Toyota to Develop Cars for Seniors..

[Stuart G]

Source: Huffington Post..


Toyota to Develop Cars for Seniors



HIROKO TABUCHI | December 19, 2007 09:50 AM EST | AP
TOKYO — For those feeling nervous behind the wheel as old age kicks in, savvy cars may be the answer.
Prof. Ryuta Kawashima, who helped develop Nintendo's "Brain Age" games, is teaming with Toyota to develop cars that help seniors drive safely, the researcher said Tuesday.
"We envision future cars will be able to monitor brain and emotional activity to back up elderly drivers," said Kawashima, a Tohoku University scientist who worked on Nintendo Co.'s best-selling "Brain Age" games _ and whose smiling image is the guide in the series.
Among technologies on the table is a that can determine a driver's driving patterns and curb any dangerous activity, Kawashima said. It could, for example, slow the car if it senses the driver is hitting the gas pedal for no reason.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071219/tech-bit-japan-cars-for-seniors

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071219/tech-bit-japan-cars-for-seniors

---

..They already are one up. I have been in a lot of cars. The front seats on the Toyota, are the very best for anyone with a bad back or hip problem, right now . I have developed some arthritis and pain in my back and legs. I notice that whenever I drive my Camry, I see an immediate improvement. Less pain, and more support. As if someone thought this problem out.
...Now Toyota is not the greatest car. But this car, 99 Camry, has back support for the driver. And I am sure that this idea didn't just happen by mistake. A team worked on this long and hard. If they do develop such a car, there will be quite a market for it.

[TwilightZone]

1. Will it turn off those damn turn signals?

Yeah, I know. I apologize for the ageist joke.

[MuseRider]

4. I would be happy

if the other drivers would simply use theirs or at least turn into the correct lane. :)

[TwilightZone]

5. Agreed.

With people who leave them on all the time, at least we know that they intend to turn sometime! Not so with people who don't even use them.

[raccoon]

15. Amen--that really irritates me when a driver is just too damn lazy and/or inconsiderate to signal.

And it seems to me for every driver who leaves the signal indicator on forever, there are at least 10 who don't even bother to signal.

[xxqqqzme]

74. I have noticed that lexus, mercedes & bmw

seem to have faulty turn dignals - they NEVER work.

[RadiationTherapy]

69. **bursts into room breathless and frantic**

Thank goodness you are here!! *pantpant* I have felt alone for so long.

I hate when people don't use their turn signals.

[Turbineguy]

52. Don't laugh!

I discoverd my car has an alarm telling me the turn signal is on.

[Tesha]

71. Our '96 Dodge Caravan helps avoid blinker-dinking.

If your turn signal is on constantly for more than one
mile, the car starts sounding the alarm bell with each
flash of the turn signal.

Tesha

[Occulus]

76. Most of the people I see who do that are either

careless youngsters or people on cellphones- which amounts to the same thing, from an attention-span standpoint.

Cellphones belong in the other seat or your bag while driving. I consider those I see driving while talking on the phone to be idiots. It's dangerous for them and all other drivers around them.

That's not a judgment- people on phones in the lane next to me scare me. HANG IT UP, for fuck's sake.

edit: were you talking about the "I'm gonna turn left" for a few miles? Same thing... I rarely see old people do this. But I DO see a lot of younger drivers get distracted into not shutting their signal off, and it's just annoying as all hell.

[Javaman]

2. These new cars will have such features as...

-the left blinker will be permanently left on.

-speed may vary as much as 50 miles an hour from one moment to the next.

-a new speed sensor that detects the fast lane and reduces speed to a crawl.

-the brake and accelerator can now both accelerate.

-a radar that detects people and properly realigns the car to aim for them.

-and finally, a new horn that instead of beeping, yells, "get off my lawn, you bum!"

yeah yeah yeah, I know I'll burn in hell, whatever, I'll save you a spot at the table for laughing.

[CTyankee]

6. No, you won't burn in hell. With any luck, you'll live into old age and that will be hell enough

n/t

[heliarc]

8. Beat me to it...

It's less about luck now with a growing percentage of the population in the older demographic.

