"The fine, announced Tuesday, is a tiny fraction of Toyota’s earnings... Toyota said it agreed to pay the penalty without admitting any violation of the law."
Toyota's friends at NHTSA have once again given the automaker a lashing with a wet noodle. Yet another safety-related defect, another delay in reporting, and another cozy deal for the Recall King. Ah, those never-ending recalls, along with evidence raising questions of a coverup...
"The latest infraction raises questions about whether the fines are big enough to deter automakers that withhold information from NHTSA, and whether the government agency can do enough to stop repeat offenses."
Indeed.
Isn't it ridiculous that our government allows Toyota to kick consumers around in the interests of corporate greed? Grovels on its knees before a miscreant corporation and tries to mesmerize the taxpaying public with meaningless numbers instead of meaningful fines. I've held firm in my conviction - expressed elsewhere in this blog - that NHTSA is a sham, interested primarily in protecting corrupt corporate interests, and time is certainly bearing witness to my claim.
Toyota's safety-related defects (the definition of which, as I've previously pointed out, are strictly limited) have been coming to light in such a fast and furious manner that its hard to keep up with the Recall King's latest claim to fame. In November, it was a worldwide recall for a water pump and - of all things - a steering issue, both affecting Toyota's much ballyhooed Prius. And the "punishment" now referenced is not for Toyota's most recent, mind-boggling safety recall. I blogged about that one, and we're still waiting - with bated breath - to see whether government will once again step forth, landing blow after blow with that dreaded wet noodle.
Update, 12/30/2012 - Just a reminder that administrators with the car club Spyderchat.com have contacted - to no avail - appropriate government agencies about all those engine failures in MR-2 Spyders. Not that taxpayers are gettin' a federal runaround, or anything like that.
Update 12/30/2012 - Best I can tell, a link to this post was censored from appearing in Facebook's Public Posts.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Toyota: Oh what a coverup?
The Recall King is once again making headlines with its lousy service, questionable business practices, and a never-ending parade of defective, dangerous products. Toyota's latest claim to fame features a fire hazzard which caused at least nine injuries - a Toyota spokesperson somehow forgot to mention the injuries - and evidence suggesting that the problem was kept quiet for four years as Toyota and its dealerships blamed a defective window switch on... cleaning products. That's right, folks. 161 blazes resulting from those pesky cleaning products. Only after its friends at NHTSA got nervous and upped the ante did Toyota finally declare a "voluntary" recall for a whopping 7.43 million units, their largest ever for a single component.
Lemme get this straight. The Recall King received firsthand knowledge of a faulty window switch that heats up and smells. Then, over the next four years (!) there were fires and injuries as consumers lodged a flurry of complaints with both Toyota and NHTSA. Things drag on as many consumers give up, vehicles are traded in or totalled in accidents, and Toyota avoids the expense and embarrassment of a major recall. And as recently as April of this year, Toyota alludes to its "extensive analysis" of the problem, telling NHTSA that all is well. Right. Buy more time, hoping to hold out until the problem magically disappears. And yet there's no indication that NHTSA has gotten so much as a whiff of the ol' proverbial rat in this matter.
The more I look at Toyota's business practices, the more I blame the government for an appalling lack of oversight and an unwillingness to levy appropriate punishments. Previous fines for delays in reporting defects have apparently done little to change Toyota's behavior. As I said at the time, NHTSA's "record-setting fines" were a mere slap on their friend's wrist, adding insult to injury by allowing Toyota to cut a cozy deal whereby the Recall King avoided any admission of wrongdoing. I shudder to think what Toyota is getting away with when it comes to defects that don't meet the government's criteria for "safety related." Like, for example, all those engine failures in MR2 Spyders.
Toyota is the story of complaints galore, a driver falsely imprisoned due to Toyota's problems with unintended acceleration, thousands of signatures on a continuing petition about oil sludge, eventual disclosure of every kind of defect imaginable, spectacular safety recalls, government fines, deaths, injuries, federal grand jury proceedings, a congressional investigation, prosecution under the RICO Act, zillions of lawsuits, confidential out-of-court settlements...
Maybe its time for the government to list Toyota as a terrorist organization.
