Would you feel save driving a Toyota?

flutterby

Fly away!
I'm just curious what others are thinking. We've heard so many reports and have seen actual news coverage of, for example, a police cruiser having to get in front of a Prius to bring it to a stop after it accelerated.

I'm not one that is jumpy about things. I wasn't afraid to fly after 9/11, etc. But, I see newer model Toyota's on the road and it makes me nervous. Especially the Prius because it's not included in the recall, but there have been several reports of sudden acceleration with them. Which really sucks, because I like the Prius.

easy child has a 2000 Toyota Celica, but I don't think the problem dates back that far.

I'm just wondering what others are thinking? I guess because I'm not one to panic over things like this and I'm not feeling very comfortable on the road these days. If you have a Toyota, do you feel safe driving it? If you were/are in the market for a car, would you consider a Toyota right now? If you are skeptical, what would it take for you to feel secure in driving/purchasing a Toyota?
 

tiredmommy

Well-Known Member
We have a 2003 Toyota. It doesn't have the same type of accelerator as the ones being recalled... so we're reasonably confident.
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
easy child turning into a difficult child has a 2009 Toyota Corolla and she's had one of the two fixes. They have not contacted her about the next fix. All they've done so far is remove the floor mat really. I am not wholly confident as of right now, however, Toyota has always been a great maker of cars. I think the media is making all the coverage into a circus. The thing about Toyota is that they came out as soon as they knew there was a problem. Unlike Ford when the Exploders started blowing up all over the place!
 

KTMom91

Well-Known Member
I would not get a Toyota. Accelerator problems aside, I love my Pontiac, and I'm really teed off that GM stopped making them. I am concerned about the accelerator/floor mat issues, as I would be with any make/model, and I would want to be positive the issue was corrected before purchasing a vehicle that had any of those concerns.

Is this the place where I give my "Buy American" speech?
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
I have driven Toyotas all my driving life. I currently drive an '02 4-runner, which is a mid sized SUV. No qualms at all. I have the feeling things might've been reported quite differently had this been a vehicle from one of the 'big three"
 

ThreeShadows

Quid me anxia?
Well, during our long marriage, we have been bleeped by Fiat (two times), bleeped by GM (twice), bleeped by Ford, then I told husband it was time to give the Japanese a chance to bleep us too. We got a 4-runner, survived a head on collision with another vehicle, got a replacement 4-runner, survived a collision at 65 MPH with a moose on the Maine Turnpike, moose died, we didn't. We were so impressed that our Toyota was fixable that we got an other 4-runner so we each had our own. I loved that vehicle! Now we have a Honda and a Toyota Sienna. I wanted to buy American, heck, my dad was a Marine in the South Pacific, killed a lot of Japanese. We were not happy with our US cars. By the way, my Oldsmobile had been assembled in Mexico (or Canada, I just remember it hadn't been made here).
 

flutterby

Fly away!
I think there were 35 deaths (?) before the recall was placed. What worries me is that they don't seem to be really sure what is causing the problem. They say floor mats and something else (can't remember), but there are investigations into the electronics, too - or something like that. (I wanted to be in bed hours ago...can't really think.)

I gave up on American cars a long time ago. I have an American made car now, but not by choice. And we have a Honda plant about 20 minutes away, so foreign cars are made in America to me. However, if I had the money, I really want the Chevy Volt.
 

CrazyinVA

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I have a 2007 Corolla, not part of the recall. It's my first Toyota, I owned Nissans before this car. But, I am not worried really, and would likely buy a Toyota again. I've always been a bit of a "fatalist," though.
 

muttmeister

Well-Known Member
I am one of those "buy American" people so I would not have considered a Toyota in the first place but I sure as heck wouldn't consider one now. I drive Chevys and wonder why so many people complain about them. My first new car was a 1969 Camaro Rally Sport. I put 100,000 miles on it with not many problems. Then I got a 1973 Cuda. Not a Chevy but a good car; I got 120, 000 out of it and then my mother drove it for another 35,000. After that I got a 1978 Firebird. Again, a great car but I traded it off when I got married and I drove junk for all of my marriage because my ex was a mechanic and could make anything run. After I got divorced and could finally get a car I got a 1989 Corsica; back to Chevys. It got 150,000 miles with NO PROBLEMS at all; I traded it off for a 1995 Camaro. I drove it 200,000 miles and it was fine when I traded it off. Again, no major repairs. Now I drive a 2002 Camaro with 145,000 miles. I've never spent a dime on it except for routine maintenance. I'd love to have a new Camaro but I can't afford it right not but after the track record I have, I would be a fool to buy anything but a Chevy. Yes, some of my cars were made in Canada but at least I can have the illusion that GM is an American company.
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
Is there really any such thing as an "American made" car anymore? Our little town is dying on the vine with an unemployment rate of 19.7% and this is actually an improvement over what it was last year! In more prosperous years we had one big factory where half the town worked - they made parts of the seat assemblies for Ford Motor Company. They had good jobs, good pay, good insurance. And now that big state-of-the-art factory is closed up tight, locks on the gates, and all those people are unemployed. Why? Because Ford Motor Company decided it would be cheaper for them to send all those well-paying jobs to Mexico where labor costs are cheaper! So just because a car is assembled in the US, doesn't mean that only Americans were employed to manufacture that car!
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
One of the best cars we ever had was a toyota. This was back in the 80's when they still carried the reputation of being squished in car accidents. But I was in a rather nasty accident with ours and it didn't get so much as a dent in it while the other guys front end was all messed up.

