Ignoring recalls, why?
 

Lots of recalls listed recently, but we only seem to be hearing about those from one car manufacturer. Why do you suppose that is?
from Automobile Recalls - Official US Government Database and Auto Recalls - View Car Recalls, Defects & Problems at InternetAutoGuide.com

Recent Major Recalls
Chevrolet express (2) recalls
2009 dodge (6) recalls for electrical, air bags, transmission, wiring
Suzuki Recalling Grand Vitara, XL-7 SUVs to fix accelerator cable.
Ford Escape Recall to Fix Seat Belt Problem
Volvo Recall to Fix Fuel Leak Problem
Chrysler recalls 438,000 Jeep Libertys
Ford Recalls 2001-2003 Windstar Vans
Nissan Recalls 2.5 Million Units Worldwide
Ignition Flaw Leads to Honda Recall
Subaru Recalls Some 2004 Models
Toyota Tacoma Pickups Recalled for Possible Fuel Leak

Did you know that the Porsche 928 had 23 recalls? Unimportant things like steering problems, vehicle speed control, brake failures, gasoline hoses, gas tank, etc.
It wasn't around that long, maybe that's why.

Yet the only thing we hear about lately are the recalls from toyota.
I didn't see a dozen threads from anyone on the recalls by ford, or volvo, or chrysler.
I didn't see anyone start a thread about the recall from nissan who recently recalled 2,500,000 vehicles.
Why is that?

Ford has had a record 4757 recalls.
Chevy has had 3524 recalls.
GMC? 2745
Dodge, 2599
Toyota? 669. All time.

Yet no one's missed a chance to post something negative about toyota.
Makes ya wonder about motive.

You'll notice that the bulk of those threads were started by a certain individual.....who has had issues with his past Toyotas. No agenda there.

Possibly but there has been no mention of any other Japanese or foreign recall recently. As much as a conspiracy theory could be fun in this case, the likely reason is that the media is playing parrot and just broadcasting what is "hot" and "popular."

CNN had an article saying that Toyota hired an outside engineering firm to investigate this "unintended acceleration" issue and the outside firm could not replicate the problems. In fact, they couldn't find anything wrong with the cars.

I bet Audi is saying "BTDT bought the t-shirt".

I'm thinking of buying a Toyota this year, BRING ON THE BAD PRESS!!!! :D

Toyota bad! BAD, BAD, BAD! :p

7 simultaneous recalls and counting, with a body count that is now believed to be as high as 30 dead Americans.

Look what you do for me, Toyota!

I'd still buy another Toyota and trust me/my family to it before I'd buy anything built by UAW slackers.

amen, brother.

Could it have something to do with the fact that a Toyota competitor, GM, is now Government Motors?

double amen.

Did anyone die as a result of the other recalls? When Ford had the tire problems, you didn't hear about anything else either.

Another well thought out post, aways.

I think it has more to do with you guys not paying attention to other recalls (I for one have heard of many of the recalls on sammyg2's list), Toyota letting their laundry list of safety problems grow, and perhaps years of Toyota successfully getting the gov't to look the other way while these problems continued.

Yep. The media does put more energy into big, festering problems, especially if there are hints of a cover-up.

A little searching will show that the big three far surpass Toyota in the number of American deaths being attributed to faulty vehicles. ;)

it's not the crime, it's the cover-up.

The vast majority of recalls are factory-initiated affairs over minor engineering and manufacturing flaws.

When there is a significant safety flaw AND the factory does not address it immediately and openly, it becomes a media event. Add a bit of cover-up, it becomes big.

That's why Toyota is in the news and the vast majority of other recalls are not.

I realize we live in a time of sensationalism and general paranoia with the need for scapegoats to fulfill our wild fantasies heard on storytime radio, but sometimes there are real reasons why things are the way they are.

+1

I am certain that all the auto companies internally analyze and weigh the cost of issuing recalls vs doing nothing and paying out some lawsuit settlements. As morbid as this may sound, I have no doubt that all the manufacturers would be out of business by now if they didn't.

There is little to no doubt that Toyota has hired former NTSB officials and that Toyota and the NTSB have attempted to cover up the acceleration issue for years.

And some of you idjits are defending them regardless!

(Not you Tim, you're not an idjit, i value your skills too much to insult you. ;))

What is interesting to me, having 30 years design experience in avionics and having been in similar situations, is I don't think they have found the problem or if they have they don't know how to fix it fast with a reasonable cost. If this was an airplane there would be video out showing how it hapens and how it is repeatable.

That two bit piece of metal to release the friction damper on the accelerator and take an angle grinder to the bottom of the gas pedal..... yeah it's that simple, right.

It's a story because they have been so good for so long. I think some people have a morbid desire for you to fail when you've reached the top. The bigger they are the harder they fall, and the better the story is.