[MuseRider]

20. Can't you kids ever get it right?

It is whippersnapper kido, "Get off my lawn whippersnapper!" :eyes: Sheesh.

[Toots]

87. What is a Whipper anyway, and how does one go about snapping it?

:shrug: I am ancient and it is before my time...

[doc03]

26. It also could use a pariscope

so the little blue haired lady can see where she is going. There is an elderly brother and sister in my neighborhood and I swear when they drive by all you see is the very top of the brothers hat. I swear they must drive the thing by a tv monitor and radar.

[nickinSTL]

3. "Now Toyota is not the greatest car"

...and what would you consider better?

My experience has been that Toyotas are more reliable than most, and for me, that's a BIG plus.

[emilyg]

7. I love my Camry.

Comfortable, reliable.

[AlGore-08.com]

9. I love my Prius, I wouldn't trade it for anything except a 100% fossil fuel free car

Hydrogen or electric, whatever becomes practical first.

[emilyg]

14. My daughter loves her Prius.

Plenty roomy, too. 2 kids and assorted friends all comfy.

[AdHocSolver]

44. Electric cars are the way to go. Hydrogen cars will be expensive and keep you dependent on Big Oil.

Hydrogen cars will require a complex and expensive means of fuel distribution. You will be totally dependent on the oil/hydrogen companies. Producing, storing, and shipping hydrogen will be expensive. And hydrogen-powered vehicles will be complex and expensive.

Electric vehicles are very efficient, have few moving parts, have zero pollution output, and would be far less expensive to maintain. No need for complicated cooling systems, no need for complicated and expensive transmissions, no exhaust pipes, and no mufflers, and no maintenance costs for these items. With fewer parts, electric cars could be mass-produced more cheaply. With plug-in capability, even with a hybrid vehicle, you would have little need to go to a gas station, if ever.

Electric car technology is available today. Hydrogen cars are several years into the future, they will not save you money, and while waiting for hydrogen cars to become practical, we will have spent huge amounts of money for oil, reduced the world's oil supplies, and caused serious planetary pollution. The only benefit will be to the oil companies.

[nickinSTL]

46. and how is the electricity generated?

at the moment, you have to refuel electric cars off of the grid, and if the local power supply is from a non-renewable resource...

[Lance_Boyle]

58. try a Volkswagen

and biodiesel - available today, as they have been for decades. 100% fossil fuel free (climate permitting).

[TankLV]

91. I love my penis too - ...What? ...They said what?

oh, nevermind, then...

[GodlessBiker]

10. A car designed for a really older person shouldn't start.

[high density]

19. I agree

I've seen my grandparents drive and it's not a pretty thing.

I know I definitely would not want to drive a car that cuts the throttle when I floor it "for no reason" ...

[THUNDER HANDS]

11. that's about as smart an idea as cars for babies

because babies have as much ability to afford a new car as a senior living on a fixed income does.

[guitar man]

12. Will it remember where I put my keys?

I think I could use one of these cars already :D

[Dawggie]

13. Glad you like the Toyota's seating...

I have been very impressed with my little known Amanti's fully adjustable seats.

http://images.motortrend.com/oftheyear/car/112_05_coty_41l+2005_kia_amanti_sedan+front_right.jpg

[DainBramaged]

16. Ever sit in a new Pontiac? I know brand ownership breeds brand prejudice

But GM has been focusing on this for a couple of years. Active avoidance systems, better crash-worthiness for when Seniors cut across 5 lanes of traffic to make an exit, easier ingress and egress.


Toyota wants to block the new CAFE standards and you trust them to do right by Seniors???


:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Fierce]

17. Just got a new Ford and I can't believe how comfortable it is.

I love it.

[customerserviceguy]

21. My last Pontiac (1982)

was the reason I will never buy an American car again!

[LiberalFighter]

22. Comparing 1982 with 21st century vehicles? You need to get yourself out of the Dark Ages.

[customerserviceguy]

23. I did

I buy Asian, they care about the quality of what they do across the ages.

As long as the UAW worker was getting paid by people being stupid enough to come back for more abuse, they didn't care about quality. Now its coming back to bite them in the ass, and it's about time.

