Toyota(-34%), Honda Lead U.S. Sales Plunge on “Clunkers” Comparison

[Omaha Steve]

Source: USA Today

By Alan Ohnsman

Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., beneficiaries last year of “cash for clunkers” U.S. incentives, had the steepest August sales declines among large carmakers owing to the program’s end and a slowing economy.

Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, sold 34 percent fewer vehicles than in August 2009 and Honda’s volume plunged 33 percent. Sales for Nissan Motor Co. and Hyundai Motor Co. fell 27 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

Asia-based brands had a combined 29 percent decline, compared with a 14 percent dip for U.S.-based General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC, and topping a 21 percent industrywide drop.

While Toyota’s decline was likely, given the lift it got last year from rebates for trade-ins for fuel-efficient models, “this month’s results are even worse than expected,” said Michelle Krebs, senior analyst for Santa Monica, California- based Edmunds.com. “Toyota still is suffering a hangover from its numerous recalls this year.”


Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-01/toyota-honda-lead-u-s-car-sales-plunge-as-clunkers-ends-economy-slows.html

[Turbineguy]

1. Oh good.

I was beginning to worry that the economy was going to recover. Peter Schiff stands to make millions if and when the bonds you fools hold drop 80%. Better for many to be homeless and hungry than that guy losing a nickel.

[customerserviceguy]

2. A year ago

few people were aware of Toyota's safety problems, and especially their arrogance about those problems. Things are a little clearer now.

[JDPriestly]

4. Strange how the people I know who drive Toyotas are very happy with them.

Now I could name some other cars with much less satisfied customers.

I drive an old Honda and love it.

[Omaha Steve]

6. I know of over 10 million very unhappy Toyota owners from just the past year

Defective seat belts and air bags. Stalling. Runaways. Explode on rear end collision. Spare tires falling out. Etc.

Then there were the revelations in Toyota's own documents. We saved one hundred million by not installing a brake over ride. We knew about runaways in 2003. Etc.

Long lists.

[customerserviceguy]

7. I'm still pretty happy with my Hyundai

and everyone I know who has an Asian-nameplate car feels the same way about theirs.

All I'm saying is that the bad news that Toyota's had between last August and this one was not good for sales, and it's more than just the end of cash for clunkers that reflect the sales figures we see.

[pipoman]

8. Yep, it was the cash for clunkers program

which led US name plate importers to push the Toyota non-issue to the exclusion of the exact same Ford non-issue. In the end, after Toyota has been duly punished for their market domination over government owned GM, etal., driver error will be the cause as it was with Audi in the 1980's...Toyota was just Audied..



http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/nhtsa-data-dive-3-117-models-ranked-by-rate-of-ua-incidents/

[Omaha Steve]

9. The the floor mat and linkage recalls didn't happen?

Or were just the excuse Toyota needed?

[pipoman]

10. The floor mat and linkage caused

demonstrable cases of UA? Which ones? What has Ford done about their UA issues? Have they done any recent recalls for this?

How can any manufacturer fix problems which are shown over and over to be a driver error phenomenon?

Do mechanical issues occasionally cause accidents? Probably. Is it more believable that wide spread issues are operator error? Probably.

[Omaha Steve]

12. Toyota's own tech had a UA in 03 that didn't register on the black box

He blamed the black box software. That is in the Toyota files and is was discovered in the legal cases against Toyota. If it doesn't register, then it looks like driver error when it in fact isn't. It ain't over yet.

[pipoman]

15. I am still trying to figure out how or why Ford has avoided scrutiny

considering the numbers of reported cases.

I do get accused on these threads of being a Toyota apologist. This has nothing to do with Toyota...I would be equally convinced if this were Ford under this scrutiny. I simply trust mechanical and electronic stability more than I trust the small percentage of people who claim UA but nobody can duplicate.

[Omaha Steve]

17. Duplicate?

It happened to their own tech and he wasn't trying to cause it. It just happened in 2003. Again he blamed the Toyota software. The black box didn't record the UA. And since the proprietary black box software can only be read by Toyota, how do we really know what the truth is on did they or did they not hit the brake?

[pipoman]

18. OK, so it maybe happened

once in 2003, maybe...Considering the numbers of vehicles Toyota has on US roads, and the number of technicians (and frankly I know some "technicians" which really don't lend credence to claims by a "technician") I am extremely skeptical of any claim made by anyone of "unintended acceleration", there are simply too many claims made on virtually every single make and model. Now I could believe that an engineering standard related to pedal placement could increase reports of one model over another, I am just not buying any kind of wide spread malfunction of multiple mechanical or electronic components. I have seen up close the cross section of US drivers and simply trust mechanical and electronic reliability more than I trust the reliability of humans who drive...every make and model.

[alfredo]

13. My old Hyundai has served me well. Bought it used in 04 for $1,000 .

It's going on 14 years old.

I was thinking of a Ford Fiesta, but I might as well look at the Mazda2.. Same car, but different dealers. Whichever polyester asshole gives me the best deal will get my business. I will pay cash on the spot.

[northernlights]

3. I expect that ugly, silly "cube-like thing" contributed to Nissan's drop....

Honda's problem is that their cars never die. My 97 civic, bought in 96, has 196K miles on it. engine purrs like a kitten (knock wood. :P). it did get it's first tiny little spot of rust on it (smaller than a penny) this summer.

[wordpix]

11. I think Honda's problem is it keeps making bigger, less fuel efficent cars

The new Accord is the size of an SUV and the new Civic is the size of the old Accord. The FIT is much less fuel efficient at 33 mpg than my old '84 Civic wagon, which got 40 mpg with hilly state road driving. The Honda SUVs are huge whereas the original CRV was small and fairly efficient. Honda is making a big mistake following the lead of Ford, GM and other big car makers.

[CatholicEdHead]

14. Yep, 1G CRV got 24mpg or so

the new ones are lucky to get 20mpg.

[madrchsod]

5. chevy,ford,and buick are making cars....

just as good or better than toyota or honda. chrysler`s quality is still behind the rest.

[pipoman]

16. Apparently the 14% GM figure is incorrect?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4524969

GM auto sales sink 25%