Sometimes the grass is greener...

[lexuspilot]

Sometimes the grass is greener...Sometimes it's dead...

TOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it was recalling 418,570 vehicles globally, including some Echo and Prius models sold in the U.S., over a faulty engine part.The faulty part is the latest in a string of problems requiring recalls by Toyota, raising doubts over whether the automaker can maintain quality standards amid booming sales.

The recall affects 268,570 vehicles sold in Japan across 12 models manufactured in 2001, including Corollas, the compact cars Vitz and Platz and the hybrid Prius, the company said in a statement submitted to Japan's Transport Ministry

You would get the impression from this forum that Hondas and Toyotas are perfect and never fault...nope. If it was made by humans it will break.

[Tool Pants]

Good for Toyota.

The 986 has had chronic problems with the air bag light, ignition switch, top drive, coolant tank and cap, and a few other things like the RMS and intermediate shaft.

For years.

But with Porsche the customer pays.

[mquillen]

Originally Posted by lexuspilot

You would get the impression from this forum that Hondas and Toyotas are perfect and never fault...nope. If it was made by humans it will break.

Everything is relative, lexuspilot. All companies have problems and issues. It's how they handle them that separates the great companies from the rest.

[Brucelee]

"Everything is relative, lexuspilot. All companies have problems and issues. It's how they handle them that separates the great companies from the rest."

Yes, it is the passing over of design flaws that gets us Boxster owners pissed.

Oh, and trying to pawn off engine blocks they KNEW were bad but shipped anyway.

[lexuspilot]

BTW, this isn't them being proactive.

The point of the post was that there will/can be problems, even systemic, with other vehicles by other manufacturers; the number of threatening, ********************ing, screaming people can be more as well. This number just blew me away.

Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it was recalling 418,570


That is like, what, the last 7 years of Porsches(im not a figure nut). Bigger numbers get bigger results and more attention.

Do you think:
1 the inconcistency of service, dealers, and our owner experience is because recalling 8800 porsches just wouldn't be news because it is not 6 digits. For example an out of warranty owner gets RMS fixed free or a new engine while another with a similar problem has to pay or has to work a lot harder to get it covered. I do

2 Porsche as a company, in groupthink, knows in the back of their mind that the General Public will have little sympathy for Porsche Owners. I do

3 Arrogance is as much a part of Porsche rear engine and mid engine cars. I do.

But almost everyone has a bestf riend, mom, grandma, family member with a Toyota. That makes this big news, that gets this handled.

What "certain" companies don't seem to understand is, customers would rather deal with a voluntary recall, BEFORE something happens, rather than having to fight with "hidden" recalls, TSB's etc., after their car has broken, or after a significant problem has become well-publicised. The company certainly gains brownie points when it appears they are caring for their customers and taking ownership for inherent design flaws. Yes, we know they are really saving their a$$es to prevent lawsuits, but with the right PR spin, it makes them appear to care.

I guess since the RMS failure or IS failure doesn't result in the car erupting in flames and people dying (suicides after receiving the repair bill don't count), Porsche figures it ain't their problem and why spend any of their precious deutschemarks (or would that be euro's now??) and cut into their profits?

Knock wood, my car hasn't had those problems, just the stupid airbag light. Oh, and the driver's side sun visor mirror cover fell off the other day. Relatively minor annoyances, but then again, the car is 8 years old....

[denverpete]

Originally Posted by creseida

Knock wood, my car hasn't had those problems, just the stupid airbag light. Oh, and the driver's side sun visor mirror cover fell off the other day. Relatively minor annoyances, but then again, the car is 8 years old....

What a trip! This last week I too got the airbag light and had my driver's side sun visor mirror cover come off.

You know, your car doesn't HAVE to do everything MINE does......

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

A side note... I find it interesting that in the current issue of Panorama, the column Street Talk has a Blurb about Warranty Costs "eating automobile manufacturers' lunch" and goes on to cite specific $ amounts for GM, Ford and BMW (presumably worst offenders), but makes absolutely no mention of Porsche AG, not even to mention whether the figures are available or not.

This is a Porsche magazine, I would think that such an article should at least make a reference to Porsche, then again, maybe it's best they didn't...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Originally Posted by denverpete

What a trip! This last week I too got the airbag light and had my driver's side sun visor mirror cover come off.

You know, your car doesn't HAVE to do everything MINE does......

Don't you mean your car doesn't have to do everything MINE does?
Mine was first, you know!

[Brucelee]

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

A side note... I find it interesting that in the current issue of Panorama, the column Street Talk has a Blurb about Warranty Costs "eating automobile manufacturers' lunch" and goes on to cite specific $ amounts for GM, Ford and BMW (presumably worst offenders), but makes absolutely no mention of Porsche AG, not even to mention whether the figures are available or not.

This is a Porsche magazine, I would think that such an article should at least make a reference to Porsche, then again, maybe it's best they didn't...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

I get the sense that Panorama is censored by Stuttgart.

You?

[longislander1]

Originally Posted by Brucelee

I get the sense that Panorama is censored by Stuttgart.

You?