I couldn't say now though. Once we finally retired that one we never got a 2nd one.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
I've driven several Toyotas and two Hondas to the 250-300 thousand mile mark. The upholstery used to fall apart before the drive trains did. Seemed to be that so long as you changed the oil frequently and followed scheduled maintenance; the darned things last forever.

My current 4 runner is eight years old, but I don't drive much these days so only have about 56K miles on it. It's in perfect condition in and out. When I take it in for scheduled service, the salesmen keep asking if I'm ready to trade in that "dinosaur" yet, LoL. I tell them why should I? It still runs great, looks good other than some scratches, plus...IT'S PAID FOR!!

My only objection is that being built on a truck frame (which makes the vehicle stronger and safer), well...it rides like a work truck. Fabulous winter car, though.
 

Shari

IsItFridayYet?
I guess if I were in a position to be driving one of the cars that could have a potential problem, I'd be figuring out how to shut it down without locking the steering...remove or break the steering lock, if necessary. Beyond that, I wouldn't worry much about it, but I'm kinda that way.

As it stands, I won't have to worry about this issue til about, oh, say 2020. My "newest" vehicle right now is a '96 truck with over 300,000 miles on it, and I plan to keep it around for a few more miles, too. (and this is why I get grumpy at husband...) By 2020, hopefully all the stuck accelerators will have been identified on the 2008 models I'll be looking to buy. lol
 

flutterby

Fly away!
You're supposed to put it in neutral and then turn the key to where the engine shuts off, but the key isn't turned all the way back. Like to where you still have the radio and stuff - your steering shouldn't be locked up.

However, the Prius I mentioned earlier doesn't have a regular ignition - a button or something, I'm not sure. And the man couldn't get it to turn off. He did get it in neutral. He was standing on the brakes and the officer in the cruiser said he could see the smoke from his brakes and smell them, but it wasn't stopping the car (before he got it in neutral).
 

flutterby

Fly away!
I'm not in a position to be buying a car now, either. But, I tell ya, with the way people ride your bumper all the time anymore it makes me a bit nervous when a newer model Toyota is behind me and on my bumper.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Well for some of the Pontiac lovers...one of the Pontiacs is a Toyota.

Right now I drive a Ford. Seems we have an abundance of Fords in our family at the moment. I have my Focus, Jamie has a Freestyle, we have Billy's old 90something f150, and a 94 Escort in the yard. Billy also has a Neon he just bought and then Cory has Billys old Nissan. Corys old god only knows what it is...we call it Mickey Mouse is sitting in my yard.

I grew up driving Toyota's. We had three from 74 till 79 and my dad still has an 89 Toyota truck. That goes to Jamie when he dies. I had a 76 Toyota Corolla that you just couldnt kill. I was in two head on collisions in and I walked away from both of them. The frame didnt even get bent. Car wasnt totaled in either one which is saying something considering the cost of the cars back in those days.
 

busywend

Well-Known Member
I am afraid to drive around a Toyota, let alone drive one. I see them on the road and I get away.

Hey, if someone told you bridges were starting to collapse - would you avoid them or at least drive really fast under them if you could not avoid them? Heck yeah!

Cautious is what I am.

I wouldn't buy one. They told people to 'keep on driving them, they are safe' - are you kidding me? Not only is the person that is choosing to drive it not safe, but all the other people on the road with them are not safe.

No way would I buy a Toyota and shame on them for the way they have handled this. Media or no media - they did a poor job getting it out to the public.
 

Fran

Former desparate mom
I had a Toyota Tacoma pick up truck for about 3 yrs. I didn't have a problem. I traded it in for a used Chrysler mini van(known as the Pyr Mobile) I think the mini van is my first lemon. I have had the transmission rebuilt within 35 days of purchase and just recently had to have it taken in for transmission problems.
I guess with driving for 40 yrs that having one lemon isn't so bad. We have a variety of cars in the family. Most are american but there are two foreign company cars in the mix.
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
I look at a vehicle purchase (especially a new one) like I look at buying a house. Does the deal I'm getting now make sense for resale later. My motto has always been you make your money going in because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Were I to be in the market for a new car now, I would disregard a Toyota right off the bat because of the low resale potential. I think a lot of folk looking to trade in or sell their Toyotas in the next year or so will be very disappointed. The perception of a problem translates into a reality when folks are laying their money on the line.

Sharon
 
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