Update 10/13/2012 - This post has been censored (for the past five hours at least) from appearing in Facebook's Public Posts. And I'd love to post comments on Yahoo, but about a month ago, I posted a comment implying that the CIA was stirring up anti-American activities in the Middle East. The comment was removed, and I was immediately blocked from posting any more comments below Yahoo news articles. Efforts to get Yahoo to correct this have been unsuccessful.
Update 10/18/2012 - As of today, my Yahoo account has been completely restored, including the comment referenced above. I'll gladly chalk this entire matter up to nothing more than a Yahoo glitch. Also today, my first couple of Facebook posts - one in reference to this latest recall - have appeared in real-time in Public Posts. I'll continue to monitor.
Lemme get this straight. The Recall King received firsthand knowledge of a faulty window switch that heats up and smells. Then, over the next four years (!) there were fires and injuries as consumers lodged a flurry of complaints with both Toyota and NHTSA. Things drag on as many consumers give up, vehicles are traded in or totalled in accidents, and Toyota avoids the expense and embarrassment of a major recall. And as recently as April of this year, Toyota alludes to its "extensive analysis" of the problem, telling NHTSA that all is well. Right. Buy more time, hoping to hold out until the problem magically disappears. And yet there's no indication that NHTSA has gotten so much as a whiff of the ol' proverbial rat in this matter.
The more I look at Toyota's business practices, the more I blame the government for an appalling lack of oversight and an unwillingness to levy appropriate punishments. Previous fines for delays in reporting defects have apparently done little to change Toyota's behavior. As I said at the time, NHTSA's "record-setting fines" were a mere slap on their friend's wrist, adding insult to injury by allowing Toyota to cut a cozy deal whereby the Recall King avoided any admission of wrongdoing. I shudder to think what Toyota is getting away with when it comes to defects that don't meet the government's criteria for "safety related." Like, for example, all those engine failures in MR2 Spyders.
Toyota is the story of complaints galore, a driver falsely imprisoned due to Toyota's problems with unintended acceleration, thousands of signatures on a continuing petition about oil sludge, eventual disclosure of every kind of defect imaginable, spectacular safety recalls, government fines, deaths, injuries, federal grand jury proceedings, a congressional investigation, prosecution under the RICO Act, zillions of lawsuits, confidential out-of-court settlements...
Maybe its time for the government to list Toyota as a terrorist organization.
Update 10/13/2012 - This post has been censored (for the past five hours at least) from appearing in Facebook's Public Posts. And I'd love to post comments on Yahoo, but about a month ago, I posted a comment implying that the CIA was stirring up anti-American activities in the Middle East. The comment was removed, and I was immediately blocked from posting any more comments below Yahoo news articles. Efforts to get Yahoo to correct this have been unsuccessful.
Update 10/18/2012 - As of today, my Yahoo account has been completely restored, including the comment referenced above. I'll gladly chalk this entire matter up to nothing more than a Yahoo glitch. Also today, my first couple of Facebook posts - one in reference to this latest recall - have appeared in real-time in Public Posts. I'll continue to monitor.
Friday, March 2, 2012
CNN censors my comments
I figured I'd been blacklisted a short while back when I attempted to post a comment critical of the Marines for gunning down unarmed men (one in a wheelchair), women, and children - including a two year old toddler - at Haditha, Iraq. Despite e-mails goin' back and forth for days twixt me and CNN - talk about a runaround - somehow CNN never did manage to get me logged in.
Now this.
I saw CNN's story about a late breaking disclosure regarding Recall King Toyota's ongoing problems with sudden, unintended acceleration, scanned the comments, and noticed that - strangely enough - I was already logged in. Cautiously optimistic that a previous glitch had been corrected, I submitted a somewhat less than favorable comment about the ol' Recall King, and sure-enough-wouldn't-ya-know-it a message popped up that the comment had to be moderated before being posted. Recalling my experience with Reuters, I expected the comment to be censored. Just to make sure, I monitored for awhile, and yes - good ol' free speech lovin' America was on the move again. COMMENT CENSORED.
Of course, I'll expose such blatant repression to some degree by bloggin' about it and spreading the word otherwise as best I can. Bottom line is that Internet censorship demonstrates American cowardice and deceit. The same kinda stuff that's responsible for lettin' a bunch like Toyota kick folks around in the first place.
