Topic: Toyota / Lexus Tidbits

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I use a satellite service facitility for my VW, and I think it really makes sense if dealers are interested and there's opportunity.

Toyota seeks a home on the range for Tundra
Satellite stores target rural buyers

Mark Rechtin  |   |  Automotive News / November 20, 2006 - 1:00 am
 
MADISONVILLE, Texas -- If Toyota is going to double the sales of its new Tundra full-sized pickup, it will have to make hay in rural small towns like this one.

Madisonville is home to a Wal-Mart, several fast-food restaurants, feed and tractor stores, a few banks and a population of just over 4,000. About 250 miles northeast of the new Tundra assembly plant in San Antonio, the town is the prototype for Toyota's new "rural opportunity markets."

After 50 years of concentrating on metropolitan areas, Toyota is ramping up its rural representation. It plans to dot the countryside with satellite sales and service outlets owned by dealers in larger markets.

The program is in its pilot stage. But Toyota's aim to make the redesigned Tundra a big player in the large pickup market hinges on its ability to connect with farmers and ranchers.

Paul Atkinson opened Toyota's first satellite store here in July. The 52-year-old Atkinson owned a Chrysler store, then a recreational vehicle dealership, before opening Atkinson Toyota in Bryan, Texas, in 1999. He has done well by Toyota. His mid-sized operation has a company plane and Atkinson owns a 460-acre spread outside Bryan. So with the Texas-built truck in Toyota's pipeline he was willing to take a chance on Atkinson Toyota Madisonville.

Indeed, the Madisonville store would have never happened if an existing dealer had not raised his hand.

Seven Toyota dealerships ringed this vast swath of east-central Texas, but there was a hole in the rural middle. Normally, an outlet in a small town such as Madisonville, which is about midway between Houston and Dallas, would be financially impractical. But the store that Atkinson has plunked down here as a satellite to his large dealership in Bryan, 40 miles away, could prove a winner.

Store needs a mother

All of Toyota's rural opportunity market stores will be branches of bigger stores, but they will be full-service operations.

"Could we have done this without the mother store? No way. It never would have made it," Atkinson said in an interview. "You can't build a store like this and expect to make a lot of money," he said. "Can I make this work? I look long term. I'll tread water until the new Tundra arrives."

Atkinson will get his new Tundras at the same time as everyone else -- in February.

Currently, Toyota's rural ambitions are small-scale. Including Atkinson's store, the company is studying 50 other rural pilot stores around the country. But only five, all in Texas, have signed letters of intent.

If those are successful, Toyota may add more rural opportunity market dealerships in other states with vast remote areas, such as Montana, Kansas and the Dakotas, said Don Esmond, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.'s senior vice president of automotive operations.

"We do well in the smile (coastal) states, but our growth opportunities are in the Midwest," he said.

Outflanking the domestics

In the 40-mile radius market area that encompasses the Bryan and Madisonville Toyota dealerships, there are seven General Motors stores, six Ford stores and five Chrysler group franchises. A different individual owns each of those 18 domestic dealerships. That cost inefficiency is where Atkinson sees an advantage, and the ability to outflank his domestic rivals.

Madisonville may be rural, but it is hardly remote. The Toyota dealership is on the edge of town, where I-45 and State Route 190 intersect. That means 50,000 vehicles drive past every day.

Already, Atkinson's new store is making a dent. Alongside two rows of 2006 Tundras are a dozen traded-in domestic pickups. Just the same, volumes are modest. Bryan typically sells 150 new vehicles a month; Madisonville sells about 50. That's not enough for the smaller store to go it alone.

That's why Atkinson's two dealerships share a sales director, back-office operations, training and information technology. Atkinson renovated the Bryan store while building Madisonville, using the same contractor and many of the same architectural fixtures.

Most of the new-car inventory stays in Bryan's bigger lot, but the online inventory list combines both stores. Most of Atkinson's spare parts are housed in Bryan, while Madisonville has a much smaller warehouse.

