I've dealt with Toyota before over a safety/engineering issue allowing fires in their heating system. In my case the problem was clearly a design issue. However, it was also clear that it affected every Toyota manufactured in the last few decades.

I was trying to get Toyota to pay a mere $186 in parts for my repairs under warranty. They refused to pay. I worked my way to a regional manager where I thought I would only need to make an "engineering" justification and they'd then pay me back. After I made my case, stated "Toyota does not believe they are responsible...". I countered once, then twice, before I realized he was reading the exact same statement to me each time.

Finally it dawned on me: I was not discussing a technical issue with someone making a technical decision. I was talking to a manager who was reading a statement prepareed by their lawyers. I could not get him to discuss the real issue, he just fell back to his repetitive statement. My case had indeed made an impact, and had apparently worked its way up to the senior management and the legal department. It was clear to me that they did not want to admit fault because of the huge liability both in terms of repairs to cars on the road as well as liability for a death or injury due to fire from the defect.

So... back to the core point: They won't admit to a defect, even if it's clear an obvious, unless it's in their financial interest. Financial interest includes potential liabilty, which they are loath to admit to in cases where lives could be endangered.

posted by 96.233.5...

• Unintended Acceleration Poll - Lexus and more.., Mike Lynch , Thu, 1 Oct 2009 12:45:35
  • Toyota's runaway-car worries may not stop at floor mats, JohnA , Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:53:20
  • Cruise Control Stops Working in my SAAB, dcjayhawk, Fri, 2 Oct 2009 12:35:34
    • Unintended deceleration?, No Snaab, Mon, 5 Oct 2009 07:20:39
  • Pedals, BobS, Fri, 2 Oct 2009 07:41:40
  • The old manual throttles..., REM in Seattle , Thu, 1 Oct 2009 23:40:00
    • Re: not-so-old manual throttles..., JimBlake , Fri, 2 Oct 2009 06:29:25
  • Back in the day.., UpstateNY Bill, Thu, 1 Oct 2009 19:17:55
    • Re: Back in the day.., MikeinME, Thu, 1 Oct 2009 23:46:49
      • Brakes overpower..., Mike Lynch , Fri, 2 Oct 2009 13:05:32
        • Re: Brakes overpower..., AdamB , Fri, 2 Oct 2009 17:37:37
          • I thought that too!, James, Sun, 4 Oct 2009 03:23:36
            • Re: I thought that too!, oldsaab, Sun, 4 Oct 2009 10:05:28
              • Re: I thought that too!, SWEDECAR , Sun, 4 Oct 2009 14:46:11
                • Re: I thought that too!, oldsaab, Sun, 4 Oct 2009 16:31:18
                  • Lots of cars have bigger brakes with bigger engines., B Millar , Sun, 4 Oct 2009 16:45:55
                    • Re: Lots of cars have bigger brakes with bigger engines., oldsaab, Sun, 4 Oct 2009 22:27:08
      • Re: Back in the day (2), Bill Davies, Fri, 2 Oct 2009 04:38:43
  • Coolant Temp Sensor, Justin VanAbrahams , Thu, 1 Oct 2009 19:00:47
  • I think Lexus/Toyota has a fundamental problem., EricG, Thu, 1 Oct 2009 15:32:04
    • "no defects found", nwas, Fri, 2 Oct 2009 14:38:21 <-- Viewing This Message
      • Which is exactly what impressed me in all of these case, EricG, Fri, 2 Oct 2009 16:10:00
    • Classic pedal mis-aplication IMHO.., Mike Lynch , Thu, 1 Oct 2009 16:33:09
      • I think there is more. Read these NHTSA complaints., EricG, Fri, 2 Oct 2009 07:57:04
        • Roll back to 1986..., Mike Lynch , Fri, 2 Oct 2009 13:00:04
          • The Audi issue wasn't just 1986., Noel, Sat, 3 Oct 2009 06:35:01
          • Re: Roll back to 1986..., oldsaab, Fri, 2 Oct 2009 14:10:12
            • Re: Software glitches, BobS, Fri, 2 Oct 2009 19:11:57
            • JAS 39 Gripen syndrome, SWEDECAR , Fri, 2 Oct 2009 17:18:29
              • Re: JAS 39 Gripen syndrome, maxllama, Sat, 3 Oct 2009 09:23:21
      • Re: Classic pedal mis-aplication IMHO.., Smartin, Thu, 1 Oct 2009 18:21:22
  • Most cases it's driver error..., Noel, Thu, 1 Oct 2009 14:31:30
  • Why push button start ?? Someone please enlighten...., TKC, Thu, 1 Oct 2009 13:21:07
    • Why not?, Wasabi, Fri, 2 Oct 2009 06:56:11
    • Re: Why push button start ?? Someone please enlighten...., CWilson, Thu, 1 Oct 2009 15:27:10
    • It's actually pretty nice., B Millar , Thu, 1 Oct 2009 14:09:51

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