My one experience with PCA and PCNA indicated to me that the two have a very cozy relationship. When my '05 987S was headed toward a four-month delivery and cars built later than mine were arriving at dealerships earlier, I got frustrated and contacted my dealer. They absolutely refused to lift a finger and you would never have known I was plunking down 60 large with them. As a PCA member, I contacted the leadership and asked if they could intervene with PCNA. The message I got back was essentially "suck it up and just wait for your car." For whatever reason, however, they copied 1 or 2 PCNA executives on the e-mail response. I contacted those PCNA folks and finally reached my PCNA zone rep. She found that my car had been sitting on a European dock for a month. She allegedly put a rush on my car and it finally arrived. In the end, though, PCA was not willing to be up front and go to bat for one of its members by contacting PCNA directly.

[Brucelee]

My guess is that for many PCA members, this ownership of a Porsche is some sort of holy experience, something where the owner gets such a powerful experience from the belonging to SOMETHING greater than themselves!

Hence, one is not supposed to be demanding of the Stuttgart boys, but simply accept whatever seems to be coming down from high.

It is kinda of wierd to me, which is why my few experiences of PCA events has wigged me a bit.

I guess I am just not a joiner, nor much of a worshipper.

To each his own!

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by Brucelee

My guess is that for many PCA members, this ownership of a Porsche is some sort of holy experience, something where the owner gets such a powerful experience from the belonging to SOMETHING greater than themselves!

Hence, one is not supposed to be demanding of the Stuttgart boys, but simply accept whatever seems to be coming down from high.

It is kinda of wierd to me, which is why my few experiences of PCA events has wigged me a bit.

I guess I am just not a joiner, nor much of a worshipper.

To each his own!

Hi,

I feel the same way. I joined PCA simply to get cheap insurance for the Car. The 1 event I did attend consisted of a lot of Brie and Chablis Fat Cats looking down at anyone with a 914 or Boxster...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[Brucelee]

I understand that in some parts of the world, Chablis is considered to be a wine.

Go figure!

[threpwood]

Japanese is becoming more alert because of the Mitsubishi incidents, where the tires fell off WHILE driving due to design flaw. Mitsubishi Motors has been loosing revenue due to that incident. IMO Toyota's recall is the result of a chain reaction from government scrutiny.

Toyota could actually fight the investigation and bring it to court, but they decided to recall it or else they will loose customer's faith and ended up like Mitsubishi.

You will see more scrutiny from the Japanese government in the next year or so, who knows next, probably Honda and others. It can only do good to the reliability of Japanese cars and of course us as customers.

The recall above has happened due to life threatening incidents, but I don't know if RMS, air bag light, etc issue in Porches can be considered life threatening (hence no recall for those issues).

threpwood

Originally Posted by lexuspilot

BTW, this isn't them being proactive.

The point of the post was that there will/can be problems, even systemic, with other vehicles by other manufacturers; the number of threatening, ********************ing, screaming people can be more as well. This number just blew me away.

Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday it was recalling 418,570


That is like, what, the last 7 years of Porsches(im not a figure nut). Bigger numbers get bigger results and more attention.

[Brucelee]

All good points and thank you for sharing them.

I do recall that Lexus had some sludging issues with their inline 6 engine back in the 90s. I also recall that the replaced the impacted engines and fixed the design pretty darn quickly.

Then again, I have always been a Lexus fan.

Thanks

Originally Posted by threpwood

Japanese is becoming more alert because of the Mitsubishi incidents, where the tires fell off WHILE driving due to design flaw. Mitsubishi Motors has been loosing revenue due to that incident. IMO Toyota's recall is the result of a chain reaction from government scrutiny.

Toyota could actually fight the investigation and bring it to court, but they decided to recall it or else they will loose customer's faith and ended up like Mitsubishi.

You will see more scrutiny from the Japanese government in the next year or so, who knows next, probably Honda and others. It can only do good to the reliability of Japanese cars and of course us as customers.

The recall above has happened due to life threatening incidents, but I don't know if RMS, air bag light, etc issue in Porches can be considered life threatening (hence no recall for those issues).

threpwood

[lexuspilot]

BruceLee,
The local Lexus dealer has actually run us off. I have had nothing but good times (much better than other people here) at the Porsche dealer(same big company owns both). My Lexus(s) ownership was great and we are still fans, but our dealer has to go. They tried to make me pay for towing and a $700 service on our new GS400 with 7k miles back in 2000, because I had Mobil 1 in it and a Mobil 1 oil filter. He said "If you do not let us change the oil then we do not warranty the car". That lasted about 30seconds and then he regretted ever saying it. I chewed his a$$ out even though I won because if it had been my mom or mom in law instead of me they would have stolen their money. I ordered all my Lexus stuff from Carson in CA from then on and never gave that dealer a dime.

Living in CA you might not know what it is like to only have 1 Lexus, 1 BMW and 1 porsche dealer in your area. It stinks.

As soon as this baby is out of the stroller I am sure my wife will want a GS450(the new 07 ones). The GS's are nice cars.

[Brucelee]

" I ordered all my Lexus stuff from Carson in CA from then on and never gave that dealer a dime."

The best revenge!

These asshat dealers likely never know how much money and business their antics cost them. Knowing Lexus, they would likely love to hear about these behaviors. As I understand it, they will take action against a dealer that is being abusive.

Thanks for the input, very useful.