For cryin' out loud, Uncle Sam: If the "home of the brave" is gonna have free speech, let's have it. If not, at least have guts enough to say so.
Update 3/2/2012 - I submitted three additional "comments" to CNN: #1, a link to this blog post, #2, a copy of my Facebook post, and #3, a copy of my tweet. Of course, none were published, but I think CNN got the message.
Now this.
I saw CNN's story about a late breaking disclosure regarding Recall King Toyota's ongoing problems with sudden, unintended acceleration, scanned the comments, and noticed that - strangely enough - I was already logged in. Cautiously optimistic that a previous glitch had been corrected, I submitted a somewhat less than favorable comment about the ol' Recall King, and sure-enough-wouldn't-ya-know-it a message popped up that the comment had to be moderated before being posted. Recalling my experience with Reuters, I expected the comment to be censored. Just to make sure, I monitored for awhile, and yes - good ol' free speech lovin' America was on the move again. COMMENT CENSORED.
Of course, I'll expose such blatant repression to some degree by bloggin' about it and spreading the word otherwise as best I can. Bottom line is that Internet censorship demonstrates American cowardice and deceit. The same kinda stuff that's responsible for lettin' a bunch like Toyota kick folks around in the first place.
For cryin' out loud, Uncle Sam: If the "home of the brave" is gonna have free speech, let's have it. If not, at least have guts enough to say so.
Update 3/2/2012 - I submitted three additional "comments" to CNN: #1, a link to this blog post, #2, a copy of my Facebook post, and #3, a copy of my tweet. Of course, none were published, but I think CNN got the message.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Bloomberg removes my comments re GT 86
Toyota just can't stand the truth. Now that some of the Recall King's lousy products and obscene attitudes toward customers has been exposed, there's an air of desperation as this sorry excuse for a business seeks to recapture those good ol' days when consumers were less wary of the brand. And mainstream media, from industry giants to those less notable, are rushing to Toyota's aid. Coverup is the name. Censorship is the game.
Things are really heatin' up now that Toyota has partnered with Subaru in an effort to produce another sports car. The last thing Toyota needs is publicity about all those MR2 Spyder engines that suddenly disintegrated and Toyota's determination to stonewall the matter hoping it would eventually go away. So what if customers lost - and continue to lose - thousands of dollars on engine replacements? So what if the things fall apart at speed in heavy traffic? "So what?" says the Recall King. We got a new effort goin' now. A new model we've been callin' the FT-86 which we're now callin' the GT 86 (Scion FR-S). Definitely the time to keep it quiet about all those engine failures in MR2 Spyders.
Just think of the embarrassment it would be if Toyota had to recall a whole slew of MR2 Spyders just when they're tryin' to introduce another sports car. Not to worry. Its mainstream media to the rescue. To begin with, I noticed a flurry of "articles" singin' the praises of the GT 86 (formerly FT-86) but no comments were permitted. One of those "articles" came via Bloomberg, and I sent an e-mail to the reporter and the editor expressing my displeasure. Then I noticed the same article had also appeared in Bloomberg's BusinessWeek section, comments were allowed, and a comment I submitted had been published. So I fired off apologies. But alas. I spoke too soon. Wouldn't ya know it? My comment was removed, and a second entry was also removed.
Apologies to Bloomberg retracted, but here's the deal. I really hit a nerve when I started commenting about the GT 86 and referencing engines disintegrating in MR2 Spyders. After a mere handful of auto news websites published my comments, visits to this blog literally soared, topping 85 hits almost immediately. That's the deal, and here's the question: Instead of censoring comments, why haven't mainstream media giants such as Bloomberg - not to mention Consumer Reports - exposed all those engine failures in MR2 Spyders?
Its time for Recall King Toyota and their cohorts in mainstream media to clean up their act.
Update 11/28/2011 - Facebook has blocked a link to this post from appearing in real-time Public Posts, and apparently Facebook is also playin' games with the excerpt from the article that ordinarily appears when links to articles are posted on one's page. The excerpt section was inoperable for this blog post, but still appeared for an article I drafted linking to another media source. Note also that real-time Public Posts on Facebook are searchable via other venues such as Openbook and Bing, so Facebook's censorship tactics in this regard are more sinister than one might think.
