Toyota Recall: FBI Raids Three Toyota Suppliers in Detroit

[tricky_ab]

When the FBI gets involved, shit gets serious. (http://jalopnik.com/5479384/breaking-fbi-raids-three-toyota-suppliers-in-detroit)

While Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda sits answering questions on Capitol Hill, the FBI raided the offices of Denso and two other Toyota suppliers in Metro Detroit for documents related to antitrust violations and hiding quality problems.

According to WDIV-TV in Detroit, the FBI raided Denso's offices as part of an ongoing probe into Toyota's 1.4 million unit recall, a larger antitrust action confirmed by Toyota to MSNBC. This comes at the same time as Toyota Motor Corp. CEO Akio Toyoda takes the stand in Washington, DC and follows a report that the SEC was looking into the embattled automakers.

A report on the Dow Jones Newsires (via Barrons) also confirms Yazaki North America and Tokai Rika were all subject to search warrants, though, without explaining why this occured. All of this happened yesterday evening

Ugh... anti-trust suits?

I might be rusty on my anti-trust laws but going through what information I have I can't see Toyota doing anything that warrants an anti-trust. I'm watching Toyoda in front of Congress right now. I wonder if he's being told as the congressman speaks?!

[dert420sx]

IMHO, the whole thing reeks of a smear campaign against Toyota to move Americans' interest toward government-owned GM.

First the criminal probe, and now anti-trust? the only trust right now is the monopoly of government owned car companies.
and the only way toyota is hurting competition is by manufacturing the best selling car of 2009, 2nd only to the F-series trucks
(which i have absolutely no idea how those sold more than the Camry in 2009).


http://images.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/01/Picture-85.png

source: The 25 Best-Selling Cars Of 2009 | The Truth About Cars (http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/the-25-best-selling-cars-of-2009/)

[drift freaq]

fucking congress and the house are full of dumb shits. One of the congressional panel people a women actually asked them why they would not make public their technological secrets behind the black box. LOL Here just let everybody know your tech that keeps you ahead of the game. LOL fucking dumb.

Toyota does seem to have made some mistakes. I fear that the problem is the actual coverup.

Its like when Cheney shot is friend in the face. It was an accident a mistake but the problem got worse when he tried to cover it up for 24 hours.

Same goes with Former President Richard Nixon, ya he made tapes of stuff, yes the watergate break in happened. Fact is Democrats and Republicans had been pulling those kind of shenanigans for years, he got caught . LOL Problem wise he lied about it and tried to cover it up. That made matters much worse.

Just like Clinton and Monica. It would not have been as bad if he had said ya I had oral sex it was a big mistake. Though no he goes and says I did not have sex with that women. LOL It bit him in the ass.

Do I feel these congressional people are grandstanding? Oh yes the current Congress is guilty of Grandstanding on so many issues its pathetic. Pelosi, Waxman,Frank, Plus others what a poor example of the United States.

[Antihero983]

^agreed 110%.

[chinabean]

idk whats more interesting..this shit or the 3 google high employees or chairman n whatnot being charged for a video on youtube lol that has nothing to do with them

[SimpleS14]

idk whats more interesting..this shit or the 3 google high employees or chairman n whatnot being charged for a video on youtube lol that has nothing to do with them


The Google thing is just hilarious lol


As for this Toyota thing...I definitely am not a fan how the direction this stuff is going. The melodrama is getting old -_-

I will say that I believe the real issue is how Toyota handled this recall.

[reflexdb]

I don't know what to think about whether or not the government should be investigating Toyota for these recalls. But, NHTSA is responsible to keep motorists safe in the U.S., and it's part of the government, so I guess I can understand. I don't think it's right to make such a public display of the entire thing, and I think the media is completely ridiculous how they make a spectacle of everything.

Like it or not though, the FBI raiding their suppliers most likely spells trouble for Toyota.

IMHO, the whole thing reeks of a smear campaign against Toyota to move Americans' interest toward government-owned GM.