[DainBramaged]

25. Bullshit, of course, blame the Union worker

Your are offensive and odious.

[LiberalFighter]

29. You are making a baseless statement about US workers.

Workers do care about quality and do everything within their power to produce quality vehicles.

You would be better off moving to an Asian country since you believe their workmanship is much better than American workers.

[Divine Discontent]

30. hello friend

I think you'll notice far more better American made vehicles out there over the past 6-7 years. The quality has went up from what I've seen. Of course, Toyota and Honda had the lead for 20 years but the American brand is getting better, and it's about time.

[AdHocSolver]

43. Many Japanese branded cars are made in the US by Americans and are as good as those made in Japan.

The better design and quality of Japanese branded cars is due to the fact that they have better management. Their managers have engineering degrees, whereas US managers usually come from marketing or accounting and have "business" degrees. American managers, for the most part, lack technical knowledge and expertise, and squeezing the last dime of profit out of their products is all they know or care about.

I remember reading about the Ford Pinto with the "exploding" gas tanks. The Ford managers are supposed to have debated whether it was more profitable to fix the problem, or not fix the problem, and defend against eventual lawsuits. The American companies, by and large, are run by bean counters.

Several years ago I worked as a repair technician for a large Japanese electronics company. My boss had an MBA and I assumed he was a "bean counter" like all the other managers I had known. One morning when I arrived at work, I found him working at the bench. I discovered that he had an engineering degree, and had worked at the company in that capacity for several years. He told me that that was standard practice in Japanese companies. Even the top managers know the technical aspects of the business.

American workers are as good or better than any other worker. The difference is in management expertise and orientation. If management demands a quality product and service, that is what you will get. If the management is mainly interested in nickel-and-diming their employees, suppliers, and customers, then...you will get junk.

[WritersBlock]

45. Nail. Head. Direct Hit. Bravo!

American workers are as good or better than any other worker. The difference is in management expertise and orientation. If management demands a quality product and service, that is what you will get. If the management is mainly interested in nickel-and-diming their employees, suppliers, and customers, then...you will get junk.

THANK you!


And this applies to all industries; not just automotive.

[dysfunctional press]

82. i didn't realize that the UAW was responsible for american automobile design...

thanks for the heads up on that...:hi:

[customerserviceguy]

83. Where were the whistleblowers

when Ralph Nader was talking about how unsafe American cars were? Where were the whistleblowers when Detroit was losing market share to the Asian car companies back in the 1970's and 80's? Nope, the UAW's attitudes are, "If there's a problem, its management's fault, but if they do well, I sure as hell want my slice of the bigger pie," and "Buy American, no matter how much you get screwed, you schmucks!"

When Chimpy appeals to our sense of patriotism to support an illegal war, or fuck the Constitution in the name of the war on terror, we know how to dismiss it as bullshit, but when the unions do it, we're suppose to just bend over and replace our cars every five years because they fall apart. No thanks, I'm off that merry-go-round.

It's not just the design of the cars, its the way they're put together, and the quality of materials used. Everybody who makes something for a living knows when they're being supplied with shit to build something with. Continuing to take a paycheck from screwing over consumers makes a worker a co-conspirator with the boss who's fattening his 401K with the cost savings. When the buying public wises up to what's going on, and refuses to go along with getting scammed, the worker who saw this going on for decades shouldn't look so surprised when he cries 'foul'.

[dysfunctional press]

85. how would a guy working on the line know that a corvair was unsafe?

:shrug:

please...

[DainBramaged]

24. 25 YEARS AND YOU STILL HOLD A GRUDGE?

A Union worker goes to bed jobless because of the same narrow-mindedness you expose in your life.


I was in my second year of ownership of a 1981 El Camino, the last year GM offered a 4-speed in the platform (Grand Prix, Cutlass, Malibu, Monte Carlo) and it was TROUBLE FREE FOR THE SEVEN YEARS AND 44,000 MILES I OWNED IT until I sold it in 1988 after buying my 1987 Buick Turbo regal WHICH I STILL OWN.


