all right folks.. here are the pictures of our car like i’d promised.. we are truly blessed 
it has already travelled many a miles with us…offering immeasurable support along the way…
Sunday, February 28, 2010
up the hills and down the valleys we go
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Toyota by the numbers
Lots has been happening with Toyota and we have had trouble keeping up. However there are couple of numbers and graphs that are worth noting. The first is from the Wall Street Journal (Cause of Sudden Acceleration Proves Hard to Pinpoint, Feb 25). Click on the graphic for a better view:
Gady had posted an earlier version of the same data all plastered onto one graph but having it broken out makes the scope of Toyota’s issues a little bit clearer. Ford obviously has had some issues but they have an explanation:
Ford spokesman Said Deep said, “When you analyze NHTSA data and remove the complaints due to the speed control deactivation switch, which we recalled in 2005, Ford’s performance in this category has improved each year and our complaints have been significantly lower than Toyota’s each year since 2005.” Still, Mr. Deep said Ford’s speed deactivation switch—which shuts off the cruise control when the driver hits the brakes firmly—had no connection to sudden acceleration, and that about 14 million vehicles were recalled due to the potential of the switch causing fires while vehicles were parked.
For those keeping score at home, that 14 million vehicle recall still stands as the biggest in US history.
What these numbers obscure is that all else being equal the number of complaints should go up with the number of vehicles on the road. So Nissan’s low numbers might reflect that there are fewer Maximas out there than Camries. Edmunds thus did a study comparing how many complaints (that is, total complaints not just for acceleration issues) were filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration relative to market share. The short summary amounted to Toyota was one of the best performers. Also, don’t buy a Land Rover. Now Edmunds has released a new bit of research looking specifically at complaints about unintended acceleration (Industry’s Unintended Acceleration Issue Requires Attention, Edmunds.com Comments, Feb 26). Here is the punchline from that:
Manufacturer Complaints Complaints per 100,000 Vehicles Sold Chrysler Group (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep) 156 1.72 Ford Motor Corporation (Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo) 339 3.12 General Motors (Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn) 134 0.81 Honda (Honda, Acura) 89 1.26 Nissan (Infiniti, Nissan) 50 1.07 Toyota Motor Corporation (Lexus, Scion, Toyota) 532 4.81Some details behind these numbers:
Edmunds.com analyzed NHTSA databases for those complaints filed against them before Sept. 30, 2009 and after that date. On Sept. 29, 2009, Toyota announced a consumer safety advisory regarding potential floor mat interference with the accelerator pedal. The analysis, which looked at 2005 to 2010 models, showed after the safety advisory was issued and received intense media attention, 601 unintended acceleration complaints were filed against Toyota Motor Corp. from October 1, 2009 to February 3, 2010. In the nearly five years prior to the advisory, Toyota had 532 such complaints.
Now one might quibble that Edmunds is cherry picking a time in which Toyota was all the news but it does re-emphasize the historical data above: something was up with Toyota. This apparently was also notices by the folks at State Farm Insurance (Inside Toyota’s epic breakdown, Automotive News, Feb 10).
About the same time in Bloomington, Ill., a team of number-crunching accident investigators was seeing a worrying pattern. A team known as CRASH at privately held insurer State Farm had noticed a spike in accidents involving Toyota vehicles including the top-selling Camry. State Farm, the largest U.S. auto insurer, notified U.S. regulators of the pattern. “If we believe a vehicle played a significant part in causing damages, we go back to the manufacturer,” said spokesman Kip Diggs. “We tell them ‘We believe your product is faulty and you need to pay us for the damages.’”
“When you start to see significant claims activity that indicates there may be widespread problems with a product, that’s when you go to NHTSA,” said Diggs. “There had to have been significant activity, a noticeable trend for that to happen.”
That Automotive News story has another interesting number in it. How much does that pesky accelerator peddle that Toyota is blaming everything on actually cost? Answer: $15.
How could Toyota ignore all this data? Well they could just blame driver error. That is the industry — and NHTSA — stock answer. Where does that answer come from? That’s our final number: A report that is 21 years old. This is from the Wall Street Journal article cited above:
The NHTSA’s official view, detailed in a 454-page 1989 report, is that the vast majority of sudden acceleration incidents in which no vehicle malfunction is present are caused by drivers mistaking the gas pedal for the brake. However the NHTSA continues to investigate all potential causes for sudden acceleration, including the electronic throttle control system in Toyota vehicles.
It is worth noting that there were no electronic throttle systems in mass-produced cars when the first Bush was president.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Speaking as the owner of a Toyota Corolla...
The only real problem I’ve ever had occurred at the dealership in Deerfield Beach, Florida. I was in for a routine maintenance check-up, my car was atop a lift and I was reading something while in the waiting mode.
A supervisor drifted my way and, slowly explained there had been an accident and somehow another car on another lift had smashed my right front door.
He waited for the explosion. After all you really don’t expect to have an accident at your dealership.
I laughed. In fact I laughed several times.
He suddenly appeared calmer than he had been. I immediately gathered it wasn’t often, in these troubling times, that he faced a friendly lunatic.
I was still laughing.
I was informed I wouldn’t be charged for the damage, they would provide a rental car and I would receive free oil changes until Hell became heavily involved in Global Cooling.
I kept laughing.
I also waited half an hour for a ride to Enterprise Car Rental and another hour to complete the forms and for them to receive approval from the Psychiatric Department at North Broward Hospital from where, according to their looks, I had escaped.
I was still laughing.
It was only a few months old then and even now the odometer claims less than 19,000 miles. I drive to go to my stable of physicians and shop at Publix. Also to get gas once a year at Chevron.
I’m almost 83 and have the usual run of infirmities plus a disposition that makes me laugh when my car is injured at the dealership.
I guess I have a bad attitude.
I like my Corolla. It stays outside while my wife’s new Honda Accord is afforded the luxury of the garage.
It was damaged again, ever so slightly, as I backed out of a Handicapped Parking spot, by another elderly gent. The cost, covered by insurance, came to $1900. If it came to that amount while I was doing 5 Miles Per Hour I can only guess what it would amount to at a truly high speed of 30 MPH.
But back to Toyota and the runaway cars.
This is a minority opinion but my Guess is there is less here than meets the eye.
Ralph Nader: Do you have any proof to offer that Toyota is blameless?
Langer: None. Maybe even less than none.
Nader: Why are you “protecting” Toyota?
Langer: I agree with everybody that there have been serious problems. Fatal problems. I am neither a Birther, Tea Bagger or Toyota Denier.
Nader: Please drivel on.
Langer: We have owned French cars (Simca), British Cars (Triumph, Austin Healey Sprite), Japanese cars (Honda Accord, Datsun Wagon, Nissan Maxima) and too many American models to mention. I loved several Pontiacs and a 1957 DeSoto that stopped in the middle of a tunnel on the East Side Drive in New York City. It was replaced with a new Simca. $1800.
Nader: Is there a point here?
Langer: For some years now American car manufacturers have produced fairly shoddy products. I’m talking GM, Ford and Chrysler. (And yes they are doing better currently.) I guess I can’t get it through my head that these problems – some even worse – didn’t happen to GM, Ford or Chrysler drivers. Call it a hunch.
Nader: That’s it?
Langer: Yup.
Nader: Langer you’re an idiot.
That may well be (the idiot part) but I have to add another experience dating back to the 1970s and the first energy crunch facing our nation.
We were living in Pennsylvania, had a lot of land, plenty of trees (Hickory, Maple, Oak) and like others of our ilk traded in our gas guzzlers for more responsible vehicles and wood stoves.
I chopped wood and heated our house for a bit over a year before moving back to Florida. It was great fun and our Dalmatian and I would sit and discuss wood preferences. I was for Maple but she voted for Hickory. We compromised on Oak.
Since I am now cane-activated I look back on those days as our Golden Age.
On the other hand we purchased two VW Rabbits, the two worst cars ever produced in this or any other world. One was white, the other was red.
Both had a tendency to stop in the middle of nowhere and wait for AAA to haul us to the dealership. (Pottstown VW in case you’re interested; don’t send my regards.)
The song and dance would begin and end with us providing a check for $250. OK every now and then it was $230.
You may ask why I didn’t yell and scream? I have no response to that question.
I did ask; we invariably returned to the well rehearsed song and dance and I wrote a reasonably valid check.
I called VW Regional Headquarters in King of Prussia, PA.
Song and Dance.
I called the President of the United States. (OK I didn’t do that but it sounds better than simply paying up.)
We moved to Florida and the cars stopped Here and There.
