14th May 2013, 14:53
There was a serious fatal collision in my area recently.
A late model Dodge Caravan ran a red light and T-boned a late model Camry. The Camry was rammed into a light post and literally split the car in half. The driver of the Caravan was injured, but survived.
All occupants of the Camry died at the accident scene.
The Caravan had a crushed front end but was intact; the Camry was such a mess of wreckage it took investigators days to even figure out what type of car it was.
I have seen this way, way too many times. A small compact modern car, made of mostly plastic to improve fuel economy, gets into an accident, becomes a mangled wreck, and passengers die at the scene.
Some people ask why some of us prefer to drive big, heavy American cars; this is one of the many good reasons.
I am still alive after being T-boned by a Subaru Impreza on the driver's side. Fortunately at the time I was driving an 80's Caprice, which drove away from the scene with minor rocker panel damage, while the Subaru was complete write off.
14th May 2013, 21:12
Perhaps folks can separate fact from fiction, and can look at the automobile market objectively.
Funny how some just don't get the fact that most manufacturers purchase parts from the same suppliers, which is why for example so many different makes, both "imports" & "domestics", recently had the same recall for driver's door power switches.
15th May 2013, 05:27
They also can distinguish Toyota engine sludging, air bag failure, brake issues, trans failures quite readily as well.
On another brand, I had an Acura by the way that the driver's window pulverized when I pushed the power window down once. Not the switch, but definitely a mistrack.
15th May 2013, 14:11
I see we're right back to the same old worn-out anti-import comments. These comments have zero to do with the cars, and everything to do with some people who by default don't like cars that aren't from American producers.
If the Camry were such an awful car, then it wouldn't be the best-selling car in the United States.
And as repeated many a time, and a fact that is always conveniently ignored by those making counter-arguments, well your domestic car might have a domestic name, but it's just as foreign as all the other cars out there, often using the same parts from the same suppliers as all the others, or in many cases actually built on a totally different company's platform.
So keep trying. We'll keep right on buying our Camrys.
16th May 2013, 08:55
Yes, you are right about the domestic name. We had a Pontiac Vibe in our family, which was really a Toyota Matrix. Oh - the engine sludged at low mileage even after it was maintained... JUNK!!
Be my guest and buy all the Toyotas you want.
16th May 2013, 14:29
I don't like cars that have an upward trend of recalls and service issues. I have a simple explanation based on our family experiences. You buy multiple new cars as a repeat, basing the purchase on the past. You get a lemon and see it as a fluke. You buy yet another new one, and reality sinks in. My thoughts is all this takes time to catch up with prior purchasers. Or a new family hasn't tried one yet and buy new. Personally I switched to Ford and new Mazdas. It has been great the past couple years. If we get burned or have major recalls and issues, we will shop elsewhere. The manufacturers don't give us free cars, so my loyalty is wallet based only. I also hate getting rides and putting others out picking me up and dropping me off a lot at service depts. I have limited free time anymore. I would rather be out having fun than going into a dealership.
17th May 2013, 11:16
If you don't like cars that have recalls, then what do you drive? A bicycle? Because last time I checked, and even recently, there has been a frequent and constant steady stream of recalls for both domestic and import brand cars. The recall arguments being made against Toyota are simply another excuse those who simply don't like import anything, and thus blow the issue out of proportion.
17th May 2013, 23:55
If you are going to continue to buy Camrys, and if you buy a used one, I hope you don't end up with my old 2009 model, though I doubt it's still on the road.
18th May 2013, 15:18
When you have the highest level of recalls, plus engine sludging, trans issues, braking, air bag failure, you tend to shop elsewhere. I did have a seat belt latch attended to with my last GM. And the 2013 has no recorded data listed.
Again, I am referring to 2013 models, so maybe Toyota is exceptional in 2013. I do also have a nice bicycle. I put it in the back of our GM and take it to parks.
19th May 2013, 13:53
If someone switches to a new 2013 Mazda 6 from a Camry... how does that make one an import basher? Going from a import with engine issues to one without all the issues?
20th May 2013, 14:38
The Mazda 6 is basically a Ford Fusion, so obviously it should be a far better car than a Camry. Still, I'd rather go with the Fusion because of Ford's better track record and higher build quality.
20th May 2013, 16:38
As I previously mentioned, those who tend to be making these various claims against Toyota are merely doing so because they don't like imports. The recalls are still meaningless in this context, because as of this writing, Toyota and their Lexus and Scion divisions are at the No. 1, 2, and 3 spots for reliability, which means they are above every single domestic automaker.
So keep the anti-import comments coming. The facts still bear witness to the truth of the matter...
21st May 2013, 09:27
I felt it was better to avoid multiple recalls and taking cars into the Toyota dealership. So we bought a new Mazda 6, and a 3 Touring Edition as well. As far as I know, import to import is not a basher.
21st May 2013, 12:41
So-called reliability ratings are meaningless when the cars spend half the time in the shop for recalls.
21st May 2013, 14:30
Because if you're keeping it longish term, it's the only way to get what you really want. Depending on the market (which country, that is), you don't want to end up with a car which looks like everyone else's - silver with black interior for example - and with the options you want to have. If you're gonna get stuck with a car for a while, get stuck with something you like.
13th May 2013, 07:33
Massive recalls involving multiple rework in my mind is not attentiveness regarding high quality standards. I use to have Toyotas and Hondas that went back zero or perhaps once or twice during a warranty period. They were once low production and made in Japan in the 70s and 80s. When mine went less than average on repairs... I switched to domestics after 2002.