NEITHER car ever blew up. And the 1998 Blazer I drive with 120,000 miles on it, I'll take over the State line in a snowstorm to any Rice Burner you own.

[doc03]

27. Explain why the Ford/Fusion, Mercury/Milan,

Lincoln/MKZ are the highest rated cars by an American company and they are made in Mexico by non-union workers. I agree American cars have improved vastly in the last few years but the reason they have is the Japanese manufacturers forced them to or die.

[DainBramaged]

31. Who rated them highly? And do you know what a robot is?

Take your anti-American Union worker shit elsewhere, I don't stand for Rethug loving Union haters. Who rated the cars, Woman's Wear Daily? Highly rated means high sales. Know how many have been sold????


"but the reason they have is the Japanese manufacturers forced them to "

Japanese manufacturers didn't force them to do shit.


Ask yourself why the Koreans and Japanese refuse to lower the trade barriers to American cars. And then click any of the links in my sig line to the UAW or Teamsters. Maybe then you'll understand what Union made means, but I highly doubt it.

[MindPilot]

35. pitch your stories about American car "quality" to someone more gullible

I spent 20 years as a Ford technician. Loose bolts, poorly aligned body panels, overtightened fasteners, missing parts, incorrectly assembled wiring harnesses, poor welds, leaks, damaged wiring, mismatched trim parts, the list never ends. Day in and day out I fixed what you UAW prima donnas screwed up for a third of your pay and the company got to tell me how long it would take.

Then the there was the deliberate stuff, a ball bearing in a gas tank, a fish in the heater/AC housing, a fishing weight hanging from a string inside a body panel, a differential packed with feces, an intake manifold with casting sand still in it, a banana under the carpet, a dozen or so trim screws in the cat converter, a wad of steel wool inside a carburetor are just a few of the things I've dealt with over the years on brand new direct-from-the-railhead new vehicles.

I drive a Nissan.

[DainBramaged]

39. Good for you, you "spent" 20 years fixing Fords "Found On Road Dead"

When the day comes that you wonder why we import shit and don't make anything here, just look at the car you drive.

Pitch your anti-Union shit to someone else. I ain't listening any more.

[MindPilot]

48. Fucking Old Rebuilt Dodge, Fix Or Repair Daily ...I know 'em all.

I'm about as pro-union as they come. What I'm "anti" is poor quality.

Fact is of the big three Ford provided the best support to it's dealer service network. I've worked at GM and Chrysler dealers too; their products are no better. And you are not the first on to level criticism at me for working on fix-or-repair-dailies. To which I respond only a fool would take a commissioned job fixing something that never broke.

If you spent any time on the line at any of the big three during the 70s & 80s thanks for helping keep me employed. In fact you helped make me quite comfortable.

For the record I also own an 87 Aerostar with 130,000. I bought it new, but it's now my beater truck, looks like shit but runs well. But while my 95 Nissan has 180,000 with the most major repair being a clutch, the A-star has had head gaskets, steering gear, TWO transmission overhauls, numerous electrical problems, three or four water pumps, couple of fuel pumps, both heater cores, a/c compressor...

[doc03]

47. Consumer Reports, Consumers Digest to name a

couple. If it wasn't for the Japanese competition the American manufacturers would still be turning out junk like they did in the late 70's. It was either put out a better product or go by the way of AMC.I know exactly what Union made means I work in a Union shop but I also have the right to spend my money for what I believe is the best product. I'm thinking about buying a new car in a year or so and I will research Consumer Reports, Consumers Digest, Motor Trend and other publications before I buy. As of now I will definitely consider the Fusion/Milan/MKZ and the Chevy Malibu first but I am not going to buy any car rated well below average in reliability just because it is made in Detroit. Two years ago I looked at and drove the Colorado, Ranger and the Dakota and never even considered buying an import. Then I went to the Pittsburgh Auto Show and saw the Tacoma and Frontier and later tried both and I ended up buying the Tacoma. Since the Tacoma was restyled it has replaced the Ranger as the best selling mid-size pickup (a title Ford had claimed for over 20 years).So by whatever measure you want to use the Tacoma is the highest rated, by sales or ratings for reliability from the Automotive Publications. The Tacoma is assembled in the USA and has higher domestic content than many of the domestic products. It's not my fault the domestic companies decided there wasn't enough profit in the mid-size pickups and quit even trying to compete. Even with the prices of gas going up the American companies just keep making bigger and bigger pickups. The main reason I bought the mid-size pickup is the full size ones have become so big they won't fit in my garage. The Tacoma is actually the size of the full size truck of 10 years ago, but the domestic companies just abanadoned that market for the big more profitable trucks.

