Toyota vehicles in another federal safety probe (Stalling problems)

[n2doc]

Regulators are looking into complaints of stalling -- in some cases at highway speeds -- in Corolla and Matrix cars from model year 2006. The investigation covers an estimated 397,000 vehicles.

By Ken Bensinger and Ralph Vartabedian
December 5, 2009


Federal safety officials have opened a probe into two models of Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles after drivers complained that their cars inexplicably stalled in traffic, sometimes at highway speeds.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posted a document this week launching the investigation into Toyota's Matrix and Corolla cars. It's the latest in a string of quality-related issues for the Japanese automaker in recent months.

The document cited 26 complaints from drivers of 2006 model year Matrix and Corolla vehicles. Consumers "allege stalls occurring randomly while driving, including some on highways and some in intersections," the agency said.

The new investigation is another blow to an automaker that has seen its long-held reputation for quality come under attack amid a flurry of safety-related recalls and investigations this year.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-toyota-recall5-2009dec05,0,6012156.story

[imdjh]

1. I'm not suggesting a smear campaign is afoot. Simply noting that it seems like a special effort.....

... is underway. Perhaps it's because Toyota has taken over as lead car maker for the world, or the US, and that means there will be more problems as a law of averages. All I can say, as a Toyota fan, is that everyone I know who owns a Toyota swears by them. I know of no other sensible car that this is true about, ie BMW owners don't count because they are idiots.

[blue_onyx]

3. Nonsense

"I'm not suggesting a smear campaign is afoot. Simply noting that it seems like a special effort is underway."

You just contradicted yourself from one sentence to another.

Toyota's quality is slipping big time, that's what's going on. Their image as having superior quality has been in large part do to great PR. It's really that simple....no "special efforts" here.

[blue_onyx]

2. So damn predictable

Almost every thread that has bad news for Toyota is ignored.