Things are really heatin' up now that Toyota has partnered with Subaru in an effort to produce another sports car. The last thing Toyota needs is publicity about all those MR2 Spyder engines that suddenly disintegrated and Toyota's determination to stonewall the matter hoping it would eventually go away. So what if customers lost - and continue to lose - thousands of dollars on engine replacements? So what if the things fall apart at speed in heavy traffic? "So what?" says the Recall King. We got a new effort goin' now. A new model we've been callin' the FT-86 which we're now callin' the GT 86 (Scion FR-S). Definitely the time to keep it quiet about all those engine failures in MR2 Spyders.
Just think of the embarrassment it would be if Toyota had to recall a whole slew of MR2 Spyders just when they're tryin' to introduce another sports car. Not to worry. Its mainstream media to the rescue. To begin with, I noticed a flurry of "articles" singin' the praises of the GT 86 (formerly FT-86) but no comments were permitted. One of those "articles" came via Bloomberg, and I sent an e-mail to the reporter and the editor expressing my displeasure. Then I noticed the same article had also appeared in Bloomberg's BusinessWeek section, comments were allowed, and a comment I submitted had been published. So I fired off apologies. But alas. I spoke too soon. Wouldn't ya know it? My comment was removed, and a second entry was also removed.
Apologies to Bloomberg retracted, but here's the deal. I really hit a nerve when I started commenting about the GT 86 and referencing engines disintegrating in MR2 Spyders. After a mere handful of auto news websites published my comments, visits to this blog literally soared, topping 85 hits almost immediately. That's the deal, and here's the question: Instead of censoring comments, why haven't mainstream media giants such as Bloomberg - not to mention Consumer Reports - exposed all those engine failures in MR2 Spyders?
Its time for Recall King Toyota and their cohorts in mainstream media to clean up their act.
Update 11/28/2011 - Facebook has blocked a link to this post from appearing in real-time Public Posts, and apparently Facebook is also playin' games with the excerpt from the article that ordinarily appears when links to articles are posted on one's page. The excerpt section was inoperable for this blog post, but still appeared for an article I drafted linking to another media source. Note also that real-time Public Posts on Facebook are searchable via other venues such as Openbook and Bing, so Facebook's censorship tactics in this regard are more sinister than one might think.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Wired for censorship
Here we go again. As visits to this blog approach the 10,000 mark (probably closer to 13,000 if you include visits before the counter was installed), there seems to be an increase in efforts to censor comments I submit on articles regarding Toyota.
The latest instance bears an eerie resemblance to the censorship by Reuters. Last week, I read an article published by an outfit called Wired.com and decided to comment on Toyota's absurd marketing program whereby a woman was literally terrorized and has now won a court decision allowing her lawsuit to go forward. As with Reuters, I initially had difficulty logging in, even if I tried to do so using my Facebook or other accounts. After requesting password assistance, I finally got logged in, submitted my comment, and got the "comment subject to moderation" message. The comment was blocked, and submitted a second time with the same result.
So I e-mailed a complaint titled "Censorship re 9/12/11 Toyota cyberstalking article" to Kim Zetter, the person who wrote the article, stating "My comment was blocked, and I find this totally inexcusable, especially after reviewing some of the comments that were approved. If moderators are going to block comments, they should start with those that contain four letter filth and various other forms of offensive language." Interestingly enough, Zetter is billed as a "senior reporter at Wired covering cybercrime, privacy, security, and civil liberties." Emphasis most certainly mine.
Apparently, Zetter either didn't get the message, was too busy to reply, or agrees with the decision not to publish my comment. Whatever. At this time, still no replies.
Beware of Wired. They're the kinda folks who apparently don't see anything objectionable about anonymous commentary spouting four letter filth and insults, but are willing to block comments stated in a businesslike manner, devoid of obscenities, and accompanied by the writer's real name. Blatant, inexcusable censorship has become business as usual in America. And that's a real shame.
Update 9/20/2011 - I dropped wired.com a link to this post via another comment, and of course I got the "subject to moderation" notice. No problem this time. I think they'll get the message.
Update 9/20/2011 - Facebook has censored this post from Posts to Public. Glad I got it out on Twitter.