[DainBramaged]

68. Consumer Reports is as Anti-American Auto and Union biased as most on DU

Why am I not surprised by your decision????


When the factories close and the only choice is the most expensive choice, and our manufacturing base has moved offshore, remember where your ass is planted while you drive.

[LTR]

88. The early 80s were not kind to GM

They were horrible cars. Things have changed in the last 25 years.

Don't use that as your rationale.

[eppur_se_muova]

18. Reminder re Toyota's "Welcab" vehicles for the disabled and others ...

http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/environmental_rep/03/kakawari07.html
(Note this is a 2003 report)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=250&topic_id=2996&mesg_id=2996


Consideration is given to ease of ingress and egress for pregnant women

[burrowowl]

28. Are they going to develop one for

teenagers too!

[pipoman]

32. I sold Toyotas in the early 1990's

on the same lot with Pontiac and across the street from a Ford dealer. I still have people approach me occasionally and thank me for flipping them from a GM to a Toyota. Many have never gone back nor even considered it.

A story. Once while selling Toyotas an old couple came in wanting to look at a Corolla. They were a cute couple who held hands always. I would ask the man a question and he would answer, what ever she wants. I showed them some and they settled on one. I had to go on all test drives so I loaded into the back seat, the old man in the drivers seat, and the old woman in the passenger seat. As we began to drive (very slowly) the lady said, "a little to the right..right...right...good...get ready...slow....slow...stop...ok right turn...now...a little left...good..." turns out daddy was blind as a bat but unwilling to let momma drive. They bought the car and I never rode with them again.

[DainBramaged]

33. Good for you, when the Unions are busted, will you happily take credit too??

The early Nineties......


When are you anti-Union "historians" going to wake up and compare apples to apples?????

[pipoman]

34. At that time

a Camry was built in Georgetown KY by US workers and was one of (if not the) most trouble free car on the road. The Pontiac 6000 was among the biggest pieces of shit anywhere. US Car companies thought everyone would grace them with their undying gratitude and dollars regardless of how many flaws they built into their shitboxes (and there were many) to keep their parts and service sales flourishing. I do believe US names have improved their quality now but they have moved their operations out of the US. Anyone who denies that late 1970's thru early 1990's US name vehicles were inherently trouble prone simply never walked through a service department for those brands...hint they were full with days waiting lists. Toyota and Honda service departments? No appt necessary and same day service often. GM, Ford, and Chrysler did it to themselves and to the UAW nobody else to blame.

[MindPilot]

36. Ask pretty much any tech at a Nissan or Toyota dealer what they do

and they will respond "tune-ups, brakes, clutches and timing belts. And an occasional water pump or head gasket."

[DainBramaged]

40. Bullshit, you really live in a bubble, don't you?

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/07/toyota_recalls.html

Recalls Near 800,000 for July


Toyota has now recalled almost 800,000 vehicles in July, including 8,500 Prius hybrids as well as some Lexus hybrids sold in the U.S. The Japanese automaker is recalling 418,570 vehicles globally, including 150,000 cars sold in the U.S. and Canada because of a faulty crankshaft sensor.

The recall includes 8,500 Prius vehicles and 26,200 Echos in the U.S.

Last week Toyota recalled 367,594 SUVs, including hybrids, in the U.S because of loose clips in the floor carpet cover that might cause the accelerator pedal to stick.

The vehicles involved in that recall are the Lexus RX 330 and Toyota Highlander SUVs from 2004 to 2005 model years, and the Lexus RX 400h hybrid and Highlander hybrid SUVs from the 2006 model year.

Earlier in July, Toyota recalled 24,200 vans in Japan.

