Toyota reliability continues downward spiral

[Ktulu]

http://money.cnn.com/2007/10/1...lity/index.htm?cnn=yes

Toyota crashes in reliability rankings
Automaker slips to fifth from first place, and some versions of Camry, Tundra and Lexus GS no longer recommended.
By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer
October 16 2007: 12:01 PM EDT

NEW YORK, CNNMoney.com -- The Toyota brand has lost its top position for iron-clad reliability, according to an influential Consumer Reports survey released Tuesday.

The survey dropped Toyota from first to fifth place - behind Honda, Acura, Scion and Subaru - in average vehicle reliability. The rankings are based on average predicted reliability for all models sold under a given brand.

2007 Toyota Camry: Because of poor predicted reliability, V6-powered versions of the Toyota Camry are no longer recommended by Consumer Reports.

Brands made by Toyota Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. still dominate the rankings: Scion is Toyota's low-priced car brand and Acura is Honda's luxury car brand.

Consumer Reports said it no longer recommends V6 versions of Toyota's Camry or V8 versions of its Tundra pick-up because of poor reliability.

In the past, because Toyota (Charts) products have so consistently proved reliable, the magazine would assume at least average reliability for Toyota's brand new cars, without waiting for survey data from owners.

But from now on, the magazine will wait for a full year of reliability survey data to come in before it recommends a Toyota product - as it does with most other manufacturers.

 

[woodie1]

This being your second thread recently about Toyota reliability I assume you have some sort of issue with them. Care to explain?

 

[Ktulu]

Originally posted by: woodie1
This being your second thread recently about Toyota reliability I assume you have some sort of issue with them. Care to explain?

Toyota executives killed my mother and raped my father. 🙁

 

[GoatMonkey]

I wonder if Toyota has gotten worse, or has everyone else gotten better.

 

[iamwiz82]

Consumer Reports said it no longer recommends .... V8 versions of its Tundra pick-up because of poor reliability.

But but but... It only eats camshafts! That's not so bad...

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: GoatMonkey
I wonder if Toyota has gotten worse, or has everyone else gotten better.

A little from column a, and a little from column b.

Ford and GM have definitely upped their games and producing better products. Meanwhile Toyota is producing more models, in more volumes, and in faster product cycles than ever before creating a Q/A control issue they haven't faced in the past.

 

[DivideBYZero]

LOL. Firstly, you need to remember who makes Scion...then consider that to be up with the other names in that list is still a great place to be. Oh well, bash away at them if you must. They only raised the reliability bar across the entire industry so that all the cars we buy today are infinitely better than they were even ten years ago.

 

[Ktulu]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
LOL. Firstly, you need to remember who makes Scion...then consider that to be up with the other names in that list is still a great place to be. Oh well, bash away at them if you must. They only raised the reliability bar across the entire industry so that all the cars we buy today are infinitely better than they were even ten years ago.

I have to agree with this statement.

 

[zoiks]

Probably doesn't matter. Brainwashed people will still buy em.

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: zoiks
Probably doesn't matter. Brainwashed people will still buy em.

Because they still make good cars. The V6 Camry is as quieter at 70mph as a S55 and quieter at idle than a Phantom, and quickest to 60 and through the 1/4 in its class.

 

[zig3695]

go FORD

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: mwmorph

Originally posted by: zoiks
Probably doesn't matter. Brainwashed people will still buy em.

Because they still make good cars. The V6 Camry is as quieter at 70mph as a S55 and quieter at idle than a Phantom, and quickest to 60 and through the 1/4 in its class.

that's good. but could they try to make the hood fit without 1/2" gaps? they didn't have any problem doing that in the 80's.

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain

Originally posted by: mwmorph

Originally posted by: zoiks
Probably doesn't matter. Brainwashed people will still buy em.

Because they still make good cars. The V6 Camry is as quieter at 70mph as a S55 and quieter at idle than a Phantom, and quickest to 60 and through the 1/4 in its class.

that's good. but could they try to make the hood fit without 1/2" gaps? they didn't have any problem doing that in the 80's.

They didnt have a problem with it up till 2007 I guess either. I have a Gen5 (2002) and the tight panel clearances really impressed me.

This brings up a point though, everyone expects tight panel gaps from any automaker BUT the German and Italian ones.

Just look at BMW 335i, theres a huge gap between the plastic bumper and front fender, or on a Z4 I saw recently, the hood wasn't even lined up completely straight. Or how about you can fit an finger between the bumper and bodywork gaps on a Ferrari F430? On my Camry, you couldn't fit a piece of paper between the bumper and fender, the clearance is so tight.

