More Recalls- More Thoughts For Toyota

I'm not a hate monger- nor do I respect pundits who egg-on or speculate a bad situation. Nothing worse than something or someone who's never been down or in a similar situation- hoping for the misfortune of another; however, it's in the news- Toyota's recalling some 1.7 million vehicles for fuel leaks.

"The recalls are mostly in Japan, but include Lexus IS and GS luxury sedans sold in North America. That's where the world's No. 1 car company faces the biggest challenges in winning back customer trust.

U.S. dealers will inspect cars to see if loose fuel pressure sensors caused leaks. There were no accidents suspected of being caused by those problems, according to Toyota. The car maker has received 77 complaints overseas, 75 of them in North America, and more than 140 in Japan."

Going into its second year of the recall spotlight- the news does not bode well for the automotive giant.

Aside from its aging platform fleet, it's tarnished North American image; getting beyond these recalls I'm afraid, is going to be easier said than done at Toyota.

As these cars age, their components and assemblies will- and if there's any hint of a problem, whatsoever, I'm afraid the media and consumer advocates will spotlight, well, another "recall."

I'm not saying there isn't a genuine problem or flaw with the design/quality of the parts in question- but anything less-than-perfect- if it's on a Toyota- it's going back as a recall.

It's just a shame- you spend thirty years building a reputation of unflappable durability and customer satisfaction (for the most part); now you're the butt of every joke told on a used car lot- and the topic for every blogging auto enthusiast who writes web content.

Toyota's Lexus. Now They're Really Getting It...

When Toyota debuted the Lexus brand in 1989- it was a clear-cut blow to the German auto makers like Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Well, gosh- I do believe they've finally, totally done it.

Toyota reports that some 270,000 vehicles have faulty engines...

This car guy loves this. Sure, Toyota has recalled over 8 million vehicles this year to date- but that's all safety related- finally something performance/engine related- the kind of stuff foreign import car drivers (like me) have known since the beginning.

I'm a realist as much as I am a car guy- and let me tell you- no "car enthusiast" wants a car that actually works. I mean- what fun is an animal that when it bites- doesn't hurt?

Sure- car guys want it to work- but what fun is having a car you know is always going to work well and all the time?

Look at people who drive British cars- they're mostly total (yes, still) pieces-of-shit and car enthusiasts still buy them- it's what makes them appealing.

Sometimes the driving excitement is in whether the car is going to start at all.

Part of the allure of driving a good, premium car is knowing your car is going to get you there- and if you're used to driving Japanese appliances- which are what Toyotas and Lexus cars basically are- where's the fun in knowing that it's guaranteed?

You need that small percentage of total disasters/shit storms to keep you on your heels and toes- in the foot well- if you're a real car enthusiast, anyway. Nothing good in life is ever totally guaranteed.

Now, I'm not saying Lexus cars haven't had their share of mechanical problems- they have. They just don't advertise them as much as other brands do- but now that Toyota is undeniably the Recall King of the Century- everything and anything is coming to light.

If you ask any professional mechanic- they'll admit that some any given models in particular have their fair shares of "problems."

One Lexus mechanic confided in me once years ago- a generation of 3.3-liter V6s as used in the very popular ES and RX model-line had oil-return line issues- where if the oil wasn't exactly changed often enough- plaque and sludge could build-up- causing an engine seizure. Nice!

But if you drive most any European or American premium cars- you know- most brands and models have their "good" and "bad" years.

Basically the Lexus recall involves faulty materials used in making the valve springs. The parts may fail causing erratic idling, strange noises- maybe even a stall.

The models potentially affected include the IS350, GS350, GS460, GS450h, LS460, LS600h, and LS600hL.

Oh, big deal... I've driven cars at highway speeds that made strange rattling noises- hell, some have even stalled completely on me while cruising down the road- it makes for a better driver and a better car enthusiast- trust me.

Drive a car that has jumped time- but still ran well enough to limp to the mechanic- ten miles away- now that's engineering.

Find me a car that drives and still drives broken- and well, that's an enthusiasts' car if I ever saw one.

Find me something that's never failed... and that's just a disaster waiting to happen.

Lexus has finally gotten this car guy's... respect.