The three July recalls are the latest in a string of problems at Toyota raising doubts over whether the automaker can maintain quality standards amid booming sales.

[MindPilot]

50. Recalls are no indicator of overall vehicle quality.

Any manufacturer of anything can can get a bad batch of parts from a vendor.

In fact I would go as far as to say recalls a more of an indication of a manufacturer being mindful of quality and stepping up to correct a problem.

[DainBramaged]

55. Like I said, la la land

[MindPilot]

56. Project much?

Your attitude pretty much reflects that of the US carmakers...particularly GM.

[DainBramaged]

57. Still clueless, when you OWN a GM car, cast the first stone, until then

:nuke:

[MindPilot]

62. Clueless? I don't need to put my hand in a vise

to find out if it will hurt.

My son just bought a 98 Cadillac and discovered it has to go to the dealer for its oil change because the filter mount is so delicate the local Jiffy Lube won't touch it.

You're sounding less like a union man and more like a company hack.

[DainBramaged]

67. I still have my Union card, something you are obviously against.

Anti-Union Dems, what a bitch.

We're done. Tell someone else how fucking wonderful your job was.

[NickB79]

61. OMG, faulty floor clips! Oh noes!11!!11

Not that there was a rash of cars accelerating uncontrollably because of those clips, but Toyota still recalled them anyway. Good for Toyota to be that concerned about their customer's safety.

[MindPilot]

63. Yeah most recalls are minor and the result of simple mistakes.

Sometimes the suppliers don't deliver parts that are quite up to the standards that were originally specified. And when tens of thousands of parts and fasteners come together in an hour or so, shit's gonna go wrong. That's a given and that regard I gotta hand it to the line workers--it is not a job I would want.

The recalls that are really problematic are the ones that are designed in like the infamous Pinto gas tank. One of my favorites was the Pinto/Mustang 2.0L recall to replace the piston rods. The idea was that oil consumption could be reduced by eliminating an oil squirt hole that sprayed the cylinder wall. After it was discovered that the company thought they could get away with it because the resulting accelerated engine wear would not show up until the vehicle was well out of warranty, the feds made them initiate a recall. Lots of owners got a free engine overhaul.

[TankLV]

92. Ahhh - we get it now - major design flaws is the fault of the UNIONS

but recalls of HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of cars for major mistakes is, well, just a pesky MISTAKE!

Gotcha...

Fucking IGNORANT anti-union idiot...

[Stuart G]

93. Absolutely Not......

Major Design Flaws are almost always the result of management and design engineers..
......A..Trying to Save money
......B..Trying to make it easier for the dealerships to save money..

The people that put the cars together...ie the Union...has nothing to do with these flaws..


Making the cars so they would become obsolete, and wear out more quickly than they had to, was a Management Decision .
to use parts that would..eh.
............wear out more quickly..

[DainBramaged]

37. It is nearly 2008, come back to reality and the present time.

JD Powers, Cadillac, Consumers Union (the biggest bunch of Anti-American Union haters on the planet) ALL acknowledge that we are out of the stone age.


Living in the past is worse than not living.

[pipoman]

49. If you read my post

you saw where I said, "I do believe US names have improved their quality now but they have moved their operations out of the US.". I prefer to buy vehicles which are built with American labor. The name plate is less and less important, a big three name plate only indicates that the 2% or 4% end profit is going to stockholders and executives likely in the US, the rest of the cost of production is going to Mexico or Canada or where ever else they can get cheap production labor. So no, I will determine my next car by looking at Consumer Reports Annual Car Buying Guide, researching online, determining where the vehicle was built with absolutely no regard what so ever to the name plate on the front. Then I will choose 3 or 4 models and test drive them.

GM told me (through their refusal) back then that they didn't have any desire to produce a quality vehicle. Their entire motivation was PARTS AND SERVICE residules.

And certainly you don't want to argue anecdotal recall stats. Again the big three made their bed back in the 1970's thru the present when they have fought tooth and nail to avoid recalls which have actually been life threatening. None of these companies want to issue recalls, but to make assertions that GM willingly recalls or simply doesn't have recalls is dishonest at best.

ALL acknowledge that we are out of the stone age.