We traded in the cars for advanced Japanese models.
Life was good.
Five years later VW admitted there were electrical problems with their Rabbits and cash was available to current owners.
We were not Current Owners.
Nixon resigned, Carter read Peanuts, Reagan fired the air controllers, Bush the Elder, Clinton the seducer, Bush the Younger, Obama the Dreamer.
Vietnam, Iraq I, Iraq II, Afghanistan I and II.
I’ll be 83 next month and still drive a Toyota Corolla. (2006 model, 19,000 miles.)
PS: In the early 1970s my wife purchased one of the brand new Datsun models – a reddish wagon. She would drive to the dealer for maintenance. No charge. I owned a new Pontiac. I would drive to the dealer for maintenance. Lots of charges. I am an idiot.
Warren Langer
http://warrenlanger.wordpress.com
warren-langer@att.net
Mr. Toyoda Goes To Washington
They Should’a Had Me There (But They Didn’t)
The Toyota hearings happened in Washington DC where they ’summoned’ Akio Toyoda to front for the company that bears his family name.
In his opening remarks, Toyoda said that “I love cars as much as anyone” and that he is a “trained test driver” able to expertly evaluate cars. He said the company’s mottoes have always been “Safety, quality and quantity” but during the past decade of the company’s rapid growth, “these got confused”. He promised a return to the basics.
In Japan, when there are product safety or quality problems, the head of the company will take full responsibility and apologize (which Toyoda did several times today) and that’s the end of it. The company moves on, consumers make their decisions about the product, but it’s almost unheard of for authorities to dig into the company until some cover-up or mistake or purposeful action which caused the problem is found.
A questioner revealed during the hearing that NY’s Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has brokered a deal where Toyota dealers will go to owners’ homes to pick-up recalled cars and trucks, fix them and deliver them back to the owner, with Toyota reimbursing the owner for any rental or train or taxi costs incurred while the car was out of service. When Inaba and Toyota were asked if this program will be made national, it was obvious either they were avoiding the question or knew absolutely nothing about it (hard to believe).
When one member tried to find out if the new brake override software will be installed in all affected Toyota vehicles in the US, Toyoda just said, “I don’t know”.
When another representative talked about how much she likes her Toyota Camry hybrid but doesn’t trust it now, Inaba jumped with, “You have an American car!”
Inaba was just trying to promote the fact that Toyota employs 200,000 people in the US (which Toyoda mentioned twice in the first minute of his opening statement) but the exchange was terribly confused and became hostile.
Many members did not like the answers they got today, and had no reluctance telling Toyoda and Inaba just that. One member, trying to be friendly, jokingly told Toyoda, “You can brag about this at home. You’ve been questioned by a congressional committee!”, but it was obvious Toyoda didn’t know what to make of that statement.
And so it goes, and so it went.
For one, as a long-time working interpretere between Japan and the Anglo-phone world, I wished I was there to to pinch hit for these poor guys, because being bi-lingual and bi-cultural, I would have had few things to say to these American law makers.
Number 1 on my list would have been that the US government is now a major shareholder of Toyota’s rivals. Whether they like it or not, they are today and as such they are in a conflict of interest if they are trying to present themselves on some higher moral ground. Quite frankly, from an third party, this all looks like an attempt by the US government to scare people out of Toyotas and into GM and Chryslers. Clearly this conflict of interest leads Toyota to believe this is a kangaroo court.
Number 2 on my list is that if they really thought the Toyota handling of the crisis was as lax as they believe, then they should by all means explain what exactly are the laws in America that cover such things. The recall of vehicles by any company actually happens as a voluntary action to fix something. If indeed Toyota had not done any recalls, then there might be a case for insinuating there was something criminal. Seeing that Toyota is recalling vehicles, which part of this act shows Toyota *isn’t* taking responsibility for its products?
Number 3 on the list would be at which point does the US Government require legislation and regulation to do with recalls that *it* would find satisfactory? Without such guidelines – and they do not exist – isn’t it the case that the utter lack of regulation is to blame? And seeing that there isn’t and blame-throwing is the game, isn’t the Senate indulging in a bit of grandstanding at Toyota’s reputation’s expense?
Number 4 on my list would be the fact that Toyota has built factories in the USA and used parts in the USA. If it’s the Senate’s collective wisdom to say that this has been unwelcome, and clearly, the tone of questioning in the room strongly suggests that it is, then perhaps Toyota were gravely mistake in the American system of capitalism. Perhaps the US government has two sets of rules, one for companies they feel are domestic, and another for foreign companies that found factories. Is Toyota to understand that the US Government in practice endorses this double standard, without writing it down? Isn’t this how racism and sexism works in America? How can Toyota not be sure that the US government isn’t targeting Toyota not because our vehicles are unsafe but because it helps you buy votes to demonise the Japanese as you have done in your history so often?
Number 5 on my list would be how much campaign contribution has been paid into their respective Senators’ coffers by GM and Chrysler and Ford? And just how much would it take for the senators to back off and apply the separate domestic rule? Because people at Toyota and in Japan in general believe that this whole Senate hearing is a scapegoating process that can only help Toyota’s rivals in the market place. What assurances can you give Toyota that your individual campaign funding does not include and has never included monies from GM, Chrysler and Ford?
Number 6 would be to lay down the implicit threat of shutting American factories. If Toyota is so unwelcome in the American market place, it is willing to move its factories to Canada or Mexico – countries under the NAFTA agreement – and close those factories and with them the 200,000 direct jobs. Toyota understands that the USA has a 10% unemployment rate, so maybe we won’t find growth in this country any more. Certainly by the un-conciliatory tone of this hearing leads us to believe we should do this as soon as possible.
But no, none of this got mentioned. So I’m writing it here instead and I doubt anybody in Japan’s going to read it, and I sure as hell won’t be asked to be the interpreter for Toyota, so that’s that. All in all, I strongly felt I should’ve been there, even though I had absolutely nothing to do with Toyota, which I don’t.
The whole thing pisses me off endless. It’s a good thing I’m not the Governor of the Bank of Japan, Toshihiko Fukui, because I’d be busily dumping US treasury bonds as fast as I can.
Toyoda's Testimony
Today, I watched some of the Congressional testimony of Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota, and Yoshimi Inaba, chief operating officer for North America.
First off, as to how to respond to the Toyota recall from a Lean perspective, I’m essentially in agreement with Mark Graban over at Lean Blog, who pithily says what needs to be said. Here’s his post regarding today’s testimony. And obviously, my sympathy goes out to those hurt in vehicle accidents and their families. But I trust our tort system will do a fair job of compensating any victims and punishing any wrongdoers. For purposes of assessing fault, these hearings seemed premature.
Instead, the most fascinating thing for me is the chance to see inside Toyota as an organization. If Toyota failed to get things right — and the executives seem to have admitted as much — we have the opportunity to learn why — really why, and not just hear spin from various factions or carefully crafted press releases.
Just given the incredibly public nature of this inquiry, we are likely to learn a lot. But more importantly, unlike many organizations, Toyota has clearly articulated standards, making deviations from the standard more apparent. With a solid basis for comparison — a theoretical ideal serving as a control — we stand to gain real insight.
D. Mark Jackson
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Tap Tap Tap: add John Cavanaugh to your reading list
My longtime friend and colleague John Cavanaugh, who is truly one of the sharpest business guys I know, has launched a new blog. It’s called The Tap Tap Tap! (great name, and a great explanation of where it comes from at the site), and the latest post provides some solid insight into what Toyota is up against (from a guy who grew up around the car business).
I’ve added him to the blogroll, and encourage the rest of you to add him to your reading lists.
Reassurance, Responsibility and the Toyota Impact
Good CSR insight – and life-saving tips! – on how to mitigate a Toyota-style disaster by my esteemed associate, Tom Peyton, Managing Director of CSR specialist firm, Enact Consulting.
We seem actively to promote fear in today’s society; everybody is at it and there are few sources of advice or reassurance as to what to do when that emergency strikes. I remember being told by a US Ambassador, in one of those places where bombs used to go off occasionally, not to wash the car because it was then obvious if someone had tampered with it. It was a simple assurance that some of the risks were actually within my control. You may well ask what all this has to do with Toyota, but bear with me…..
I was, until last month, the very contented owner of Toyota Avensis. Fortunately, it’s too old to be suspected of having an accelerator fault but, nevertheless, it makes you think! Toyota has built a fantastic reputation for reliability over the years and it is well deserved. But now it’s in tatters; was there anything they might have been done to prevent this, once the fault had become apparent? If we consider this from a Corporate Responsibility angle, what is the most important thing to do?
