30 replies to this topic

[Oldsmoboi]

Recalling Toyota's Recalls:
Over 14 million in past 12 months, 25.6 million since January 2005

November 1, 2010 - Drew Dowdell - Chief Editor CheersandGears.com

No one can argue that it hasn't been a roller-coaster year for the world's largest car company. It was a year ago tomorrow that Toyota issued it's largest recall ever for possible gas pedal entrapment caused by loose floor mats. That initial recall of 3.8 million vehicles seemed to unleash a blizzard of further recalls. In the past 12 months, the grand total for Toyota's recalls has been more than 14 million units. To put that in some perspective, there were only 10.4 million vehicles sold, by all manufacturers, in the US in 2009. The industry wide forecast for 2010 is around 12 million units. What is even more stunning for a company that built it's reputation on a perception of high quality vehicles is the 5 year number. Since January 1st, 2005, Toyota has recalled 25.67 million units.

What became evident as I was researching on the NHTSA's website was that Toyota's issues with sudden acceleration go back to at least 2005. In every year from 2005 through 2010, with the exception of 2008, Toyota had a recall involving a jammed accelerator pedal in some fashion. The revised pedal assembly is mentioned in the NHTSA's database for the IS250 recall issued December 21st 2005. The flurry of recalls in 2010 compared to previous years leads me to believe that either Toyota really dropped the ball on quality starting around 2008 OR these were issues that Toyota has known about for some time and is taking the time to catch up on stuff that should have been recalled years ago. Either way, it's still a bad thing for Toyota's quality perception.

Large recalls are going to be more commonplace in the future and no company will be immune. All it takes is a single component that is used company wide to not function as intended to cause a cascade of recalls. Ford learned this the hard way when an ignition component that had been used on vehicles from 1983 through 1995 sparked a 6.5 million vehicle recall. As manufacturers continue to move closer to becoming globally integrated, this issue becomes magnified. Ford's "One Ford" program where model lines are consolidated globally leave little room for error on this front. All manufacturers are going to have to be more careful and listen to the recommendations of their engineers to make changes even if there is a marginal increase in cost. They also need to pay attention to customer complaints as they come in.

Up until the end of last year, Toyota had an untouchable perception regarding quality that was untouchable among the general public. To accuse Toyota of lying or covering up issues was heresy amongst gearheads. We at Cheersandgears.com admit a bias in favor of domestic brands, but we also admit the problems that exist at the domestics and the major steps to remedy them that the Big 3 have taken.... it's all part of being Detroit's biggest fans and toughest critics. It has been Toyota's perception of quality in the general public that has driven GM, Ford, and Chrysler to improve or die. However, in the face of over 25 million units recalled, Toyota needs to take better steps to admit it has a problem. Toyota must change it's culture completely or else it will continue to suffer from these major recalls. While we're no fans of Toyota, competition is a good thing, without the need to continuously improve to beat your competitor, companies become stagnant.