Lastly this statement says it all. You are acknowledging that these companies were in the "stone age" in the 1970's thru the 1990's? I don't disagree but it was completely by choice, based on a market plan which included 1/2 of corporate profits coming from parts sales to replace intentionally flawed parts, spending little or no money on meeting consumer demands. They were forced, kicking and screaming to start engineering better quality vehicles to keep Toyota and Honda from completely putting them out of business.

Again this is absolutely not a slam on the American workers. The "big 3's" vehicles could only be as good as the engineering which was coming out of Detroit. The workers were only putting together what they were given.

[NickB79]

60. Out of the Stone Age and assembled in Mexico

Hooray?

[lancer78]

38. The unions are not to ..

be blamed for the poor quality of american cars in the 80's. If any blame is to be assigned, it should be to the fat, pasty, replublican heads of american auto companies. It is physically impossible for a republican to change, they are threatened by it.

[DainBramaged]

41. Toyota to repay customers with oil-sludge problem

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2002/04/04/toyota-sludge.htm

Toyota acknowledged Wednesday that millions of its cars and trucks could develop a ruinous oil-sludge problem and said it would repay owners who have had to make repairs.

Toyota says the problem is caused by going too long between oil changes, but nevertheless says it is changing the engine design to prevent a repeat.

Affected: 3.0-liter V-6 and 2.2-liter four-cylinder engines in more than 3.5 million 1997-2002 Toyota Camrys, Avalons, Highlanders and Siennas and Lexus ES and RX 300s.

Toyota says it will repay owners for repairs and other related expenses, such as car rentals.

Toyota had been resisting repayment, prompting angry owners to demand arbitration, hire lawyers and vent on the Internet.

Toyota's acknowledgment of a potential problem is significant because of the reputation Toyota and Lexus enjoy for high quality.

[MindPilot]

51. "Toyota says the problem is caused by going too long between oil changes

but nevertheless says it is changing the engine design to prevent a repeat."

An issue that likely could not have been known until the the moron contingent of the motoring public failed to do proper maintenance. And then wanted to blame the manufacturer for the results of lack of said maintenance. It's doubtful they knew about the problem and went to production anyway.

So Toyota is stepping up, paying for out-of-warranty repairs and changing the design to do what? PROTECT ITS REPUTATION!

[DainBramaged]

54. Audi has the same problem, bad EGR design, not the public fault

You can go 7000 miles between changes. A motor should never sludge up because of that.

[kysrsoze]

42. They already do. Dull, dull, DULL! Toyota is the Buick of Japan

I used to like Toyota a lot, but they just lost me after they started making bland, uninspiring cars. My dad is 71 and has driven one for years. My uncle is in his 60's and owns 2 Camrys. My friend's 75 y/o dad has a new Avalon. None of them cares about excitement. They just want a dependable car, though what I'm reading lately indicates that's no longer the case with Toyota.

[sarcasmo]

53. How about just not driving?

I drive seventy hours a week in a Taxi and see the elderly cause many accidents.

[MilesColtrane]

59. Some considered features...

Archived episodes of Matlock on DVD hard drive

iHearingAid adaptor

Trifocal windshield

Factory installed "old car" smell

Plaid polyester upholstery

Cup holder large enough for dentures

[GoddessOfGuinness]

64. How about a car to help assholes drive safely?

Maybe one that won't go more that 5 miles above the posted limit?
One that can't tailgate, or let its occupants chuck their trash out the window?

[surfermaw]

65. My 2008 Corolla is getting between 34/35 miles per hour

Adn that was in August with air on, way down south.. had a 90 Camry and liked it as much as my Buick, drove it for 10 years went to another car and now back to a Toyota Corolla.

[DainBramaged]

66. That's just peachy

[pipoman]

75. Vibe Good - Corolla Bad??

"The Matrix is the Toyota version of a joint venture between Toyota and General Motors; the GM version is the Pontiac Vibe, made at NUMMI in Fremont, California. A third version, also assembled at NUMMI, was sold in Japan from 2002 to early 2004 as the Toyota Voltz. Although the Voltz was sold under the Toyota brand there, the styling was nearly identical to the Vibe. The Matrix is considered to be the sporty hatchback/wagon counterpart of the Corolla.