Respond appropriately and reassure your customers. The recall is appropriate, but the reassurance is missing. The recall is expensive, while the reassurance is actually the cheap and easy piece. Did Toyota owners need to flood garages with enquiries, lawyers commence class actions and the press go stratospheric? Or are we just being scared irrationally once more? No, they did not and yes, we are – because the actions are quite simple.
With all the recalls, you won’t get your car fixed for a while. So: do you stop driving? It might help climate change, but it won’t solve your transport problem. Would you like some advice, just in case that unlikely occurrence happened to you? I think you might, because it gives you some measure of control over the situation. Clearly you will still need to get the car checked, but life doesn’t have to come to a grinding halt in the meantime.
Having read more of the press coverage than is good for me, I have yet to find any advice as to what to do in an emergency. Neither the press, our over-indulgent nanny state nor our esteemed motoring organisations have announced any guidelines on what to do if it happens to you. Why not? Are they scared to advise in case they get it wrong and then find themselves to blame? Is this being responsible?
Actually, after some searching, I found that Toyota provide the answer as FAQ19 on their website. Perhaps a little more prominence might help. Like headline stuff! It would have saved them money, (not the key consideration, I agree), and helped defuse what became a crisis. Most importantly, it would have immediately addressed their customers concerns; your concerns. This is the CR aspect and it’s really very simple. It’s also just plain good business.
Because it really is very simple:
- Check your mirror
- Put your emergency brake lights on
- Put car in neutral (expect a horrid noise)
- Switch off
- Move to the side of the road – and coast to a halt!
It worked for me 25 years ago when my accelerator cable jammed on the M6. It was a Chrysler!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
ET EXTRA: Protecting Your Life: Toyota Joins The Gallery Of Shame
“Toyota officials claimed they saved the company $100 million by successfully negotiating with the government on a limited recall of floor mats in some Toyota and Lexus vehicles, according to new documents shared with congressional investigators.” …
“The savings are listed under the title, “Wins for Toyota — Safety Group.” The document cites millions of dollars in other savings by delaying safety regulations, avoiding defect investigations and slowing down other industry requirements.”
-AP as reported by MSNBC
Toyota, Duty and Destiny
The successive bad-news stories at the start of 2010 for Toyota illustrate the effect of cultural factors on leadership and organizational behaviours. An understanding of dynastic history will help assess future prospects for the company
In considering the prospects for Toyota, I found myself reflecting on the nature of dynastic rule. Japan itself is still an example of a dynasty-based culture. The Japanese Dynasty is believed to be the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy in the world, with a bloodline stretching back nearly three millennia (660 BC – present day). The Emperor (天皇) symbolises a unity of the state with the Japanese people, and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family, and also the highest authority of its Shinto religion.
It has more recently become accepted to use the term dynasty to refer to family-owned businesses, where we also find transmission of authority and control handed down from generation to generation. Metaphors can be useful for imaginative purposes, but can also be misleading. Nevertheless, it is perhaps worth reflecting on dynastic leadership, and its implications for Toyota.
The Dynastic Principle
Western thought about dynastic power has been greatly influenced by the German social theorist Max Weber. One of his many significant contributions was his work on the nature of ancient and modern social structures. He proposed that traditional societies maintained stability by the society’s acceptance of the legitimacy of their ruler, and the power this permitted in the interests of the State.
Weber went on to suggest that overthrow of a society’s structure and traditions came about through charismatic opposition to them. For Weber, newer religious forms (aligned to state power) often were accompanied by charismatic leaders. He further argued that new form of control suited to modern industrial societies functioned through the power backed up by the legal authority expressed through rules and regulations. His terminology of bureaucratic control is still in common use. That’s how business students used to be taught about Weber’s theories.
Dynasties ancient and modern
The connections between the foundation of sociological thought, and today’s structuring of global organizations, are also being studied by researchers into institutional forms. A promising new area of work is into varieties of capitalism (VoC). The potential significance of this research can hardly be over-emphasized. It offers insights regarding the competitiveness of industrial firms globally, as much as insights into the diverse attempts to ‘civilize capitalism’ (as one researcher puts it).
Toyota, Ford, and other modern dynasties
Toyota may be seen as a modern institutional form, retaining dynastic power internally. The company was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937 as a spinoff from his father’s company Toyota Industries, and today’s President is Akio Toyoda.
It would be a great over-simplification to assume that such a family-based structure inhibits change and adjustment. Nevertheless, its response to its recent manufacturing and strategy problems appears consistent with a tendency to avoid radical actions which appear as threats to core cultural values.
Generalisations can be dangerous. In America, the history of the mighty Ford motor empire also shows the dynastic principle at work. From the days of Henry Ford until recently, power resided with the founding family, with current Executive chairman William C Ford the fifth generation (by my counting) of the family on board. Interestingly, Ford also came near to ruin with a safety crisis associated with the Ford Pinto in the 1970s. Ford survived that crisis, but has arguably been relatively slow to deal with competitive pressures. In the UK, its acquisition of the much-loved (but eventually cash-strapped) Jaguar mark was reversed by its sale to Tata, another globalising dynasty.
Born or Made Leaders?
Associated with dynastic structure of institutions or cultures, is the question raised of the fitness to lead. Are descendents of a founding entrepreneur especially equipped to lead into the future ? The evidence is less than clear-cut. At very least, the all-powerful leader acting ‘to the manner born’ is vulnerable to events that threaten the continuity of any organisation. Hereditary rulers of States and leaders of organizations exercise power mediated through advisors. At times the advisors contribute to forces which bring about the demise of the figurehead, in the wider interests of the Institution.
Toyota into the future
Jim Taggart, who writes on leadership issues, points to the manufacturing issues facing Toyota. He also cites a press story criticising Toyota’s risk-management approach . To understand Toyota’s present crisis, wider factors also need to be taken into account. Toyota-bashing in the US, as pointed out, is taking place with regard for socio-economic and political vested interests. Students of leadership will find much to consider in this, and in the ‘born or made’ dilemma of leadership.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
2005 Toyota Camry
I am still debating on whether to weigh in on the Toyota debacle, but I do want to stress to drivers to be safe. As much as I love cars I often forget that for all their beauty, if not built or handled properly, they can be dangerous. That said, new reports have surfaced of drivers having issues with a model of Toyotas (2005 Camry) that is not on the recall list. Today I read stories that ended in the deaths of two passengers as the cars accelerated beyond the driver’s control or would not decelerate no matter what the driver did. (Those were not the only stories about 2005 Camry models having this issue, but the only ones that mentioned the death of people in the vehicles.)
So enjoy your cars, but if your vehicle is on the Toyota recall list please get the necessary repairs made, and if your car is not on the list, be careful driving.
I happened to witness a really bad car accident today, so whatever you drive be safe, watch your speed, and keep your car in good running condition. While I am a blogger and car enthusiast, the mom in me wants us all to get where we’re going safely too.
Safe driving-qova
Brand Resurection
Tim Rutten writes a nice analysis of the brand challenges faced by Toyota and Tiger Woods in today’s Los Angeles Times. While I am not a brand expert, I have quite a bit of experience in a variety of communications. Both Toyota and Tiger Woods have mishandled almost every step in their public relations efforts. Tiger Woods’s press conference yesterday showed, yet again, that he has retained poor advisors. Jason Sobel of ESPN has a good review of his remarks.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Terry, Toyota and a phantom baker
Impressive collection of photography now on at the National Portrait Gallery – www.npg.org.uk – courtesy of an exhibition of Jane Bown and the finals of the annual Taylor Wessing photographic award. The gallery, in St Martin’s Place, London, is free and currently houses a set of images that range from the bizarre to the beautiful. Captioning is also remarkably up-to-date with the portrait of Rio Ferdinand containing reference to his appointment as England captain (this month) following the John Terry debacle.
Elsewhere, a week of classic topical PR case studies – crisis PR through the Toyota car recall and the snow-less winter Olympics, and guerilla PR with the phantom baker of Fowey – see the Western Morning News or as the BBC puts it, someone operating on a knead-to-know basis.
AKIO TOYODA WILL BE A NO SHOW AT THE CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS!!!!!
THIS FUCKING IDIOT, TOYODA, THE CEO OF TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY WILL NOT BE ATTENDING THE CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS CALLED INTO SESSION REGARDING TOYOTA’S DEATH MACHINES!!!! NO SURPRISE THAT THE CEO DOESN’T WANT TO BE QUESTIONED AS THIS ASSHOLE THINK HE’S ABOVE THE LAW. INSTEAD, HE WILL LET THE TOYOTA U.S EXECUTIVES SPEAK TO THE CONGRESS. TOYODA IS STICKING HIS TAIL BETWEEN HIS LEGS AND RUNNING THE OTHER WAY. A REAL FUCKING LIVE ASSHOLE!!!