Toyota Recalls - CheersandGears.com
Recall Date	Reason	Total vehicle recalled
11/2/2009	Floor Mat recall	3,800,000
11/24/2009	Additional Tundra frame recall	110,000
11/26/2009	Floor Mat recall - Brake Override	400,000
12/29/2009	China - Oil leak issue	43,000
1/21/2010	Stuck Gas Pedal	2,300,000
1/27/2010	Additional floor mat recall	1,100,000
1/29/2010	Europe/China additional gas pedal recall	1,800,000
2/9/2010	ABS problem	400,000
2/9/2010	Power Steering Hose /Brake tube	7,300
2/12/2010	Tacoma drive shaft issue	8,000
3/9/2010	Tundra weld issue - 2 vehicles	2
4/16/2010	Spare Tire Cable	600,000
4/19/2010	Stability Control System	21,000
4/28/2010	Stability Control System	50,000
5/21/2010	Steering system software update	11,500
6/25/2010	Leaking fuel in crash	17,801
7/5/2010	Valve Spring Issues	270,000
7/29/2010	Steering Lock Bar	412,000
8/28/2010	Engine Control Module	1,130,000
10/15/2010	Engine Belt	10,750
10/20/2010	Replace Brake Master Cylinder Seal	1,530,000
		14,021,353
8/27/2009	Cold Weather braking concern	97,500
5/14/2009	Stainless steel exhaust tips	3,499
4/30/2009	Stainless steel exhaust tips	39,100
1/29/2009	Yaris seatbelt pre-tensioners and Exhaust	1,350,000
1/21/2009	Sienna floormat recall - called a "safety improvement campaign"	26,501
1/16/2009	Aluminum fuel line corrosion	214,570
		1,731,170
9/8/2008	Sport grill option could cause hood to not latch properly	67
6/3/2008	Sienna power rear liftgate strut failures	192,222
5/7/2008	Frame rot on Tacoma	813,000
4/22/2008	Highlander 3rd road seatbelt issue	90,189
4/10/2008	Power Window regulater bolts coming loose	662,178
2/25/2008	Tundra lugnut issue	1,555
		1,759,211
12/18/2007	4wd slip yolk issue	15,616
11/29/2007	Cracked fuel lines	33,343
9/27/2007	All Weather Floor Mats for Camry and ES	55,000
7/26/2007	Propeller shaft not welded propperly	108
1/19/2007	Ball joint problems	533,124
1/8/2007	Engine Sludge issue	3,500,000
		4,137,191
12/28/2006	Side curtain airbag wires routed incorrectly	160
10/27/2006	Airbag my inadvertantely deploy	29,542
7/29/2006	Oil can inter crank position sensor	34,771
7/13/2006	clips from driver side console can come loose and trap the gas pedal	365,594
6/1/2006	Steering intermediate shaft could separate	986,000
4/16/2006	Seatbelt tensioner	28,947
4/3/2006	Airbag inflater insufficient	133
3/2/2006	Tire mounted improperly	12,020
1/30/2006	Rear seat seatbelt mount insufficient strength	38,510
		1,495,677
12/21/2005	Accellerator pedal may become stuck in carpet	3,567
10/18/2005	Sunroof deflector glass	71,392
10/14/2005	Prius Electrical defect	160,000
9/7/2005	Cracked steering relay rod	977,839
7/21/2005	Missing Airbag status light	2,527
7/20/2005	Seatbelt Binding allows for improper fitment on passenger	345,443
6/28/2005	Seatbelt status sensor connection	11,592
6/6/2005	Missing child seat anchors and passenger seat airbag switch	156,111
5/18/2005	Improper weld in steering system could cause wheel to seperate from steering shaft	4,855
5/17/2005	Lower front ball joint issue causing increased steering effort	768,379
3/30/2005	TRD dual exhaust may rub against rear brake line on vehicles with stability control	5,726
2/11/2005	Parking brake mount might not be tight enough	22,228
		2,529,659
	2010	14,021,353
	2009	1,731,170
	2008	1,759,211
	2007	4,137,191
	2006	1,495,677
	2005	2,529,659
	Grand total	25,674,261

[Dodgefan]

Nice data chart. So, has Toyota surpassed Ford and GM for most recalls in a year? I know Ford had a couple big ones with their cruise control issues and GM had big ones decades ago.

[Oldsmoboi]

They'd have to. No one else has ever recalled more vehicles in one year than have been sold in the U.S. in the same amount of time.

[Dodgefan]

That would make twice that they've earned such an achievement (more vehicles recalled than sold).

[balthazar]

i doff my cap to you, Drew; nice, shiny tabulation with a BIG FAT number at the end. Wow, what a tremendous fall from grace.

Allow me to quote:

25,674,261

Now, to spread the word, spread the word, SPREAD THE WORD !

Edited by balthazar, 01 November 2010 - 01:17 PM.

[Oldsmoboi]

Dodgefan, on 01 November 2010 - 01:08 PM, said:

That would make twice that they've earned such an achievement (more vehicles recalled than sold).

Well yes... but they've recalled more vehicles than have been sold in the U.S. buy all manufacturers.  So Toyota has recalled more vehicles than Toyota + GM + Ford + Chrysler + Honda + Etc.... sold combined.