Helping with the baby

The differences between Bryan and Madisonville are as clear as city and country. Bryan does most of its car sales on Saturday. Madisonville might as well be closed on weekends. In Bryan, the Tundra is the fourth-best seller in the Toyota lineup. It is the clear top seller in Madisonville. There's a waiting list for FJ Cruisers in Bryan, but two blue models sit idle in Madisonville. And while shoppers in Bryan often are in buy-today mode, Madisonville customers like to take their time and build relationships.

Atkinson says he can't split his time between the two stores on the same day. "I'm all charged up from hustle and bustle of the Bryan store, and Madisonville is more laid back," Atkinson said. "I'd come running in and scare all the people here. So I spend two days in Bryan for every day in Madisonville. I have to have a different mind-set when I come here."

Hay-roots marketing

The contrast is noticeable in marketing as well. "Typical advertising isn't going to do it. I need to be more grass-roots," Atkinson said. "I need to be present at the tractor supply, the farms, the feed stores."

For instance, when the new Tundra arrives, Atkinson plans to load a trailer with a few tons of hay, take it to the local feed store and demonstrate the Tundra's towing prowess.

Atkinson isn't figuring on the Madisonville dealership being a big sales point, but he does see a future in service. Currently, he has four service bays, but he can quickly blow out the back wall to make room for more.

"Service is a consideration when you are buying a truck," Atkinson said. "With the Bryan store, people from around here were driving past two or three domestic dealers to get to us. If we get these folks in for scheduled maintenance, we have a customer for life."

[ArticSteve]

That's brilliant strategy.

In the County of Grey here in Ontario GM has closed down 4 small dealers in small towns because they would not build new dealerships with drive through service.  Insane thinking is putting it lightly.

Markdale, Tara, Chelsey and I forgot the name of the other place.  So what do those GM customers do now?  Drive the 30 kms to Owen Sound and buy a Toyota. 

[Ex-airbalancer]

I would like to see BMW have satellite service facility
VW has a satellite service facility in town
It is easy to buy vehicles, but service is the hard part if you have drive 45 mins to get to the dealer

[sirAQUAMAN64]

VW has a satellite service facility in town

The one I use 

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Article on Tacoma and impact of the redesign vs Ford Ranger...
http://www.globeauto.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061129.wh-trucks30/GAStory/specialGlobeAuto/

[mrthompson]

Unlike Toyota with the Tacoma, Ford last completely reinvented the Ranger some two decades ago.

False.  The Ranger was last redesigned for 1998.  It received a more powerful 4.0L engine, 5 speed auto transmission, and chassis/suspension.

[Ex-airbalancer]

Unlike Toyota with the Tacoma, Ford last completely reinvented the Ranger some two decades ago.

False.  The Ranger was last redesigned for 1998.  It received a more powerful 4.0L engine, 5 speed auto transmission, and chassis/suspension.

It just looks like the Ranger is 2 decades old

[mrthompson]

I'll agree with you on that.   

[safristi]

I'm NOT a day Ovr 50.......

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Sienna HP upped (along with slight bump in price) from 215 to 266 for '07. Good on them for continuing to offer AWD on their minivan when no one else does. With the price of SUVs, it's looking pretty good.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/061208-1.htm

Toyota introduces more powerful 2007 Sienna minivan

Toronto, Ontario - Toyota Canada has introduced the 2007 Sienna, which it says is now one of the most powerful minivans sold in Canada. Every Sienna uses a new 3.5-litre V6 with 266 hp that replaces the 3.3-litre V6 with 215 hp.

The 2007 Sienna is available with seven- or eight-passenger seating, and with front- or all-wheel drive. Pricing begins at $31,200 for the seven-passenger CE FWD, an increase of $400, and tops out at $51,375 for the XLE AWD. All-wheel drive is available on every trim level; it is a full-time system, with torque split between all the wheels.

The new 3.5-litre V6 features a lightweight aluminum alloy block, dual variable valve timing, and drive-by-wire throttle control; fuel figures are 11.7 L/100 km in the city and 8.1 L/100 km on the highway for FWD models, an improvement over the previous engine's rating of 12.4 City/8.2 Hwy; and 13.3 L/100 and 9.5 L/100 km for AWD models.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

The Lexus December To Remember ads with red bows that have run in the US for years are very effective IMO. I love their voiceover person's distinctive voice as well.