I GOT AN IDEA FOR THIS PUSSY TOYODA……………WHY DON’T YOU STAY IN JAPAN AND MAKE SUSHI, AND GET OUT OF THE AUTOMOBILE BUSINESS!!!!!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Litigation against Toyota mounts...
Following multiple recalls, Toyota must now prepare itself for the onslaught of litigation. Attorneys across the nation have already begun filing lawsuits against Toyota on behalf of clients injured by the accelerator issues. Though a recall has already been undertaken by the auto giant, House investigators worry that the current recall will not solve all of the issues.
As the class action lawsuit grows in numbers (estimated 44 have been filed), those affected by their vehicle are urged to consult with an attorney to protect their rights.
Toyota to idle 2 US assembly plants amid recalls
Toyota Tundra is inspected during the final stages of assembly
Toyota said Tuesday it plans to idle production temporarily at assembly plants in Texas and Kentucky while it grapples with massive recalls in the United States.
Toyota spokesman Mike Goss said a plant in San Antonio, Texas, has scheduled production breaks for the weeks of March 15 and April 12. A plant in Georgetown, Ky., has scheduled a non-production day on Feb. 26 and may not produce vehicles on three more days in March and April, Goss said.
Toyota Motor Corp. has recalled 8.5 million vehicles globally during the past four months because of problems with gas pedals, floor mats and brakes, threatening to undermine the safety and quality reputation of the world’s No. 1 automaker.
Goss confirmed the decision was connected to the recalls. He said workers at the plants will be retained and paid during the production suspensions and will receive additional training.
The Kentucky plant builds the Camry, Avalon and Venza for Toyota. The Texas plant manufactures the Tundra pickup truck.
Toyota temporarily suspended sales of vehicles like Camry and Corolla in late January after it issued a recall of millions of vehicles over problems with potentially sticky gas pedals. The stop sale was meant to give the automaker time to come up with a fix.
Dealers began selling affected vehicles again after about five days when Toyota announced a repair that it said would solve the problem. But the lost sales days meant many were left with higher numbers of unsold cars.
Goss said the automaker wants to ensure dealers don’t build up excessive inventories as they try to clear to through the cars still on their lots.
Ikut Survey, Menang Toyota Avanza
Jakarta, 16 Februari 2010 - Nasib baik memang tidak kemana. Lantaran ikut dalam survey kepuasan pelanggan yang digelar PT Toyota Astra Motor (TAM), Rudi Yanto dari Depok berhasil mendapat hadiah satu unit Toyota Avanza tipe G manual. Penghargaan diserahkan langsung secara simbolis oleh Customer Relation Manager Lina Agustina di dealer Toyota Setiajaya Mobilindo Depok akhir pekan kemarin.
Survey kepuasan pelanggan yang dilakukan periode November 2008 – Oktober 2009 lalu bertujuan untuk meningkatan kualitas pelayanan di Dealer/Bengkel resmi Toyota berdasarkan masukan dan saran yang diberikan pelanggan Toyota. Tercatat kurang lebih 45.000 pelanggan yang secara acak yang dikutkan dalam survey ini.
Pada penarikan undian, Rudi Yanto, pelanggan Setiajaya Mobilindo Depok meraih hadiah utama berupa Toyota Avanza tipe G manual. Sebanyak 25 pemenang lain mendapatkan hadiah berupa koin emas 15 gram serta 300 peserta menerima voucher sebesar Rp 250.000.
“Kami ucapkan banyak terima kasih kepada para pelanggan yang dengan sangat baik dan setia membantu kami dalam survey ini, diharapkan hasil dari survey ini dapat kami gunakan sebagai bahan untuk dapat terus meningkatkan pelayan kami pada pelanggan baik dari segi penjualan maupun perawatan kendaraan,” ujar Lina Agustina.
2010 Chicago Auto Show
2010 Chicago Auto Show
What a better way to celebrate Presidents’ Day than going to the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. I still can’t get used to the new McCormick Place, but it sure is nice and big. My sons loved looking at all the sports cars and so did I, but I no longer fantasized about owning one. When I was a teenager, I couldn’t decide which expensive sports car to drive. Now, I’m happy with my 2005 Pontiac Vibe, but I am concerned that GM decided to close the Pontiac division. I know that other GM dealer will service my car and that parts will be available through them, but what about showing a little loyalty to the customers who were loyal to Pontiac? I’ve driven Pontiacs most of my driving career. Oh, well. I should have seen that one coming since my Pontiac Vibe is, in reality, a Toyota Matrix anyway.
Anyway, my sons enjoyed the bright colors and bright lights of all the displays. They also enjoyed the Chicago Blackhawks shoot-out. And they got plenty of Blackhawks posters. They also got an autographed picture of Ben Eager. There cutout figures of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane that look lifelike when you take their picture. In the picture, it’s very difficult to tell that they’re made of cardboard. Now that I look at the pictures again, my sons look like they’re made of cardboard and Kane and Toews look more lifelike than my sons!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Ghosts of the machine
In a Feb. 4 post on Nanotech: the circuits blog Brooke Crothers explored some of the history behind Toyota’s recall and brought up some very interesting points.
The recall woes Toyota has been experiencing have been portrayed as mechanical in nature. But, there are underlying software issues that may prove to be a lurking danger. In 2002 Toyota and Lexus began equipping its vehicles with electronic throttle control, which replaced mechanical components like throttle cables and linkages with computers and servomotors. This drive-by-wire system was intended to provide drivers with smoother acceleration, better gas mileage and a safer all around driving experience.
The old mechanical technology was not perfect by any means. Engineer and electrical engineering consultant, Antony Anderson explains that mechanical throttles could jam, but “An uncommanded wide open throttle was almost an impossibility.” Increasingly, technology has been replacing the traditional mechanical components found in cars. The result is a modern vehicle that has nearly every aspect of its operation controlled by computers and other electronic systems. “What happens today is that the driver is made the fail safe for the electronics,” says Anderson.
The recent spate of recalls and accidents are not the first time that accelerator issues have surfaced with Toyotas. In 2005 a man was backing out of his driveway in a 2002 Toyota Camry when it suddenly accelerated into a utility box; he maintains he never touched the accelerator. In fact, the large-scale implementation of drive-by-wire coincided with a jump in reports of cars accelerating on their own. Toyota has publicly said that its investigation has found no evidence of an electronic cause for the acceleration, but will continue to look for any glitches.
The rub lies in how computer-controlled cars deal with these glitches, faults and other problems. What happens if your computer has an electric brain fart; starts to think that it’s Michael Shumaker; and tells the engine that it would be a good idea to go to wide open throttle? You’d think that some part the system would detect the problem and fix it or at least make a note of it, but you’d be wrong. As soon as a vehicle is turned off, or disabled in a crash the record of that error is erased from the computers memory; if it was recorded in the first place.
Many of these incidents can also be explained by inexperienced drivers dealing with throttle hesitation. If the drive-by-wire throttle hesitates, i.e. you press the pedal and nothing happens, some drivers may depress the pedal further. Eventually, when the computer catches up to all this the vehicle could experience a burst of acceleration because you’ve stepped on the gas. Cars have become much more than just a collection of cogs, gears and wheels. The sophistication of the modern car has distanced the driver from the machine. Many people do not understand how their cars work, or only understand parts of its operation. It’s vitally important that people understand that the feeling of control they have behind the wheel is an illusion. Power steering, anti-lock brakes and drive by wire throttle all replace simple mechanical systems with more complex and expensive alternatives; alternatives that are not infallible.
Today’s driver is reduced to little more than a button-pushing monkey, the car and its computer brain dispensing treats when the right button is pushed. This ads further distance between car and driver by giving the computer final say on the majority of the decisions. It’s entirely plausible that self-driving cars could be on the road within our lifetime; advanced radar cruise control; cars that park themselves; and other innovations may make the driver an endangered species. This also means the days of the backyard mechanic are numbered.
Modern cars require specialized tools and computers for maintenance, so you won’t get far with a floor jack and a torque wrench. This is the high price we pay for the modern conveniences crammed under our hoods. Simple vehicle maintenance that could be done in an afternoon has become rocket science. Case in point, someone could change the spark plugs in a 1986 Oldsmobile with minimal experience and limited tools, but performing the same task on a 1996 Oldsmobile would require a vehicle hoist and a trained technician.