The latest instance bears an eerie resemblance to the censorship by Reuters. Last week, I read an article published by an outfit called Wired.com and decided to comment on Toyota's absurd marketing program whereby a woman was literally terrorized and has now won a court decision allowing her lawsuit to go forward. As with Reuters, I initially had difficulty logging in, even if I tried to do so using my Facebook or other accounts. After requesting password assistance, I finally got logged in, submitted my comment, and got the "comment subject to moderation" message. The comment was blocked, and submitted a second time with the same result.
So I e-mailed a complaint titled "Censorship re 9/12/11 Toyota cyberstalking article" to Kim Zetter, the person who wrote the article, stating "My comment was blocked, and I find this totally inexcusable, especially after reviewing some of the comments that were approved. If moderators are going to block comments, they should start with those that contain four letter filth and various other forms of offensive language." Interestingly enough, Zetter is billed as a "senior reporter at Wired covering cybercrime, privacy, security, and civil liberties." Emphasis most certainly mine.
Apparently, Zetter either didn't get the message, was too busy to reply, or agrees with the decision not to publish my comment. Whatever. At this time, still no replies.
Beware of Wired. They're the kinda folks who apparently don't see anything objectionable about anonymous commentary spouting four letter filth and insults, but are willing to block comments stated in a businesslike manner, devoid of obscenities, and accompanied by the writer's real name. Blatant, inexcusable censorship has become business as usual in America. And that's a real shame.
Update 9/20/2011 - I dropped wired.com a link to this post via another comment, and of course I got the "subject to moderation" notice. No problem this time. I think they'll get the message.
Update 9/20/2011 - Facebook has censored this post from Posts to Public. Glad I got it out on Twitter.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Reuters, closed session summits, and Toyota
If there's any so-called news organization I'd hate to have to depend on for facts, it would be Reuters. So it caught my eye when I read that Reuters was sponsoring a "Rebuilding Japan Summit," featuring "closed door on-the-record sessions." My interest was further piqued when I read Reuters' summit report publicizing comments by Toyota Executive Vice President Yukitoshi Funo. The report offered a rosey assessment of the company, omitting items such as recalls totalling 14 million units, record setting government fines for delays in reporting defects, a federal grand jury investigation, and a zillion lawsuits alleging coverup. Is this kind of "summit" genuine journalism? Or a cleverly contrived form of censorship?
Lately it seems there's been a sudden surge in mainstream media articles intent on ignoring facts and portraying the Recall King as some sort of innocent bystander. Meanwhile, the Toyota defect parade marches on with numerous recent recalls and the punishment of an engineer-turned-whistleblower in Vietnam. Guess I musta missed Reuters' "coverage" of the situation in Vietnam.
What Toyota, Japan, and the good ol' U.S.A. needs is something along the line of a "Toyota Engine Failure Summit" featuring reps from MR2 clubs along with past and present Spyder owners who lost thousands when their engines suddenly fell apart. Anyone who signed the ongoing oil sludge petition would also be invited to tell their stories regarding Toyota's "class action settlement." Bigwigs from Toyota, a few select congressmen, and representatives from the Department of Transportation would be on hand to field concerns, assured that the entire event would be nationally televised.
Somehow, I don't think that's the kind of summit Reuters would like to see.
Lately it seems there's been a sudden surge in mainstream media articles intent on ignoring facts and portraying the Recall King as some sort of innocent bystander. Meanwhile, the Toyota defect parade marches on with numerous recent recalls and the punishment of an engineer-turned-whistleblower in Vietnam. Guess I musta missed Reuters' "coverage" of the situation in Vietnam.
What Toyota, Japan, and the good ol' U.S.A. needs is something along the line of a "Toyota Engine Failure Summit" featuring reps from MR2 clubs along with past and present Spyder owners who lost thousands when their engines suddenly fell apart. Anyone who signed the ongoing oil sludge petition would also be invited to tell their stories regarding Toyota's "class action settlement." Bigwigs from Toyota, a few select congressmen, and representatives from the Department of Transportation would be on hand to field concerns, assured that the entire event would be nationally televised.
Somehow, I don't think that's the kind of summit Reuters would like to see.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Reuters bans my comments re Toyota
Reuters news organization has informed me that my account has been "banned from commenting." This comes as no shock, because Reuters has previously removed my remarks regarding Toyota. This is, however, the first time I've been banned per se from expressing my opinion on a website.