Giving luxury cars as Christmas gifts? 'Tis the season

Jean Halliday  |   |  Advertising Age / December 11, 2006 - 1:00 am
 
What's on your Christmas list - a Lexus, a Jaguar or a Lincoln?

It might seem excessive to park a $75,500 Jaguar XK coupe near the Christmas tree. But some luxury-brand dealers estimate that between 5 and 20 percent of the vehicles they sell in December are holiday presents.

Most of the gift-givers are men shopping for their significant others, says Alan Graham, general manager of Erhard BMW in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Many of the gift cars are convertibles, Graham adds.

"Most (purchases) seem to be real impromptu," Graham says. "People come in a day or two before" the holiday, he says.

Other luxury dealers say December is their best sales month. The busiest week of the year at Park Place Lexus in Plano, Texas, falls between Christmas and New Year's Day, says Troy Tucker, the dealership's new-car sales manager.

Since 1995, Lexus has used "December to Remember" as the tag line of its year-end advertising. In 1998, it started dressing cars with giant red bows in its holiday-themed ads.

It wasn't until 1999, though, that the ads began to show people giving Lexus vehicles as gifts. Deborah Senior, Lexus' corporate manager of advertising, estimates that 10 percent of the brand's vehicles bought in December are presents.

Lexus gives several huge bows to each dealership and enables stores to obtain more, Tucker says. He says he has ordered about 100 enormous red bows and ribbons this holiday season. "We'll use them all," he says.

Several buyers already have told Tucker they want new cars decorated and delivered as surprise holiday gifts.

Ralph Fisher, general manager of Mercedes-Benz Manhattan, estimates that about 10 percent of his December new-vehicle sales are gifts "in some way."

He says some buyers "reward themselves for a good year" or after their holiday bonuses arrive. The dealership sold more than 300 new vehicles last December.

Nashville dealer Martin Bennett sells Jaguar, Audi and Porsche vehicles. Jaguar is his most popular brand for holiday gift-giving, he says. Still, he estimates that gifts account for less than 10 percent of his December Jaguar sales.

Bennett says his dealership "gets a push" from seasonal ads. He laments that Jaguar has strayed from its "Unwrap a Jaguar" holiday ad theme.

Bennett's most memorable holiday customer: country singer Garth Brooks, who once visited the dealership to buy five Jaguars for his management team.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

When Lexus launches LS 460, it's party time
Dealers use arenas, museums to attract customers

Mark Rechtin  |   |  Automotive News / December 11, 2006 - 1:00 am
 
LOS ANGELES -- When a significant new vehicle arrives on the scene, dealerships typically break out the wine and cheese for a sneak preview for their best customers.

Unless you're talking about Lexus.

At a series of coordinated events, Lexus dealers used art galleries, trendy restaurants and sports arenas as the backdrop for the launch of the 2007 LS 460 sedan. In some cases, competing dealers in a region pooled their resources to have an even splashier shindig.

The events show how far luxury automakers are willing to go to attract and retain their best customers. Just a couple of years ago, it was a big deal when Aston Martin rented out the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles to launch the $165,400 DB9 coupe. Now such events may be the price of entry for any luxury player.

Did the Lexus parties work? Since the car's Oct. 20 launch, 182 preview events have drawn more than 70,000 owners of Lexus vehicles or their close competitors.

Lexus Division gave dealers guidelines for the events. An information kit included recommendations for invitations, menus, music, product specialists, training - even floral displays. It also included important dates such as upcoming advertising, said Lexus spokeswoman Julie Alfonso.