All of this new technology and not just the bits intended to make driving safer need to be more closely scrutinized and regulated. There has to be a concerted effort to prevent incidents like the recent problems at Toyota. Unfortunately, no system is infallible. Accidents happen; that’s why they’re called accidents. But, consumers need to demand more accountability from manufactures, especially when products are causing injury and death. Having the president of the company say that he’s sorry just doesn’t cut it.
The biggest question in this whole mess is why there has not been more recalls from other manufactures that supposedly use the same faulty accelerator components. Have people forgotten that this accelerator problem was originally blamed on a floor mat? The chance that a brand wide problem can have two causes could be plausible, but it becomes increasingly improbable when new causes begin to crop up for the same problem.
Other car manufactures and the media are getting far too caught up in Toyota-bashing or Japan-bashing when we need to concentrate on industry wide manufacturing standards and corporate accountability. Consumers deserve to be able to buy products without fear of catastrophic failure plain and simple, why is that so hard for manufacturers and corporations to comprehend?
Auxiliary Input Interface Users Guide for Toyota Tundra
Scosche Industries, a leader of aftermarket accessories, offers an instructional users guide for its AXIPTA radio replacement interface in a 2007 Toyota Tundra. The AXIPTA will work with all 2005-up Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles. Offering an auxiliary interface, the unit creates an auxiliary input on a factory stereo for an ipod player and integrates full ipod controls at the factory radio. These step-by-step instructions demonstrate functionality and product use. Visit www.scosche.com for more information on Scosche and its innovative products.
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Thursday, February 11, 2010
Time to Recall Your Smugness
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! If there is such proof of divine intervention–this is it. It is as if God himself has reached his cheeks down from heaven, parted them, and blown a smelly dollup of retribution into the smug faces of Prius drivers everywhere. Waft! Right there! Catching them mid-boast. A mixing of hot air amongst the parted lips of a once unbearable group of people.
Thank you Toyota. Thank you, thank you for working against decades of standing belief in the supreme capability of Japanese car firms. I know it’s hurt you. I know the pride is stinging and the fiscal impact will be great, but in your recall of your flagship hybrid, 99% of the world’s population have overnight been unburdened from encountering those conceited few who mutter those heinous words.
“I drive a Prius.”
Prius owners, the Piers Morgans’s of the automobile world. Horrible, horrible, pasty people.
You see, my hatred for them goes far deeper than for the standard reasoning of smugness alone. The hypocrisy even of Hollywood stars parking one on the drive purely so they can scream green issue credentials on the east coast talkshows–no doubt chartering a private jet to get there. I can even stomach the guilt Prius drivers are forever lumping on to us serfs, for our irresponsible pursuit of mobility in battered second-hander rather than the celestial qualities “Sure it starts at 20k, but you can’t put a price on the world! Are you selfish enough to deny that for your children?” I can, save for the same point forever popping into my head–
It’s a redundant piece of technology.
Don’t get me wrong, fuel economy in my mind has long been overlooked for the much more sexier attributes of say accelleration…or horse power. Yeah! Show me your horses! What’s that? Your Fiat 500 does fifty to the gallon? Why you nerdy, nerdy poof. And you’re a cheap-skate. Come look at my thump-a-watt stereo system. Feel my cock throb.
The long and short of it is that fossil fuels are an illogical source of velocity. Not only are our resources of them finite, but they expel a waste harmful to our planet’s natural balance. One may attack the Prius, and other such hybrids for trivialising the mileage one may get (sometimes as good as, or indeed less than a straight petrol or diesel), or the fact that illustrate the pointlessness for the switch once it’s production’s carbon imprint is taken into account, in my mind all this serves to distract from the issue that it is still a redundant piece of technology.
Consider this point. Everyone in the world overnight switches Hybrid. Overnight the world’s stockpile of fossil fuels has extended, the pressing need for research into new fuel systems is decreased. In effect, each Prius driver is serving only to keep dependence longer.
So where am I? Biofuels? Never…Bought a loaf of bread recently? Kingsmill White has doubled in price in 5 years thanks to wheat shortages. Farmers once greatly being subsidised by the EU to grow biofuels are now being subsidised for the reverse. Electric? Hydrogen? Ha–fusion?!
The long and short is I don’t care, but it is needed, and one day, it will come. Too many financial awards awaits those who find it for it not to. All I feel we can do in the meantime is short-term incentives. Increasing competition on the rails by abolishing the ridiculous franchise system. Heavy investment of renewable energy sources funded by continuation of tax increases for fuel year-on year. And for fear of fuel protests like in 2002, and with gas-guzzling vehicles naturally paying more to the coffers anyway, why do we even still have a car tax? It seems a pointless excess.
Whatever happens–and in my short experience it tends to be not a lot, bar heated words upon sectarian tribalism, the one thing I will take into the future will be next time I meet Prius driver, I get to be the smug one.
Toyota Recall
This morning I took our Toyota Prius to the dealer for its 10,000 mile checkup (this was not a recall). The dealership opened at 7:00 AM and I was almost first in line. By 8:00 I wandered out to the shop area to look around. It was not even 1/2 full! I asked one of the service writers how the recall was going and he stated that only the first week was busy; no 24/7 operation, they just worked to 9:00 PM for a while to get through the log jam and now everything is heading back towards normal. I wonder if the news is just hyping the recall and its effects.
Lessons for Toyota from the past - Tylenol 1982
http://wp.me/pyKdL-u8
Look at how Johnson & Johnson handled Tylenol in 1982 – people died it was a public relations/crisis management nightmare the company should have planned for but did not. Just like Toyota.
OK, it was a different pre-internet, pre-social media age – and ’speed’ of message is more damaging and can wound a large corporate beast in hours. However, it reinforces the values of openess, moving quickly to put measures in place to mediate the problem. Frankness, responsiveness and dedication to get it right not on one day but over time paid off for Johnson & Johnson. The reputation of the company actually ROSE as a result of this horrific incident thanks to the vigorous and proactive way they responded. And the explaining did not stop a few weeks later – presentations on the issue went on for several months if not years – so that valuable lessons could be shared and learnt. Each and every car company is the ‘potential next victim’ and Toyota should consider sharing the lessons learnt with the whole industry. If one company is hit – they are all hit – hence they should all learn from the Toyota mistakes.
All these Johnson & Johnson values, seen in the Tylenol Case, (included in how they responded) remain no different today and should be simply adapted for the new channels of communications that deliver them. Then a team was rapidly put in place to lead the turnaround and it was handed the powers it needed to do so. Let’s see Toyota do the same.
Unwind the public strands of criticism that are hurting the company – they will across a wide series of areas. Deal with them publicly at the highest level.
Address the criticism in each stakeholder area – the motor trade, the business press, the consumer press - put in place open and honest solutions that a worried public can buy into. Open up and listen – build social media mechanisms to allow input and lessons from the angry and their fear and upset to flow into the organisation. Let it help drive change further up the product development and customer service chain. Incentivise honesty. Don’t shut down criticism – embrace it. You’ll shock those making the attacks – and encourage them to turn from hostility to working with you to find ways of product and service improvement.
Over-service in fixing the problem might be a good start. This is where the re-sellers and the dealers at the bottom end of the customer facing chain have to play their part. If they don’t – shake out the flaky ones publicly after the problem is sorted out – the customer will respect Toyota if it does.
Set out to turn this corporate reputation nightmare into a major opportunity to win back trust. Hidden inside every crisis is a huge opportunity and it is up to Toyota to do so. Mere platitudes from a few friendly newspapers like the FT is not a way to win friends and influence people. Trying to protray the idea that The President of Toyota apologised ’so let’s forgive them’ is a nonsense – I cannot believe the FT publicised such total twaddle. It is time for Toyota to show humility and prove that it has learnt big time from this experience by making each of its customers feel as if they are at the centre of the Toyota world as they repair the damage, worry and concern they have caused them.
Sittin’ At Home…
Tonight there’s no Starbucks. I’m saving my weekly treat for tomorrow night because I’ll need to be wide awake for Project Runway. Here’s what I’m thinking on Hump Day:
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I’m going to say this in the most polite language I can come up with at the moment. When it comes to economics and your handling of Wall Street, you don’t know what you’re doing. Leave it to the professionals, and by that I mean Paul Krugman.
JOHNNY WEIR: Good luck in Vancouver next week.
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY ROBERT GIBBS: You’re a douche bag for that horrible Palin joke because I’ve lost hope that change is coming.
MONICA CROWLEY: As usual, you’re full of shit.