The way Reuters' ban came about is interesting. A few weeks ago, I submitted a comment critical of the Recall King. It was published, but immediately removed. I resubmitted a time or two with the same result, whereupon I exposed Reuters' blatant censorship on Twitter and Facebook and submitted copies of the posts to Reuters via another comment, which, of course was never published nor did I expect it to be. Apparently, however, Reuters took notice.
Yesterday, I submitted a comment on Reuters' article regarding Toyota's latest recall of 333,000 units - RAV4s and Highlanders - for an airbag defect. What I immediately encountered was difficulty signing in, even if I used my Facebook account. So I finally requested password assistance and got logged on. Then I submitted a comment rakin' Toyota over well deserved coals for their never ending parade of defects. But unlike before, the comment wasn't published, even temporarily. Instead, I got a message that the comment would be "moderated." Apparently, that's Reutersese for "censored."
So I waited an hour or two - not expectin' much - and again fired off a complaint tweet and a post on Facebook exposin' Reuters' rebuff of free speech. Then - like before - I attempted to send Reuters copies, and that's when I immediately got the message that my account had been banned from commenting. Yessir, I'll bet ol' Reuters already knew about me exposin' 'em again on Facebook and Twitter, and decided to throw a tantrum by just flat out bannin' my remarks altogether. "That'll teach the guy to get smart with a kingpin of mainstream media such as Reuters."
If it weren't for serious issues of free speech, Reuters' childish response to my opinions about Toyota would be downright funny. Do they wish to control the dissemination of newsworthy information? Or is it merely hubris confounding common sense in the age of the Internet? Hard to say at this point, but it sure makes a body wonder what kinda relationship Reuters has with Toyota.
Rest assured, Reuters, that I'm not anywhere close to intimidated. I'll be exposin' the likes of you and Toyota every chance I get.
Update 4/23/2011 - Reuters must have complained to Facebook, because when I referenced this blog post, Facebook blocked the information from Posts by Everyone.
Update 4/24/2011 - Today I referenced this blog post again on Facebook, and the reference was published in Posts by Everyone.
The way Reuters' ban came about is interesting. A few weeks ago, I submitted a comment critical of the Recall King. It was published, but immediately removed. I resubmitted a time or two with the same result, whereupon I exposed Reuters' blatant censorship on Twitter and Facebook and submitted copies of the posts to Reuters via another comment, which, of course was never published nor did I expect it to be. Apparently, however, Reuters took notice.
Yesterday, I submitted a comment on Reuters' article regarding Toyota's latest recall of 333,000 units - RAV4s and Highlanders - for an airbag defect. What I immediately encountered was difficulty signing in, even if I used my Facebook account. So I finally requested password assistance and got logged on. Then I submitted a comment rakin' Toyota over well deserved coals for their never ending parade of defects. But unlike before, the comment wasn't published, even temporarily. Instead, I got a message that the comment would be "moderated." Apparently, that's Reutersese for "censored."
So I waited an hour or two - not expectin' much - and again fired off a complaint tweet and a post on Facebook exposin' Reuters' rebuff of free speech. Then - like before - I attempted to send Reuters copies, and that's when I immediately got the message that my account had been banned from commenting. Yessir, I'll bet ol' Reuters already knew about me exposin' 'em again on Facebook and Twitter, and decided to throw a tantrum by just flat out bannin' my remarks altogether. "That'll teach the guy to get smart with a kingpin of mainstream media such as Reuters."
If it weren't for serious issues of free speech, Reuters' childish response to my opinions about Toyota would be downright funny. Do they wish to control the dissemination of newsworthy information? Or is it merely hubris confounding common sense in the age of the Internet? Hard to say at this point, but it sure makes a body wonder what kinda relationship Reuters has with Toyota.
Rest assured, Reuters, that I'm not anywhere close to intimidated. I'll be exposin' the likes of you and Toyota every chance I get.
Update 4/23/2011 - Reuters must have complained to Facebook, because when I referenced this blog post, Facebook blocked the information from Posts by Everyone.
Update 4/24/2011 - Today I referenced this blog post again on Facebook, and the reference was published in Posts by Everyone.
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