[Oldsmoboi]

Now.... the addendum to that chart is this.  I didn't include any recalls that involved a mislocated, misprinted, or missing stickers for tire sizes/pressure or airbag warning. No need to get that petty.

[balthazar]

^ Agreed, beyond the number, this is basically a PSA to warn consumers how crappy their vehicles are and to avoid them- things like that are an intangible, more legalese than a real problem.
But some of the problems listed above; WHEW! that's some really bad, basic carbuilding 101 stuff.

[SAmadei]

Oldsmoboi, on 01 November 2010 - 01:17 PM, said:

Well yes... but they've recalled more vehicles than have been sold in the U.S. buy all manufacturers.  So Toyota has recalled more vehicles than Toyota + GM + Ford + Chrysler + Honda + Etc.... sold combined.

Yeah, its real hard to determine exactly what the largest recall was due to each one being a apples to oranges comparison... in your numbers, I'm sure that there are many cars affected by numerous recalls and it looks like some recalls are interrelated to each other... I imagine some supersede others.  How this should "count", I don't know... it's too complicated.    This infographic seems to put the Toyota numbers at 5.3 million... 4th ranked all time... but was made in May... and its numbers, wherever they came from,  don't really come close to correlating with your numbers to May.

Tough to tell.  But you know what they say about statistics.

[Oldsmoboi]

I actually was careful about superceding recalls.  If there was a recall announcement that was in addition to an existing recall, I didn't recount the previous vehicles again. You can see that in the 11/2/2009 and 11/26/2009 recalls.  Most press stories on 11/26 quoted the cumulative number, I only counted the additional vehicles added to the recall.  In the case of the sudden acceleration recalls, the same model was recalled multiple times to try to cure the same symptom.  For example, the Camry was first recalled for the floor mats, it was then recalled again to re-shape the pedal, it was recalled a third time when they found it was a problem with the mechanics of the gas pedal and they wanted to install a brake override in the ECM. To me, that counts as 3 recalls on the same vehicle.

That said, by model, the worst Toyota for recalls is easily the Tundra with the 2005 being the worst model year. The Avalon is the worse of their cars.

And even all of this is just a hint of what else is out there. There is still Avalon and Camry transmission issues that there was never a recall campaign for so there is no official way to account for how many vehicles have been affected.

[Oldsmoboi]

SAmadei, on 01 November 2010 - 02:29 PM, said:

This infographic seems to put the Toyota numbers at 5.3 million... 4th ranked all time... but was made in May... and its numbers, wherever they came from,  don't really come close to correlating with your numbers to May.

That graphic is showing the largest recall over a single issue and only accounts for the vehicles recalled in the US.  My list includes as many recalls as I can find including those in Europe, Japan, and China....... I'm sure there are more that I haven't found.

[A Horse With No Name]

balthazar, on 01 November 2010 - 01:16 PM, said:

i doff my cap to you, Drew; nice, shiny tabulation with a BIG FAT number at the end. Wow, what a tremendous fall from grace.

Allow me to quote:

25,674,261

Now, to spread the word, spread the word, SPREAD THE WORD !

Your still just utterly bitter that your significant other bought that Malibu rather than that sienna.

Oldsmoboi, on 01 November 2010 - 03:05 PM, said:

That graphic is showing the largest recall over a single issue and only accounts for the vehicles recalled in the US.  My list includes as many recalls as I can find including those in Europe, Japan, and China....... I'm sure there are more that I haven't found.

don't forget that Toyota likes  to cover their as with TSB's. to avoid recall.

The total number of defective vehicles has to be over 40 million...has to be...in my mind.

[Oldsmoboi]

And that's why things like the engine sludge issue don't show up in the recall database, because it's not officially a recall.

[A Horse With No Name]

...and that's why...dollar for dollar...I'd rather own a GM product.

[Nick]

Honestly, this is not what I expected to see when logging in this afternoon. While I note the effort you put into it, I don't feel this makes for a good representation of the site as a whole. Despite the truths this article contains, it comes off as nothing more than a smear which, in my opinion, doesn't garner any respect, and if anything, detracts from it. Do I think it shouldn't have been written? Not at all. I feel there should be a place for all editorials. On the other hand, I do believe that place should most definitely not be the homepage.