ANNE HATHAWAY: I beg to differ. You’re fabulous!
NEW YORK FASHION WEEK: I wish I was there.
MARC JACOBS: Can you sue Christian Audigier for brining us Ed Hardy while you’re at it?
TOYOTA: Thanks to you I always worry whether that Prius or Camry in my rear view mirror will come to a stop whenever I reach an intersection.
LENNY DYKSTRA: Shut up already. You giving financial advice is like Plaxico Burress or Jayson Williams giving gun safety tips.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Toyota Prius recall decision imminent, could include Sai, Lexus HS250h
You are here: Home / Car News / Toyota Prius recall decision imminent, could include Sai, Lexus HS250hToyota Prius recall decision imminent, could include Sai, Lexus HS250h
February 9, 2010 by Tim Beissmann
5 Comments
A global recall of the Toyota Prius over its inconsistent brake pedal feel issues could be announced as early as today as President, Akio Toyoda, aims to reach a solution and end speculation about the safety and reliability of his vehicles.
A spokesman from Toyota Motor Europe said continued discussions between global markets would mean a decision was made “very soon”, while a US Toyota Motor Sales spokesman said the company had not changed its plans to have a solution by early in the week.
Since its debut in May last year, Toyota has sold around 200,000 Prius hybrid vehicles in Japan, 103,000 in the US and 29,000 throughout Europe. Australia is one of 60 countries in which the Prius is sold, with just over 1700 of the third-generation vehicles delivered locally since its mid-2009 launch.
Reports are also suggesting any recall from Japan would most likely prompt an extended recall of the Toyota Sai hybrid and its sister car, the Lexus HS250h, which both use the same brake system as the Prius.
Lexus sold 15,500 HS250h vehicles globally between July and December last year, while numbers for the Japan-only Sai sedan reached 3800 in its debut sales month in December.
To reiterate, Toyota Australia has so far not issued a recall on any of its vehicles, and believes the Prius matter may affect the brake feel but not the car’s ability to stop.
More news as it comes to hand.
(with Reuters)
"Toyota Resale Value, Reputation Fall" - AP
Toyota’s Losing Value
KBB, the industry standard for vehicle value, has been liking Toyota’s less and less by the day. As resale values fall there is no end in sight as slow responses to safety questions and the recalls continue. Loyalty to the brand is becoming scarce. Prices are dropping all around the country. Toyota vehicles aren’t being bid on at the auction. A reputation for quality is becoming overshadowed by manufacturing blunders. When the used car market takes away the once good resale value of Toyota will the company have anything left to campaign on? In the wake of this worldwide company’s disaster are the people who sell, service and own Toyota’s. The vehicles they bought are worth less and less everyday and the slide is expected to continue. Sales for Toyota have dropped an astronomical amount since the recalls. With more and more time passing and no new answers being revealed the confusion looks to take Toyota deeper into their hole.
Sepekan Berlalu, Prius Belum Dapat Solusi Jitu
(AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)
Tokyo, 09 Februari 2010 - Satu pekan telah berlalu, namun belum ada tanda-tanda Toyota buka suara. Padahal 300.000 pemilik Toyota Prius berpikir seribu kali untuk mengendarai mobil hibrida yang ternyata mempunyai masalah dengan remnya.
Analis mengatakan penundaan lebih lanjut dapat menghancurkan reputasi perusahaan mobil itu di pasar global, yang beberapa dekade mendominasi. “Mendengarkan manajemen sekarang, saya pikir mereka masih berpikir tidak ada masalah dengan Prius,” ujar Christopher Richter, analis mobil di CLSA Asia Pacific Markets, Senin (8/2). “Karena sekarang setiap kendaraan Toyota yang dianggap memiliki masalah, Anda hanya mengatakan, ‘Kami akan memperbaikinya.’ Itulah cara Anda memenangkan kembali kepercayaan.”
Sementara itu, pakar keamanan mobil mengatakan kalau mengendarai Prius mungkin masih aman tapi menyarankan ekstra hati-hati, seperti memungkinkan ruang ekstra di depan untuk berhenti.
Kantor berita Kyodo dan surat kabar bisnis Nikkei melaporkan, Senin lalu, bahwa Toyota kemungkinan memberitahu Amerika dan pemerintah Jepang tentang Prius pada Selasa ini. Ririko Takeuchi juru bicara Toyota mengatakan, belum ada keputusan Prius akan ditarik.
Sedikitnya 100 pengemudi mobil Prius di Amerika Serikat telah mengeluh kepada Washington bahwa rem anti penguncian mereka tampaknya bermasalah. Toyota dan pemerintah Jepang juga telah menerima puluhan keluhan tentang masalah rem. Amerika Serikat mengatakan kecurigaan dimulai dari empat kecelakaan yang menyebabkan dua luka ringan.
Toyota mengatakan gangguan perangkat lunak yang ada di balik masalah itu pada produksi kendaraan yang mulai dijual sejak bulan lalu. Toyota juga mengatakan bahwa rem akan bekerja jika pengemudi terus mendorong pedal.
“Hal terbaik bagi Toyota untuk memenangkan kembali kepercayaan konsumen adalah menarik kendaraan secepat mungkin,” kata Mamoru Kato, seorang analis industri mobil di Tokai-Tokyo Securities.
Sumber foto
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/04pfeuJ5LY0EJ/610x.jpg
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Dealing with Complexity in Design
My initial blog entry is my interpretation and extension on an article written by Bob Colwell, called “Complexity in Design” (IEEE Computer Society Journal. Volume 38, Issue 10, October 2005.) I begin with a key quote from the article that seemed to sum up for me what we are truly challenged with when designing a new product (or service for that matter): “When nature is the adversary, all that stands between the engineered product and disaster is the product designer’s foresight, knowledge and skill.” The latest mass recall of Toyota vehicles is one example of when “foresight, knowledge and skill” fall short of the mark, with disaster rearing its ugly head once again. Based on my experiences, I have no doubt that there was a chain of smaller contributing, and perhaps cascading failures which led to this outcome.
Referring back to the quote above, I’d like to add that part of good foresight is wisdom, which comes from a solid understanding of history and the repeated use of knowledge in different scenarios over time (experience). The more we understand nature, the more we can work with it instead of against it. Part of understanding nature is understanding how we have successfully or unsuccessfully interacted with it in the past. Part of this learning comes from learning where our designs, approaches and experiences have failed in the past – always remembering them and never becoming complacent.
Moving on, we seek to answer the main question addressed in the article: “How can we best deal with complexity in design?” I offer a few practical tips to help us in this endeavor, which combine Colwell’s suggestions with a couple of my own.
• Always Keep Learning – We continuously improve upon our knowledge, skill, and wisdom/experience. Doing this will lead us to the point where “what initially looks impossibly complicated may seem quite reasonable …”
• Keep It Simple – We always strive for simplicity and never fall prey to “design(ing) something so complex that you can never get it right.” I think Einstein had something to say about that.
• Questioning Attitude & Sticking With The Facts – “If you aren’t sure you need some logic in your design, keep asking questions until someone either justifies it or agrees to toss it overboard.” This forces us to stick to the facts instead of false perspectives, which may come from a skewed form of history. That’s where solid documentation, science and statistics become really important. It’s hard to argue against the facts.
• Focus Decreases Unknowns – Given the proper focus, tools, experience, and training, the ability to identify certain risks that were previously unknown is greatly improved. If the product’s concepts and/or requirements are continuously changing, the unknowns take over and derail the project. I’ve been there before and it isn’t pretty.
• The Wild Card – Finally, we add upon the concept of “complexity through iteration,” which can result from new and competing requirements in later releases. In these situations, sub-optimal trade-offs do need to be made. But, sometimes we can get lucky, and some of the complexities cancel each other out. I’ve seen that happen. Those situations give me faith in a higher power; and we all could use a break from time to time. So, always look for these elusive and rare opportunities.
So, there you have it: some solid, practical tips to managing complexity in design, increasing your probability of success, and ultimately becoming a better product designer (and professional for that matter).
Toyota’s Changing Stories Raise Credibility Issues
Look Ma, Accelerator Stuck and No Brakes
Toyota Japan manufactured Prius brakes may fail when you need them the most. Toyota in order to protect brand name so far has refused to issue a recall to repair defective breaking systems. Toyota’s slow response has placed thousands of Prius owners life’s in danger.This follows a massive recall of several modles to repair a serious sticking accelator problem. As many as 8 million Toyota’s world wide may be effected. After a California accident that killed a family of four, including an off-duty California Highway Patrol officer. Toyota officials dismissed those who contended the reports of sudden acceleration might have to do with something other than floor mats. Bob Carter, general manager of the company’s Toyota division, insisted such claims were “unwarranted speculation.”