First the criminal probe, and now anti-trust? the only trust right now is the monopoly of government owned car companies.
and the only way toyota is hurting competition is by manufacturing the best selling car of 2009, 2nd only to the F-series trucks
(which i have absolutely no idea how those sold more than the Camry in 2009).


http://images.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/01/Picture-85.png

source: The 25 Best-Selling Cars Of 2009 | The Truth About Cars (http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/the-25-best-selling-cars-of-2009/)

I couldn't believe that statistic when I saw it the first time either. My understanding though is that "Ford F-Series" includes ALL variations of F-150, F-250, F-350, etc. Imagine how many of those are purchased each year by city and state governments and private companies for work trucks. Additionally, all U.S. companies sell a ton of cars to rental companies like Hertz, and can count those sales as well.

[codyace]

I don't think it's right to make such a public display of the entire thing, and I think the media is completely ridiculous how they make a spectacle of everything.

I wish the rep system was still around this is a +100 rep if you ask me. It's amazing to see what sort of Hysteria can ensue when the same subject is covered on 30 different news stations with 100 resident experts 24/7 for a week....it's almost sickening to think of how our media works.

[ronmcdon]

the media is what it is.
at least it is consistent and not unpredicatable.
the media never was some bastion of justice or accuracy.
if you see it that way, that's just indicative of your own niave expectations.
(nobody's forcing you to believe shit, in all fairness).

About Toyota.
honestly I don't buy the fact the US gov't is under any conspiracy to defame Toyota.
The company hires a lot of jobs in the US.
Looking at the stat list,
I would say Toyota's sales have no be impacted considerably as of yet.
Would be interesting to see how their sales during '10 plays out.

I do agree with the consensus that Toyota could have handled their publicity a bit better.
I think the company will do fine in the long run, however.
I am thankful I can buy their stock a little cheaper.
(would not likely buy any of their products, however)

[sirfallsalot243]

Im gonna go buy a Toyota just to prove a point.

I dont like the government shoving GM down my throat.

[ryguy]

I think Toyota did some shady things, like the hiring of the former NHTSA employees as it's liason to the NHTSA, as well as overlooking a problem rate in it's cars 400% higher than the national average. Toyota isn't infallible, like a lot of people believed it was. However, I do agree it is getting an unfair amount of coverage.

Also, I'm pretty sure the FBI raid is totally unrelated to the recall issues. If you read the whole article, it says Toyota may actually be a victim of price fixing by the suppliers.

[tricky_ab]

I was rolling my eyes yesterday when they kept playing the overly melodramatic testimony of that "victim" lady to Congress. Especially the part about "God intervening" to correct the car's loss of control. Give me a freakin' break...

[Gnnr]

I don't think it's right to make such a public display of the entire thing, and I think the media is completely ridiculous how they make a spectacle of everything.


I agree, shame on Jalopnik for sensationalizing this crap. Raided? WTF, yeah right...I'm sure that the SWAT didn't go in there, lol. The recalls and this anti-trust investigation are two separate unrelated stories. The FBI went in there because they have suspicion that they are destroying incriminating evidence on the Anti-trust investigation....sounds perfectly reasonable to get a warrant to me.

BTW, the media doesn't make any emphasis that the pedals with the problems where made in America by US companies. :rolleyes:

the only trust right now is the monopoly of government owned car companies.

Don't toss around the word monopoly if you don't know what it means. Also only GM and Chrysler got bailouts and if your theory held true they wouldn't be sucking right now. Ford didn't take a bailout and they're turning over billion dollar PROFITS right now. I'm not surprised they're at the top of that list and suspect they'll stay there for a long time.

[Matej]

the media is what it is.
at least it is consistent and not unpredicatable.
the media never was some bastion of justice or accuracy.
if you see it that way, that's just indicative of your own niave expectations.
(nobody's forcing you to believe shit, in all fairness).
Then the media should have a big disclaimer stating that before every report, otherwise they are only misleading naive people.
If not even the media is to be a bastion of justice and accuracy, then it is not media, it is propaganda/entertainment.

