03-Gwagen
Elite Veteran
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: Western Pennsylvania
Vehicle(s): CLK63 Black Series, 2018 G63, 2016 GLE300d
Posts: 888
| The names change but the story is the same.
More parts sharing, electronics boost recalls
July 24, 2006 - 6:00 am
TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp. managers cite several reasons for the rise in recalls:
* Greater use of electronics in increasingly complex cars.
* Higher production overall, which means a defect is on more vehicles.
* An inclination to follow stricter U.S. standards for recalls, rather than looser Japanese standards.
* In Japan, a trend toward keeping vehicles longer. In the past, an 8-year-old Toyota might have been exported to Africa before problems developed. Today, it is still in Japan.
* More sharing of parts across platforms and vehicle lines. Engineers can speed product development by using parts from one nameplate on another. But that raises the risk that a yet-unknown, long-term durability problem will reach more customers.
Two other factors also are at work, although Toyota officials didn't mention them.
1. Japan outlawed so-called secret recalls more than a decade ago. Official recalls by all automakers have climbed since.
2. Japanese carmakers have learned from the bitter experience of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Its sales collapsed after revelations in July 2000 that the carmaker had hidden defects that might have led to recalls for more than 20 years.
Six years later, sales still haven't recovered to pre-scandal levels.
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Braingears
Expert
Date registered: Apr 2006
Location: St Petersburg, FL
Vehicle(s): G320 & ML320
Posts: 1450
| Re: The names change but the story is the same.
I think that electrical issues have plagued all of the manufacturers.
I think the real difference is the fact that an individual used to be able to fix many common problems on his own vehicle. Now you have to have a computer to tell you what the problem is. Even if you actually fix the problem or replace the broken part, you still have to have a very expensive computer to reset the computer system on your own vehicle. There are still way too many proprietary tools that even the local shops cannot afford to have.
Just try to change the tire size on your own G-Wagon. The only people who can do it is the local dealership, and they want to charge you $100-$150 to reset the computer and give you a print-out. |