Maybe there is a fine line between an analysis and an attack, but this particular article I just can't support while it is being advertised as the main feature on the homepage of this site. I can understand and accept this on one of the many automotive news blogs. Articles like this are great for attracting the lowest common denominator and generating many hits, but is this how we want our site to be represented?

Just my  

Now, considering this site is supposed to house "Gm's Biggest Fans and Toughest Critics" it most definitely would not be out of place to see an article like this written for GM (or even perhaps multiple automakers). Something along the lines of "The Past Decade of GM Recalls and What They Mean to You".

[Oldsmoboi]

I am not above criticism.... in fact it's basic policy at this site that no one is above criticism. With that said, let me respond to yours Nick.

The point of this article was to point out something that hasn't been reported in the more mainstream press even with all the Toyota recall news of the past year. If in fact GM had been recalling vast amounts of it's product we would have been reporting on that instead. I'm not against reporting on GM recalls, however that hasn't been an issue for GM like it has for Toyota in the past 12 month.  

The fact is, Toyota has broken some records here. Has there ever been year where a single manufacturer recalled more vehicles than were sold in the US in that same amount of time? There hasn't been, and that's news. Tomorrow is the 1 year anniversery of the first huge floormat recall, hence the timing.

Would the article have carried more weight if it came from a brand agnostic (at least officially) website like Autoblog or Jalopnik?  Probably, but they didn't write the article, I did. I noticed with the last batch of Toyota recalls in October that the press was glossing over the full volume of recalls. They would put a blurb mentioning 10.6 million units recalled in 2010 in paragraph 19 of the article, but I remembered that the biggest batches of recalls actually came in 2009. The imaginary cut off date of January 1, 2010 just didn't cut it with me. It did not absolve Toyota of the recalls they issued prior to that date. Furthermore, once I began looking into the recall database, it became clear that Toyota has been fighting the acceleration issue the same way since at least 2005.... and who knows how long they know about it before then. For them to feign surprise at the issue is a farce. Add to that the accusations that Toyota was trying to force owners to remain quiet about their experience, and how can there not be a news story there.

I have (and anyone else has) the full NHTSA database going back to 1966 available. If you think there is a recall story that is being unreported about one of the other manufacturers, point it out and I'll look through the database to try and flush it out. Otherwise, the sheer volume of the Toyota recalls in the past 12 months AND 5 years, along with clear evidence they knew about the acceleration issue in 2005, is news.

[Nick]

Fair enough. Don't get me wrong, I definitely share a similar point of view about the topic, and I completely respect your opinion. I just wanted to mention how I feel about the way in which it is presented. I appreciate the response.

Edited by Nick, 01 November 2010 - 07:55 PM.

[balthazar]

^ Olds is right; it's news, it HASN'T been reported en total by the media, and it's hard fact (not a 'smear').
And to me, it's the media issue that's primary- the 'kid glove' treatment toward foreign automakers has been going on en mass for decades... hell, I became conscious of it in 1985.
If one piece opens one 'journalists' eyes via professional embarrassment, maybe we can get media in general to improve their quality, too.
As a bonus, the consumer is alerted to a real potential for a substandard product they'd prevfer to avoid if they knew.
That's a win/ win/ win in my book.

[Oldsmoboi]

Nick, on 01 November 2010 - 07:54 PM, said:

Fair enough. Don't get me wrong, I definitely share a similar point of view about the topic, and I completely respect your opinion. I just wanted to mention how I feel about the way in which it is presented. I appreciate the response.

If you ever met me in person, I am very blunt. I actually have to restrain myself for the things I post on here.  I could never be a politician because what I am thinking just falls right out of my mouth (maybe Vice President.....)....

Anyway, sometimes I shock people with my bluntness about things; To that I always reply "It's not mean if it's true."

[Camino LS6]

Kudos to you for writing this piece, Drew.

It is stunning that the mainstream press has been so lax in their duties to not report the overwhelming facts of the matter.

I'm especially galled by their ignoring the Tacoma debacle completely. That fiasco alone should have Toyota hanging their collective head for decades. Truly shameful product.