Lexus' area offices helped dealers coordinate and host the events, often challenging the retailers to create events in unusual venues, Alfonso said.
 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lexus lounges
Among the locations dealers used to host LS 460 launch events
Atlanta: High Museum of Art
Memphis, Tenn.: FedEx Forum
Columbus, Ohio: M Restaurant
Cleveland: Playhouse Square Theatre
Pittsburgh: Heinz Field
Springfield, Mass.: Basketball Hall of Fame
 

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Art of entertaining

In Atlanta, five dealerships banded together to rent the High Museum of Art. But this wasn't just any exhibit. More than 700 attendees saw Rembrandts and Raphaels never before seen outside the Musee du Louvre in Paris.

What's more, the Lexus event was a special private opening, before the doors were open to the public. Similarly, the LS 460 had not yet gone on sale, so it was an exclusive viewing on two fronts.

The total event cost was "well over a couple hundred thousand dollars, but it was worth it," said Peter Hennessy, a multiline dealer who owns two Atlanta Lexus stores.

"On a per-head basis, it was an extraordinarily expensive event. But nobody walked away without having a positive feeling about Lexus and how important this car is. If you're a driver of a Mercedes or BMW, you haven't been to an event like that."

In Memphis, Tenn., Stefan Smith used his dealership's ongoing business partnership with the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association to host the event at FedEx Forum, where the Grizzlies play.

About 400 Lexus owners shared canapes and champagne with NBA legend and Grizzlies executive Jerry West, himself a Lexus owner. Coach Mike Fratello and players Eddie Jones and Dahntay Jones also showed up.

The arena floor was a parking lot for an array of LS 460s. The Jumbotron video board beamed images of attendees.

"The demographics of our customer and the Grizzlies' season ticket-holder are a pretty good match," Smith said. "If the ball team could just get it going like Lexus, they'd have a great team."

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Toyota: How high is up?
Global dominance, sure -- but on GM's home turf, too?

Rick Kranz  |   |  Automotive News / January 8, 2007 - 1:00 am

 
To some it's unthinkable. But it may be inevitable.

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. last year shot past DaimlerChrysler in U.S. sales. In 2007 it is likely to surpass Ford Motor Co. in the United States and General Motors globally. What's next -- Toyota eclipsing GM in the United States?

That would be the final frontier: outselling General Motors on GM's home turf.

Could it really happen?

Well, if Toyota keeps adding U.S. volume and GM keeps losing it at the same pace as in 2006, it could take place before the end of the decade.

Last year Toyota-Lexus-Scion cut the gap between it and GM by 671,274 units.

GM is hovering at just over 4 million sales, and Toyota is now above the 2.5 million mark. That sounds like a lot, but Toyota closed a 1.6 million unit gap with Ford in three years.

The question -- and we don't have the answer: Can Rick Wagoner, Bob Lutz and company fend off the juggernaut from Japan?
 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Closing in
GM's U.S. unit sales lead over Toyota Motor Sales
2006: 1,522,816
2005: 2,194,090
2004: 2,595,410
2003: 2,848,469
2002: 3,063,890
2001: 3,121,407
2000: 3,296,552
Note: GM's numbers include Saab

 

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A flood of numbers

In a topsy-turvy industry, last week's flood of year-end sales numbers only added to the drama.

Altogether, the Detroit 3 domestic brands lost nearly 800,000 units in sales last year compared with the year before. Their combined share slipped to 53.7 percent, from 56.9 percent the year before. The numbers are no mere abstraction. They equate to about four assembly plants and 1,000 dealerships, based on the average throughput of a U.S. store.

And Toyota continues to pile on the pressure. While GM and Ford are scurrying to close plants, Toyota is expected to announce plans for a new assembly plant this year.

A wider Toyota product portfolio with additions such as the Toyota Prius and FJ Cruiser, the Scion family and especially Lexus won over the hearts and pocketbooks of U.S. buyers during the past decade.

GM won't respond to questions about whether Toyota one day might capture the U.S. sales lead. GM speaks from a global perspective.

"Should the day come where GM is no longer the largest (globally), it will come out fighting the next day," says John McCormick, a GM spokesman. "No one should question our continued resolve to compete head-to-head with any automaker."

Detroit woes

Of course, the bloodbath is not limited to GM. Ford Motor had a 2,584,995-unit lead over Toyota in 2000. But Ford ended 2006 just 358,565 units ahead. DaimlerChrysler was 1,109,103 units ahead of Toyota back in 2000 but was running 151,940 units behind at the end of 2006.