The Matrix and the Vibe are identical mechanically and practically identical internally, but they are clothed in different sheetmetal in order to appear somewhat different. Both vehicles are narrow but tall station wagons styled in a trendy, quasi-SUV fashion (called a crossover utility vehicle or "XUV" by Toyota) and marketed to a fairly youthful market segment. This type of car is often referred to as a sport wagon."

Edit to add link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Matrix

[DainBramaged]

77. If Toyota and GM had cooperated more, maybe both would be better off

My Daughter's '99 Cavalier gets over 30 miles per gallon, so what is progress?

[pipoman]

80. It seems to me that the Mazda and Ford coop

didn't really help Ford but ruined the Mazda pickup. The true Mazda pickup buyers have long since moved on to Nissan or Toyota rather than buying a Ranger with a Mazda nameplate. Many Prisms were sold because of the Toyota content, especially used Prisms because the resale was 10-20% lower than used Corollas.

[jmowreader]

94. Prizms are the SHIT, man!

I bought a 1991 Prizm for my wife in 2003; I paid $700 for it. The car runs well.

The only real caveat on Prizms: if yours has a Delco alternator in it, go to a junkyard and purchase the alternator bracket out of a Corolla. This bracket will hold the vastly superior Nippondenso alternator. We burned out two Delco alternators, and when the alternator goes out on a Prizm it takes the battery with it. I put the ND alternator in it two years ago; it's been completely reliable since then.

[dipsydoodle]

81. Did you mean to say

miles per hour ? That fast ! :rofl:

My original Supras mid '80s and early '90 did 48mph in first gear.

[MilesColtrane]

70. Not a bad idea.

The driver must wear a blood pressure cuff to operate the vehicle.

When road rage is detected, the car gradually decelerates and pulls off the road while locking the doors and windows.

Also, it's lined with Kevlar and the windows are bulletproof glass, in the event of an armed asshole.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

72. Love the blood pressure cuff idea!

:thumbsup:

[womanofthehills]

73. 97 Camry over 235 miles & running great

I just gave it to my daughter as I'm getting a new Toyota. With over 235,000 miles, I had the brakes worked on once, and changed the timing belt twice - that's it! Nothing was ever wrong with it - it was totally amazing. My daughter is amazed at how smooth it still rides.

[DainBramaged]

78. So, in the context of the thread, does that mean it isn't adequate as an old person's car now?

[Stuart G]

89. There has been a lot of talk about an "old person's car"

I started this thread for one reason, to tell that someone at Toyota, gave an order to a team, to construct front seats that
would be "extra comfortable" for people with back problems. That was in relation to this article about Toyota building an entire car that would have help other aspects of getting older.

It is no joke, that some "elderly" should not have a driver's license or fall asleep (you know young people do the same thing)..But the point is this.."Why should Toyota be the first company that comes up with an idea to help seniors.
..Further, why should Toyota have been the first to appoint a team to design a drivers and front passenger's seat for the comfort of someone with back problems?.......Hell, we, Americans, invented the assembly line for cars. We perfected the system and lead the way for so many years. Yet, the most comfortable driver's seats are designed by Japanese?

..And let us not talk about reliability. Why did the Japanese have to teach GM to become reliable??? Make a car that lasts?


..Still, I know that the U.S. manufacturer's could produce the best care, but why haven't they?..Why haven't they produced the most comfortable seat? After all, we here in the U.S. buy more cars than almost anyone else? HELL,,,WE DESERVE THE BEST PLACE TO PUT OUR ASS.

.............END OF RANT..............STUART G.

[Vinca]

79. I love my Toyota, but when I get very old and can't drive safely,

TAKE MY LICENSE AWAY.

[ProudDad]

84. To Err is Human

to really fuck up, you need a computer...

[humbled_opinion]

86. Depends built into the seats...

No thats just horrible, I'm sorry no offense trying to make a funny.

[TankLV]

90. Let me guess: Permanent turn signal in the ON position & doesn't go over 20...

Bada bing
Bada boom