The real question is, What did Toyota know and when did they know it? That is the question circling around Toyota executives as the world’s largest automaker grapples with widening safety issues engulfing the company’s most popular models.
Why is Common Sense so Uncommon?
Why I traded Lola ('07 Prius) for a Ford Focus
“You traded Lola for a Ford Focus? Why did you do that?”
That was the question several people asked when they learned that on December 1st, I traded my 2007 Silver Pine Mica colored Toyota Prius (that I’d named Lola) for a gray metallic 2010 Ford Focus.
In October, I received a letter from Toyota saying that my gas pedal would be fixed after they found that the gas pedal would get caught on the floor mats. Something didn’t seem right. Lola had nearly 75,000 miles on her and I had her for less than 3 years. Between commuting, volunteer work and normal responsibilities, I drive a lot. That’s why I bought Lola in the first place. The lure of 54 miles per gallon (which I actually achieved), the roomy interior for hauling tables to craft shows and the dependability of a Toyota were all factors in my decision to trade my Chrysler.
Now, less than 3 years later, I had a gut feeling that I needed to get rid of Lola. How could I do that after I’d recommended the Prius to several other folks? I even knew someone who bought a 2010. My fears began to escalate as the miles increased on Lola. When I bought Lola, gas prices were soaring and I could fill the tank with 8 or 9 gallons. I still filled the tank twice a week. I was at the dealership every 5,000 miles for an oil change and maintenance . . . roughly every 8 weeks. Every 16 weeks, it seemed that I needed a special service, routine check, filter change or something. Those aren’t cheap and are not covered by the prepaid oil change service package. Add to that the other nagging knowledge that I may have to replace the batteries after 100,000 miles – when the extended warranty was gone; yet another $3000-7000 replacement down the road.
Lola had been a good car. I sang the Prius praises to all who would listen. But there were things I could not explain. . . occasionally, when the car was in park, it would jolt forward, but not actually move. When driving on the dirt road or across bumps, and I hit the brakes, there was a bit of a lag. . . . like the anti-lock brakes were self-engaging. Sometimes, there was a strange sound like a whine.
One of my biggest complaints was trying to make a left turn from a stop sign on a blind hill. Pressing the gas pedal to the floor after having come to a complete stop, the car would ease into the road like a golf cart. The gas-engine did not engage until 3-5 seconds after hitting the gas. This was something that the owner’s manual described as a way of saving gas. . . the electric motor would start the car, then the gas engine would kick in later. It was an uneasy feeling if you saw another car crest the blind hill driving toward you upwards of 35 miles per hour as you crept across the lane of traffic.
I had adjusted my driving habits to maximize Lola’s assets. I learned to ignore the bitter stares from non-Toyota drivers. I looked the other way when people pointed as they quickly passed me and made gestures if I was driving in the inside lanes on the interstate. My desire to save the planet by reducing my carbon footprint turned out to be a pain in my “asset”. For awhile, I enjoyed answering the question at the gas station “So, do you REALLY get 50 miles per gallon?”
Lola had drawbacks . . . . uncomfortable spartan seats, a small diameter steering wheel, an outdated GPS (that would cost $299 for an updated CD), and total cargo weight limits. Due to the weight of the batteries in the Prius and the size of the tires, in the owner’s manual, there is actually a weight restriction. Driving to lunch with coworkers became a mathematical test. . .. “I can drive and take3 people. . but not you and not you. . . ” It was extremely difficult to tell someone who I could not include this person as part of the carpool because of my car’s cargo weight restrictions.
The floormat recall letter was enough to push me over the edge. I started researching cars. The terms negative equity, beacon score and APR once again became part of my nightmares. I recently drove a Hyundai as a rental and liked it a lot. ”Think about the depreciation. . .” I thought about a Honda, a Nissan and never considered a Ford Focus. I enjoyed making fun of the way that some people mispronounced Focus and made it into a 7th grade joke. Then, a coworker, who commuted more than me, bought a Focus. . . 38 mpg. Sync technology, comfy seats…An American Car company that didn’t accept bail-out money from the government. I researched, compared 5 year total costs to own and test-drove a Focus during a lunch break. Charlotte Sun Roof dropped in an aftermarket sunroof and the deal was sealed. I negotiated my own deal, signed my own papers and drove away thinking, “what have I done??”
The trade-in value for a Prius with 75,000 miles is not as great as you’d hope. It seems that car dealers also fear the battery replacement costs. I’m pretty sure that Lola was shipped off to a car auction shortly after I said goodbye.
I haven’t named my gray Focus, but I’m thinking something like “SkatKat” or “Kat” – because she can really go. The sunroof gives the car a roomy feeling. I have plenty of leg room – in fact, I don’t even put the driver’s seat all the way back. Sync technology is great and I have found a few interesting (and disgusting) stations on the Sirius radio. I no longer calculate my passengers’ weight before they get in the car. People don’t stare at me on the interstate as if I’m an enviro-freak. I’m even averaging 38 mpg and filling up once or twice per week on 10 gallons instead of 8. In the wake of the Toyota recalls, I’m glad that I traded. Maybe this is the “fire-storm” that my gut was telling me to avoid. When I get the unexplained feeling that I need to do something, I try to listen… I haven’t always listened. . . but I’m trying.
Janet~
2010 – FakeFortunista.com
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Tell Toyota COO to Put the Brakes on Climate Change & the US Chamber
You’ve probably heard about the Toyota vehicle recall, related to sticking accelerators. But did you know that despite selling the Prius as the eco-conscious vehicle of choice, Toyota is still a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the most backwards trade group on climate?
Well, we have an opportunity to ask why.
On Monday, Digg is sponsoring a live dialog with Toyota’s US President and Chief Operating Officer, Jim Lentz. Just like CitizenTube, our question will be asked if enough people vote for it – so digg it now!
Last August, Bill Kovacs, the Chamber’s VP of Environment, Technology & Regulatory Affairs, called for a “Scopes Monkey Trial” on climate change, leading companies like Apple and Exelon to quit the Chamber while Nike left its position on the board of directors. Many others have publicly stated that the Chamber does not represent them on climate change.
But did the U.S. Chamber of Commerce care? Hardly. In the final three months of 2009, it spent $79.2 million fighting climate change and other priorities of the president, for a grand total of $144.5 million for the year. Whoa.
Toyota had this to say in its most recent North America Environmental Report: “With a new administration in the United States, the landscape surrounding climate change legislation has changed. Toyota supports the U.S. government’s initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve fuel efficiency through a single national approach.”
Additionally, Toyota is one of 46 companies in BELC, the Business Environmental Leadership Council, “focused on addressing the challenges of climate change and supporting mandatory climate policy.”
So what gives?
Despite pressure from groups like Moveon.org and others, Toyota has refused to leave and you can bet the Chamber is not about to change its ways.
Let’s remind Toyota that in addition to safe cars, we need a safe planet. Digg this question (you can login with your Facebook account) and spread the word. We’ve got until Monday 11am EST to make this happen!
Please RT this: Tell Toyota COO to put the brakes on climate change & US CoC – Digg up this Q! http://ow.ly/14BdQ #climate #green #toyota #prius
Super Sunday Tailgate Party
Tailgate Party on Super Sunday
Why miss the Big Game just because you want to get a new car? Why miss a great deal just because you want to watch the Big Game? Have your cake and eat it too at North Hollywood Toyota!
We’ve got the Super big screen to watch the Bowl while you get the best deal in L.A. on your next Toyota, Scion, or Certified or Used car!!
We’re opening the tailgate on the Tacoma, right there in the showroom! We’re offering buckets of ice-cold refreshing drinks…. Subway sandwiches will be along around lunch time. Wear your favorite team jersey (we will!) and come join the fun on Super Sunday, February 7, 2010!
EXCLUSIVELY at the GINORMOUS North Hollywood Toyota off the 134 Freeway near Universal Studios.
4606 Lankershim Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91602
800-800-6730
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Toyota Travails: Twitter over Facebook?
As Toyota’s recall travails deepen, it is interesting to observe the company’s use of social media to communicate with owners and the public. As of today, the company appears to be fielding four official Tweeters, both commenting on changing events and thanking Twitterati for support and comments. On Facebook, a box directs people seeking recall information directly to the Toyota website, but amidst the shrieking or supportive wall postings, there appears to be no official interaction. We surmise that the company has decided to let its many fans handle the firefight on Facebook while concentrating resources on Twitter, more immediate and more beloved of politicians and reporters. If this is the case, it will be interesting to see if other companies in crisis follow the same approach. This is obviously a tough time for Toyota because extensive apparent quality issues violate their customers’ baseline of expectation which is quality and safety. Judging by the flow of commentary on both Twitter and Facebook, many of them are willing to give the company a chance to make things right.