But does that foretell a second-place finish for GM in the near future?

Not likely, says Rebecca Lindland, senior market analyst for market researcher Global Insight. Hindering Toyota Motor's U.S. sales growth is its U.S. production capacity. "In the next five years I see them adding two plants and certainly 10 years out, three or four more plants," she says.

Lindland expects GM's market share of 24.5 percent for 2006 to stabilize at 22 percent in 2010 or 2011. But even with the additional plant capacity, Toyota's market share is unlikely to increase above 18 to 19 percent, up from 15.4 percent in 2006.

"GM would really need to shrink significantly in order for Toyota to surpass that in the next five to 10 years" and zoom past GM, taking U.S. sales leadership, Lindland says.

Toyota continues to play down its sales increases. Asked when Toyota U.S. sales will hit 3 million, Jim Lentz, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., said last week during a sales conference call: "We haven't projected out yet."

While Toyota expects "a big increase in Tundra sales, we are not entering a lot of new segments, so our increases will be incremental on a segment-by-segment basis," he said. "We can't expect to see the big 250,000 or 300,000 increases as we have in the past."

[sirAQUAMAN64]

Toyota deal: Here comes the sludge judge

Mark Rechtin  |   |  Automotive News / January 8, 2007 - 1:00 am
 
LOS ANGELES -- Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. has quietly settled a class-action lawsuit that covers about 3.5 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles that may have been damaged by engine oil sludge.

Details of the settlement, which allows for third-party mediation of sludge claims rejected by Toyota, have been mailed to 7.5 million current and previous owners.

Critics contend Toyota has told customers and dealers too little about sludge issues. They say some customers took vehicles with dead engines to dealers who had little or no knowledge of the problem and often assumed it was the owners' fault.

Unhappy customers had no remedy other than hiring a lawyer to go after Toyota.

Under the agreement, owners whose claims have been denied by Toyota may submit them to a third-party mediator at no cost for binding arbitration.

"This settlement breathes life into claims that have been dead for years," said Gary Gambel, a lawyer for plaintiffs who sued Toyota. "This is not a settlement that gives a few dollars to everyone. The relief is exactly tied to the problems and damages that someone might have."

The lawsuit, filed in a Louisiana district court, is expected to be approved by the court in early February.
 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toyotas at risk
About 3.3 million Toyota vehicles are susceptible to oil sludge, which can cause thousands of dollars in damage and require replacement of the engine. Here are the vehicles included in the settlement.
VEHICLE MODEL YEARS
Camry 4 cyl. 1997-2001
Camry 6 cyl. 1997-2002
Camry Solara 4 cyl. 1999-2001
Camry Solara 6 cyl. 1999-2002
Sienna 6 cyl. 1998-2002
Avalon 6 cyl. 1997-2002
Celica 4 cyl. 1997-1999
Highlander 6 cyl. 2001-2002
Lexus ES 300 1997-2002
Lexus RX 300 1999-2002

 

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Chink in the armor?

Sludge is gelled oil that fails to lubricate engine parts. It can lead to damage, often requiring a new engine at a cost that can exceed $10,000. Complaints about sludged engines have plagued several carmakers, but Toyota's troubles have been especially controversial in light of its reputation for vehicle quality.

The issue highlights a possible chink in the company's armor. Executives fear Toyota is growing too fast for its engineering resources. That could lead to quality snags and a tarnished reputation.

When a customer takes a sludge-caked engine to a dealership, there is usually a "clean-out" procedure. The head is pulled and a service technician tries try to steam out the sludge. If that doesn't work, the engine must be replaced.

Sludge can result from poor engine design; overly tight tolerances between moving parts; improper cooling; and poor maintenance by consumers.

Toyota insists the problem arises mainly when owners fail to change their oil frequently enough.

The agreement does not find Toyota at fault.

"The settlement doesn't mean that Toyota or Lexus vehicles are predisposed to develop oil gel," according to the notice.

