switch it off. And that's even more upsetting than that hair-raising phone call. Apparently, the witch hunt against the Audi 5000 didn't teach us a lesson. It's easy to blame other people, but sometimes it's your own fault. Sure, Toyota made some big PR mistakes here. But it appears that the biggest mistakes were made by the drivers of its cars. So will everyone please leave Toyota alone now? Instead of watching videos of implausible testimonies and cursing the Big Evil Toyota, go and read your car's owner's manual and educate yourself on how to operate your car. Then, go somewhere safe and practice emergency ABS stops. See what happens if you throw your car in neutral under full throttle. Or press both pedals at the same time. Or turn it off while you're driving. Just don't come back here and blame me if you crash the thing while trying. If you crash, it's your own damn fault. **************************************************** Saw this on http://blogs.automobilemag.com/6674074/editors-soapbox/toyota-is-the-new-audi/index.html Posted August 10 2010 05:51 PM by Jason Cammisa

Posted via email from ReifelTower's Posterous

Read more!