There's an awful lot of unwarranted attention by federal govt to GM competitors

[Questor]

Very interestingly we see that a couple of routine recalls from Toyota are met with a wildly disproportionate response from the owners of General Motors and Chrysler.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/04/transportation-department-opens-probe-brake-problems-toyota-prius-model/

And then there was yesterday's call by the head of the federal DOT for people to quit driving their Toyotas immediately.

[Questor]

So here's the question: Will it be cheaper for car compaines to keep silent and not recall faulty products because the cost of a recall is too high after the costs of federal intervention are taken into account?

The sticky throttle problem affected few people and it may have been cheaper to risk a law suit by specific plaintiffs.

[teamnelson]

Heard its going to cost Toyota a Billion (with a B) just in actual service and repair. [and the faulty part was made in the U.S. ??] Lost sales, higher scrutiny ... who knows. Now the Prius is under scrutiny for 4 reported cases of temporary anti-lock brake failure on uneven ground, which they addressed in Dec of 2009 by reconfiguring the software ... but watch us pull those off the roads too.

Comrades, why would you want to buy an inferior product from those denizens of capitalism in Japan, when you could have the people's car? Buy Govt Motors, and support the motherland! Deutchland, Deutchland, uber alles ... oh wait, sorry. Are we still a republic? 

[Questor]

Ah! TeamNelson. How are things going with the new guitar?

[teamnelson]

Ah! TeamNelson. How are things going with the new guitar?

Awesome, thanks for asking; a good guitar makes all the difference in the world!

[Questor]

And I'm not the only one making this observation
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5im7AzPBsRb2Q_qT0FXa8DxrjjLwA

[Questor]

TeamNelson:

That's great. My son's acousting is a piece of junk. I tried borrowing in a few times and it's so bad I just don't like it. The strings seem like they're a foot off the fretboard and everything is really hard to do.

[Oldshooter]

You know, I was driving around town today and was thinking the same thing. I believe there are forces afoot to discredit Toyota, and Honda, and next will be Ford. Now granted, Toyota has a problem, but they are fixing it. also is honda. amazing how now Toyota has flashed  on the state run media about brakes on the prius!

Me Thinks there is something rotten in Denmark!
Could it be that Gm Lost a bucket load of money and "Da Furor" is wanting to give GM a hand up?

I Dunnnnnnoo? Could be! WE might wanna check to see "WHO" is having these problems with Toyota's. Only 123 complaints of prius brake problems. Acorn and the like could field that many folk from one county.

I'm not one for conspiracies, but this is too timely and convenient.

Not to say that Toyota did not have serious problems with accelerators but it seems there is piling on!

[teamnelson]

See its still nagging me that the accelerator part was made in Elkhurst, or at least some reports have said that. Is it beyond the imagination that something sketchy was going on to create this opportunity to hammer GM's competition? I genuinely try not to let my imagination run wild, but this just has me scratching my head.

[torpedoman]

things like this happen when the people running the government have no experience at running anything.

[nomosendero]

Very interestingly we see that a couple of routine recalls from Toyota are met with a wildly disproportionate response from the owners of General Motors and Chrysler.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/02/04/transportation-department-opens-probe-brake-problems-toyota-prius-model/

And then there was yesterday's call by the head of the federal DOT for people to quit driving their Toyotas immediately.

This is true, but it's a double whammy. GM & Chrysler are ran by the Gov., but the Labor Unions are buddies with Obama, in bed together  big time. So, the other part of the equation is to prepare war on any Non-Union car plants.

[mbopp]

There have been over 1000 complaints lodged against GM for Cobalt power steering failures. With 100,000 cars that's a 1% failure rate but this isn't generating the press Toyota is getting.
Oh, yeah - since it's Government Motors now the competetion will get all the attention.

[bilmac]

I ran into this during the Clinton administration. Tyson foods was a big contributor to his war chest. I was in Nebraska at the time and one of their competators had some trouble with hamburger. Way way overblown press coverage and they about bankrupted themselves with huge recalls.

I kind of got on an inside track because I was sitting on a Federal grand jury at the time, and the Feds were trying to charge the leadership of the company with actual crimes. I thought the charges were bogus and politically motivated, and made a few speeches trying to defend the poor guys, but the jury I was on were a bunch of sheep that rubber stamped what ever the prosecutors wanted.

Using the power of the Federal government to crush the competition of their friends in business is a common trick of democrats.

[nomosendero]

I ran into this during the Clinton administration. Tyson foods was a big contributor to his war chest. I was in Nebraska at the time and one of their competators had some trouble with hamburger. Way way overblown press coverage and they about bankrupted themselves with huge recalls.

I kind of got on an inside track because I was sitting on a Federal grand jury at the time, and the Feds were trying to charge the leadership of the company with actual crimes. I thought the charges were bogus and politically motivated, and made a few speeches trying to defend the poor guys, but the jury I was on were a bunch of sheep that rubber stamped what ever the prosecutors wanted.

Using the power of the Federal government to crush the competition of their friends in business is a common trick of democrats.

Yes & Socialists as well. Excuse me, you did say Democrats, same thing, my bad! 

[Oldshooter]

Well this thread is making me feel better! I was starting to think I was just getting paranoid. Sometimes I start thinking I'm just hating too much, and "They" aren't evil and are just trying to fix the problems of this country. Then I wake up from the pleasant dream and realize that I am right in not trusting them and the corruption is rampant and there is complicity!

[SM Bob]

There is something that stinks of Chicago style politics here. If they are confronted by the facts,
in this case Toyota is kicking Government Motors rear end in sales because they have a well
established reputation for reliability and quality, and Government motors doesn't, so they pull
a smear job with the help of 99% of the media which is of course happy to do the dirty work for
Hussein and his buddies.
It's laughable really. The media gives a 5 second sound bite from some woman who obviously has
zero mechanical aptitude saying something like, "I'm not taking any chances! I'm getting rid of
my Toyota right now! They are just too dangerous!" They might sway a few people with this, but
the vast majority of Toyota owners aren't fooled by it at all and would buy another Toyota in a
heartbeat. Myself included!

                                          Robert

[ironglow]

  Couldn't be a CONFLICT OF INTEREST could it ?  
   Govt Motors is still losing itr's shirt ..and the unions are pulling the shirt tail over their head.  How about that Cobalt power steering ? How come there is not a big, federal hue & cry over that ?  http://www.prurgent.com/2010-02-04/pressrelease76706.htm
   Look for things to get rough for Toyota..all the more reason decent, fair play types should back them. Remember the Democrats, the  Clintons and Chicago style politics don't just try to beat their rivals...they do their best to DESTROY them. Truth, honor and dignity have no place in it either....
   Sure is a poignant exclamation mark..how Ford did not cave to Marxism as GM & Chrysler did...Ford is doing well, making a profit and government motors (both of them) are still struggling....I say, let's boycott government motors..even if it means going to Nissan, Hyundai, Kia, VW or Honda. Each of them in their class offers a better buy anyway.

   No government motors for me...sounds too much of the old Soviet union..

[billy_56081]

As I was told by an Indian a long time ago. "Don't steal from the government, they hate competition".

[ironglow]

  did you ever wonder what would become of GM & Chrysler when the government has run them for a few years ?    

         Well, here's an example of a car built under Socialism/Marxism. The car many abandoned when the iron curtain came down.
          
    THE MIGHTY TRABANT..see first a spanking new one, then one a couple years old...  What we are in for ..in an Obama-nation !

  Oohhh..The glories of Socialism....