[ryguy]

BTW, the media doesn't make any emphasis that the pedals with the problems where made in America by US companies. :rolleyes:

It was a U.S. supplier, but the pedal assembly was designed by Toyota and is unique to Toyota (and the Vibe lawlz), and as I understand was a design flaw.

[ronmcdon]

Then the media should have a big disclaimer stating that before every report, otherwise they are only misleading naive people.
If not even the media is to be a bastion of justice and accuracy, then it is not media, it is propaganda/entertainment.

It's also about making money.
The mass media has no direct obligation to guarantee accuracy, or to do the right things.
You are looking at 'mostly' businesses in a country that promotes 'freedom of speech'.

Lol, pretty much everything, should have the disclaimer 'Caveat Emptor' (buyer beware).
It just wouldn't be practical to put a disclaimer on everything, however ideal.
Lol, I suppose even commercials should have disclaimers
'We are trying to entice/manipulate you into buying this product'.

[drift freaq]

BTW, the media doesn't make any emphasis that the pedals with the problems where made in America by US companies. :rolleyes:




Ah no this is not exactly true. I asked my girl in who is in Japan right now about it, to see if there were problems over there and she said yes Toyota has had the same problems in the Japanese domestic market.

So before you go laying the blame on American manufacturing realize there could be an overall design flaw.

[Gnnr]

My understanding is that the design and production where outsourced. Its not uncommon to see that nowadays.

Report: Toyota's gas pedal supplier woe spreads to Ford of China commercial vehicles — Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/28/report-toyotas-gas-pedal-supplier-woe-spreads-to-ford-of-china/)

[drift freaq]

My understanding is that the design and production where outsourced. Its not uncommon to see that nowadays.

Report: Toyota's gas pedal supplier woe spreads to Ford of China commercial vehicles — Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/28/report-toyotas-gas-pedal-supplier-woe-spreads-to-ford-of-china/)

Well regardless fact is there always the possibility of a quality control issue or problem in manufacturing. The real deal is how the company handles it once its discovered.

See Toyota should have contacted the outsource company about the problem immediately.

Now what I was refuting about what you were saying was the fact that the problem was only here in the states. Toyota is having the problem in Japan as well. Which is what I was saying.

[ryguy]

My understanding is that the design and production where outsourced.

The pedals in the defective American Toyotas were manufactured in Indiana.

[Gnnr]

Well regardless fact is there always the possibility of a quality control issue or problem in manufacturing. The real deal is how the company handles it once its discovered.

See Toyota should have contacted the outsource company about the problem immediately.

Oh I agree, this should have been resolved back in 2002.

Now what I was refuting about what you were saying was the fact that the problem was only here in the states.

Where did I say that? :confused:

Toyota is having the problem in Japan as well. Which is what I was saying.

That I did not know. With the same models? I heard something about the Prius in Japan but not he Camry.

The pedals in the defective American Toyotas were manufactured in Indiana.

Yes, that's why I linked that article. ;)

[codyace]

the media is what it is.
at least it is consistent and not unpredicatable.
the media never was some bastion of justice or accuracy.
if you see it that way, that's just indicative of your own niave expectations.
(nobody's forcing you to believe shit, in all fairness).


I just reference the old saying 'making a mountain out of a molehill'

I guess thinking about it now a few days after reading this, the bigger issue may not be the media...as if everyone talked in verbatim, the story would remain the same. The issue is people only listen to half and assume the rest, often times spreading misinformation faster than the original source (wow, sounds much like a forum lol).

But in the same aspect, you've got SO MUCH COVERAGE of the same thing, with so many experts, lawyers, lobbyists, people commenting on these things, that you often times can't truthfully judge how severe a situation is or it not, without really doing your research -- which lets be honest, we're not researching every single thing we here or read. Don't get me wrong, being informed about major events is something I enjoy, but in the same respect, I would just like for the media to not overhype and over cover situations when it's not needed.

"Toyota's need a few new gas pedals" would ahve been a great blurb - NOT font page news. IMO there are much bigger issues that are deserved of such great news coverage than this.