Interesting Story on Toyota

This story says exactly what people need to remember. Toyota is not an american company no matter how many cars or factories they have in the U.S.. They are a Japanese company and the profit goes back to Japan. All 13 billion of it.

The United States of Toyota - MSN Money

i agree, but... what you also shoudl remember is that most people dont care where its made or where the profit is going, they are going to buy a toyota no matter what. At least some of that money is going to american workers who make them, rather then just about every cent going overseas.

Toyota is still an import in my opinion. I don't care if they are assembled here. I love how they are trying to capture the truck market with their commercials.
I don't care how much better a Toyota is than a Ford, I will buy Ford until they no longer exist, then I may consider Dodge...

The sad thing about Ford now is that 90% of the parts in my 98 f150 say made in mexico on em and they all suck

i never said it wasnt an import, and i still would never buy a toyota, but its better than honda

Originally Posted by sharpshot71

i never said it wasnt an import, and i still would never buy a toyota, but its better than honda

Sorry I wasn't aiming that at you. lol
I hate Honda too.

Originally Posted by 19mach69

This story says exactly what people need to remember. Toyota is not an american company no matter how many cars or factories they have in the U.S.. They are a Japanese company and the profit goes back to Japan. All 13 billion of it.

The United States of Toyota - MSN Money

No slam at you, but this is what I've been trying to explain for years. Toyota is NOT an American auto company. They hire a few Americans to assemble their product. These folks are paid wages closely comparable to UAW members, but do not get the benefits nor have the job security that the UAW umbrella provides. If the general foreman in a Toyota plant wants you gone for whatever reason, nobody is going to fight for you. Beyond operating costs, the profits go directly to Japan. We made a HUGE mistake in helping Japan get various industries up and rolling again after WWII and have been paying for it ever since. Now our domestic auto industry is hanging on by their fingernails for our government's blunder. If that war had swung the other way, we'd be the Jap's and Nazi's slaves. Think of that when you next go new car shopping.

Come to the upper midwest where we BUILD American cars and many satellite industries exist to serve the plants. Honda of Marysville, Oh is a joke and not a player. Stand on a street corner and check out the makes of the cars driving by. You'll see many a Ford, GM or even a Chrysler product before you'll see your first Toyota, Honda or Nissan. My area has 1 small Toyota dealership compared to umpteen Ford, GM and several Chrysler stores. As I've mentioned, the Ford dealer that I drive for...and it's far from a superstore, is the top seller in our district. Even our tuner kids are more likely to build Cavaliers, Neons , Colbalts, G6's etc than Japanese junk.

As for the Fords built in Mexico, think of this. Like Toyota, the profits from those plants come back to the US and directly or indirectly benefit all of us.

Jan

Originally Posted by tbirdchick

We made a HUGE mistake in helping Japan get various industries up and rolling again after WWII and have been paying for it ever since. Now our domestic auto industry is hanging on by their fingernails for our government's blunder.

No, the big 3 made the huge mistake by consistently pumping out junk after junk, resting on their laurels and providing a sub-par product. That fact has nothing to do with any japanese car company. Look at the dodges in the 80's, good lord. Competition is good, it's SUPPOSED to make one deliver a superior product.

Originally Posted by woody1

No, the big 3 made the huge mistake by consistently pumping out junk after junk, resting on their laurels and providing a sub-par product. That fact has nothing to do with any japanese car company. Look at the dodges in the 80's, good lord. Competition is good, it's SUPPOSED to make one deliver a superior product.

Yep, you hit the nail on the head. The Big 3 have built a lot of crap cars since the 1970's. They have also built some good cars and then poorly marketed those cars OR worse yet, treated their customers like crap. Currently, Ford builds a great truck but if they fall asleep or relax for 1 model year, Toyota and Nissan are going to take the market from them. I don't blame the European or Japnese car companies one bit for what they are doing, they are out competting Ford and GM. They are building cars that many Americans want to buy and they build good quality vehicles. No one is holding a gun to anyones head to buy Japanese so it's time Ford and GM started building what people want and then treat those customers like they are valuable because they are.

Why are you guys bringing up the 80's-70's? This is TODAY.

Ford currently has more vehicles that earned 5 stars in impact safety then all others... Can Toyoda say this? NOPE.


Ford has had a major decrease in warranty expenses, SO to use the word :junk: hardly applies. But then again, Toyoda's warranty expenses are creeping up.. I wonder why that is...


But all is'nt lost just yet, It appears that americans are opening their eyes some. Toyoda is down 4%.

Atleast Ford has a reason for their drop in sales. They are not selling as many cars to fleets now as from a year ago. Whats Toyodas excuse?

If the one guy from Consumers Reports was'nt married to a lady who works for Toyoda, How do you all think Toyo would be looked at by the media then? (FWIW, Consumer reports is a flat out joke! But that is a whole other topic)

But hey, Who am I. It just sucks that your average American buys from WalMart too. Its not any better then buying a jap car.


SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MOM AND POP SHOP!

Not many here will though, Its a crying shame.

Originally Posted by wildosvt01

Why are you guys bringing up the 80's-70's? This is TODAY.

Ford currently has more vehicles that earned 5 stars in impact safety then all others... Can Toyoda say this? NOPE.


Ford has had a major decrease in warranty expenses, SO to use the word :junk: hardly applies. But then again, Toyoda's warranty expenses are creeping up.. I wonder why that is...


But all is'nt lost just yet, It appears that americans are opening their eyes some. Toyoda is down 4%.

Atleast Ford has a reason for their drop in sales. They are not selling as many cars to fleets now as from a year ago. Whats Toyodas excuse?

If the one guy from Consumers Reports was'nt married to a lady who works for Toyoda, How do you all think Toyo would be looked at by the media then? (FWIW, Consumer reports is a flat out joke! But that is a whole other topic)

But hey, Who am I. It just sucks that your average American buys from WalMart too. Its not any better then buying a jap car.


SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MOM AND POP SHOP!

Not many here will though, Its a crying shame.

You think this all happened recently, this has been 20 years in the making, now it's too late. Deliver a quality product and people will buy it, sans the small percentage of die hard brand people, they will buy regardless.