 

[SparkyJJO]

Originally posted by: zig3695
go FORD

no no, go GM! 😀

Chevy silverado > toyota tundra
more power, best MPG in its class, plus it doesn't eat cam shafts 😛

One thing I don't get though:

2007 Toyota Camry: Because of poor predicted reliability, V6-powered versions of the Toyota Camry are no longer recommended by Consumer Reports.

How the heck do they know how reliable a 2007 is gonna be, the thing isn't quite a year old yet! Unless, they've been having problems already.

 

[Ktulu]

Originally posted by: SparkyJJO

Originally posted by: zig3695
go FORD

no no, go GM! 😀

Chevy silverado > toyota tundra
more power, best MPG in its class, plus it doesn't eat cam shafts 😛

One thing I don't get though:

2007 Toyota Camry: Because of poor predicted reliability, V6-powered versions of the Toyota Camry are no longer recommended by Consumer Reports.

How the heck do they know how reliable a 2007 is gonna be, the thing isn't quite a year old yet! Unless, they've been having problems already.

Don't forget better safety rating than the Tundra. 😀

 

[SparkyJJO]

Originally posted by: Ktulu

Originally posted by: SparkyJJO

Originally posted by: zig3695
go FORD

no no, go GM! 😀

Chevy silverado > toyota tundra
more power, best MPG in its class, plus it doesn't eat cam shafts 😛

One thing I don't get though:

2007 Toyota Camry: Because of poor predicted reliability, V6-powered versions of the Toyota Camry are no longer recommended by Consumer Reports.

How the heck do they know how reliable a 2007 is gonna be, the thing isn't quite a year old yet! Unless, they've been having problems already.

Don't forget better safety rating than the Tundra. 😀

Oooh nice, good one I forgot about that, I'll add that to my list 😀

 

[LTC8K6]

In the past, because Toyota (Charts) products have so consistently proved reliable, the magazine would assume at least average reliability for Toyota's brand new cars, without waiting for survey data from owners.

Nice. So how long did that go on?

 

[HannibalX]

Toyota wanted to be a Ford/GM and now they are, completely huge with too many models and packages, doing nothing well and everything average.

 

[RU482]

All the Ford and GM owners that broke Ford and GM stuff are now breaking Toyota stuff...that's all there is to it.

Used to be that Toyota drivers were mamby pamby tree hugger types. Now that they are mainstream, average Joe is driving his camry as hard as any caprice or Taurus.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6

In the past, because Toyota (Charts) products have so consistently proved reliable, the magazine would assume at least average reliability for Toyota's brand new cars, without waiting for survey data from owners.

Nice. So how long did that go on?

probably about as long as toyota said that their 190 hp v6 made 200+ hp

 

[zoiks]

Originally posted by: mwmorph

Originally posted by: zoiks
Probably doesn't matter. Brainwashed people will still buy em.

Because they still make good cars. The V6 Camry is as quieter at 70mph as a S55 and quieter at idle than a Phantom, and quickest to 60 and through the 1/4 in its class.

Ah. Because brainwashed people will still buy em. 😛

 

[theeedude]

Sucks to be the people who bought a V6 Camry because Consumer Reports assumed it would be reliable and recommended it, but in fact it isn't.
I'd say CR did them a disservice. On the other hand, Ford Fusion turned out to be solid reliable, but probably wasn't recommended until it proved itself in the field.

 

[Ktulu]

Originally posted by: senseamp
Sucks to be the people who bought a V6 Camry because Consumer Reports assumed it would be reliable and recommended it, but in fact it isn't.
I'd say CR did them a disservice. On the other hand, Ford Fusion turned out to be solid reliable, but probably wasn't recommended until it proved itself in the field.

Ironically the type people that follow CR religiously and took their advice on the Camry are probably the same type of people that will file a class-action lawsuit because of this.

 

[garkon]

You know, there may be some merit to this. Never really gave it too much thought.

 

[Sluggo]

Originally posted by: redly1
All the Ford and GM owners that broke Ford and GM stuff are now breaking Toyota stuff...that's all there is to it.

Used to be that Toyota drivers were mamby pamby tree hugger types. Now that they are mainstream, average Joe is driving his camry as hard as any caprice or Taurus.

You mean the people who drop to "D" from "R" while still going backwards at about 5MPH, or the people who change their oil, when the red light on the dash tells them to do so?

My father is guilty of both of the above.