Toyota's Total Recall - who gains?
We often hear that one man’s food is another’s poison. And in this case, Toyota’s rough patch might well contribute to its rivals fortunes. Financially ofcourse Wall Street will keep analyzing the numbers as they come in, on how things are panning out for Toyota relative to the market.
There are all kinds of theories and speculations on who stands to gain. Infact, a Goldman Sachs report puts GM and Chrysler as bigger benefeciaries compared to Ford. This is the same trio that was in deep trouble and went to Washington asking for help, just an year back. Could this be their silver-lining?
Edmunds.Com ran a survey that kind of concludes that for the 3 most popular models for Toyota, the biggest rival cars domestically would be from Chevrolet and Ford, but then it also says that there are atleast 6 alternatives from foreign manufacturers.
That brings the spotlight to Honda the biggest and closest rival to Toyota in the key market segmets that are impacted. Though from a branding, quality, pricing they are well positioned, their biggest challenge could be in handling the additional surge in demand, in terms of their inventories etc., which has traditionally been kept quite small and lean.
But then ‘09 year end sales weren’t all that great and that’s left Honda with close to 2months of inventory on both their popular models Civic and the Accord. So they are well positioned to tap into the opportunity thats up for grabs.
In comparison it sounds like a pack of fierce animals going after some fresh kill, and who can grab the lion’s share.
What Went Wrong with Toyota?
We don’t just learn from our mistakes, but from the mistakes of other as well. This we do not learn from school.
The recall surely hit hard Toyota and a painful one as it caused damages not just in their image in the US but in many nations as well. But really went wrong? Toyota Motor may or may not agree but I learn a lot while reading the expert analysis.
Experts say that one of the obvious reasons is Toyota Motors failure to adjust its corporate structure as the company grew to become the world’s largest automaker. I’m sure Toyota is doing its damage control. It seems they overlooked the basic fundamental for growing and mega businesses. Other commentat1 believes that Toyota forget what the Toyota Way is all about. Let us analyze in line with what the experts have said:
Accelerator Pedal Mechanism (car part being blamed). As per traced records, Toyota Motors started to source back-up supplier on 1997 after a fire that hit their long time Japanese brake supplier’s factory. They used to source only from Denso of Japan due to its high standard produced and closed ties. Now they are also getting from CTS of Elkhart, India.
Per sourced report, the Denso and CTS mechanisms use different wiring harnesses. Somewhere along the way or someone from Toyota Motors had lapses in counter checking to ensure that identical parts from two suppliers were, in fact, identical. Although the same design is being use, the fact that the CTS part apparently developed defects and the Denso part did not, suggests there were other differences.
Management action in coordination with customer service report. Analyst also found out that Toyota in North America still uses an old school type of reporting. They basically did not change their system on reporting since they started operating in North America half century ago. Toyota California did received complaints but the report may have been reported first to Japan sales headofquarters. There the inc-charge executives may have send issues to the concerned department for a fix for a period of time. For a while, the communication is being floated until it reaches Toyota US again. To make it short, analyst mentioned that if Toyota Motors had an integrated headquarters in North America, with one person in charge of sales, engineering, and manufacturing, the complaints might have been communicated almost instantaneously and the fixing of the problem may not be that long as what is happening. Thus, image damaging issues blown into proportion may have been prevented. This is actually a management call.
Cost-cutting against quality of products and services. Toyota Motors surely has its reasons for the cost-cutting measures they ask of their suppliers since December of 2009. Another reason seen was the supplier’s counter action against the 30% reduction of parts cost requested by Toyota over the next three years. Earlier cost cutting measures was implemented around 2005.
CTS reiterated that it complied in accordance to Toyota standards. Surely, it will defend its image but the reality on exessive wear is inevitable. Nonethess, Toyota Motors is doing its damage cotrol by working together with CTS on pedals that meet “tougher” specifications
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Ford and Hyundai announce additional money for Toyota owners!
Relife is on it’s way for Toyota owners who are ready to off load their recalled vehicles. Ford Motor Company and Hyundai Motor Company of America both annouced new incentives for current Toyota owners. Both companies are now offering an additionall $1000.00 rebate exclusively for Toyota owners.
“This is a great move by both Ford and Hyundai,” Said Jim Walen dealer principle of Hyundai and ford of Kirkland. “It really provides an opportunity for Ford and Hyundai to get the word out that we have great vehicles that have five star crash-test ratings, that people love.”
Ford of Kirkland and Hyundai of Kirkland both have the largest inventory in the state of Washington for both brands and offer the toyota rebate in addition to many other rebates available.
Now is an incredible opportunity to get a great deal on a five star crash-test rated Ford or Hyundai.
Check them out at fordofkirkland.com or hyundaiofkirkland.com
Toyota engulfed in £4bn worldwide brand debacle
Toyota faces a $7bn (£4.4bn) brand crisis, following a week in which it was forced to recall more than 5m faulty vehicles. Brand Finance recently rated Toyota as the ninth-most-valuable brand in the world, at $27bn (£17bn). The consultancy said the recall could wipe out up to 25% of the Japanese car marque¹s value if it does not handle the crisis effectively.
So far Toyota has failed to run any marketing activity specifically addressing the recall for its UK customers. Conversely, in the US, Toyota is running full-page print ads to publicise its actions. The marque said that in the UK, it will be dealing with customers in other ways. The problem lies with the accelerator pedal mechanisms in some Toyota models; the carmaker says these can stick when they become worn.
In the UK, Toyota is recalling many of its most popular models, including the Aygo, Yaris, Auris, and Avensis. Consumers will be asked to bring any cars fitted with the faulty pedal to their nearest Toyota centre. However, Toyota shows no sign of adopting the strategy it used in the US when it was forced to recall thousands of Lexus LS 400s in 1989. On that occasion, it picked up the cars from customers, repaired them and returned them with a full tank of petrol.
http://www.brandrepublic.com/BrandRepublicNews/News/981083/Toyota-engulfed-4bn-worldwide-brand-debacle/?DCMP=EMC-DailyNewsBulletin
Toyota's Accelerated Crisis
News of Toyota’s huge recall and “stop sale” has saturated the media–traditional, online and social. The title of a Los Angeles Times article summarizes the coverage and commentary: “Toyota Hopes to Fix Image Along with Gas Pedals.” This is a PR disaster of the first order, perhaps of a new order as Toyota’s decades of sales and reputation growth are threatened. Notice I didn’t say “threatened by a sudden turn of events.” This story has been unfolding for months, a timeline that is the crux of Toyota’s crisis.
The problem: Toyota has uncannily emulated the disregard for public relations and the public’s intelligence of “the cheaters league:” John Edwards, Tiger Woods, Mark Sanford, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, et al. These are the powerful and influential who stonewall, delay, deny or at best offer puny half-truths when initially exposed. The public issues a collective thumbs-down and the bloodsport proceeds…except those in the arena are not romanticized gladiators. They are malefactors turned fools and lion bait.
Toyota has been dodging and stumbling across the Colosseum floor since the unintended acceleration story broke in 2009. U.S. Group VP Bob Carter declared ill-fitting floormats the “sole cause” in November, drawing a rebuke from the NHTSA and an “oh please” from everyone else. This is the same Bob Carter who said of the new recall and sales halt, “This action is necessary until a remedy is finalized.” Here’s one remedy: recall Carter.
Many remain unconvinced that replacing accelerator pedals will solve the problem, a rush to judgement Toyota precipitated with its prior footdragging. The media has suggested a more insidious gremlin in the company’s electronic throttle control, a theory that Toyota has ruled out. Beleaguered gas pedal supplier CTS has pointed out that complaints of unintended acceleration have predated their units’ placement in Toyota vehicles (while CTS has the right and obligation to defend itself, it must avoid Firestone’s reflexive fingerpointing during the Ford Explorer rollover crisis a decade ago).
Now Toyota finds itself in the same sad countdown that John Edwards perpetuated before he finally admitted paternity…only after a men’s room barricade, televised denials, a noble book by his (soon-to-be) ex-wife, and a tell-all by his ex-aide. Journalists and lawyers are searching for the corporate versions of DNA swabs and sex videos. By hoping the problem would go away, Toyota made sure it wouldn’t.
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