"The court did not decide which side was right."

After Toyota had received 3,400 sludge complaints by 2002 it extended its vehicle warranty to eight years and unlimited miles. The program was offered to owners of 1997-2002 Toyota and Lexus vehicles equipped with 3.0-liter V-6 or 2.2-liter four-cylinder engines. The company declined to give an updated number of complaints.

The terms

Under terms of the settlement:


Owners of damaged vehicles have eight years plus 120 days from the original purchase date to file a complaint.


If Toyota denies the claim, owners can appeal to a judge-appointed third-party administrator: J. Robert Ates, a New Orleans lawyer.


Customers who have already made repairs may be able to recover the costs.


Only those who elect not to participate in the settlement can sue Toyota individually. The deadline for that choice was Dec. 31, 2006.


The settlement is transferable to future vehicle owners.


The car only needs to show evidence of oil sludge. It is not necessary for the owner to have made repairs during the claim period.


Damages that can be recovered include loss in value of the vehicle and incidental costs, such as rental cars. Past lawyers' fees, mental anguish and bodily injuries are not covered.


A Toyota spokesman said the agreement is not a defeat for the automaker.

"The settlement validates the customer support program we implemented four years ago," Xavier Dominicis said.

"The terms of the program remain unchanged. There always was a way for customers to appeal our decision."

Plaintiff lawyers disagree. They say Toyota failed to communicate the extent of the problem to its dealers and customers. Toyota's appeal process also meant hiring a lawyer, which many consumers could not afford. It costs nothing to file an appeal with Ates.

"The consumer only needs to show reasonable maintenance in terms of oil changes," Gambel said. "You don't need to prove where the sludge came from, or explain your driving habits. If you have oil sludge, Toyota pays" the consumer.

Consumers can get more information by calling 888-279-4405 or at www.oilgelsettlement.com.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS WORLD CONGRESS

Toyota's Lentz predicts industry boom by 2010

Ralph Kisiel  |   |  Automotive News / January 16, 2007 - 12:05 pm
 
DETROIT -- Toyota not only predicts a good year for itself but sees the auto industry on the cusp of a major turnaround.

Jim Lentz, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., said today during the Automotive News World Congress that 2007 is going to be a "setup year" in which the industry will take time to reflect, reorganize and rededicate itself to customers.

Lentz called 2007 "the calm before the storm of enormous new growth."

Addressing the Detroit 3, Lentz said that Ford Motor Co., General Motors and the Chrysler group are taking "bold steps to restructure and redeploy resources around the world, and there are signs those measures are working."

"It will take some time," Lentz said, adding that Toyota firmly believes the Detroit 3 will bounce back and be successful.

"We see the potential for a run-up in sales each year as we approach 2010, leading to a major turnaround for the auto industry early in the next decade," Lentz said.

Specifically, he said, Toyota thinks it is possible for industry sales to grow by as much as 100,000 vehicles a year, eventually reaching 18 million in the next decade. In 2006, automakers sold 16.6 million vehicles in the United States.

Fueling Toyota's optimism is an incredible population boom, sound economic fundamentals and great products, he said.

Five generations

About 2011, the automotive industry will be serving five generations of customers, the newest being "Gen Z."

"It's hard to believe, but the oldest members of Gen Z are now 12 years old, just four years away from driving themselves," he said. Gen Z already is 48 million strong, a third larger than the population of California, Lentz said.

Lentz identified several trends that will help fuel this predicted turnaround.

A "new urbanism," an influx of mostly young professionals to major cities, will create a need for smaller, more efficient vehicles -- minicars, compact SUVs and compact luxury vehicles, Lentz said.

Another emerging trend is buyers who are living healthier lives and who are more conscious of the environment.

This means that Toyota and other automakers must create and market products that meet both green and conventional product needs, Lentz said.

"Hybrids certainly fit that bill but so do clean diesels, ethanol flex-fuel products and eventually fuel cells," he said.

Listen more

He concluded by recommending that the industry listen to customers.

"The more we listen, the more we'll learn about their needs, wants and desires for tomorrow," Lentz said. "Then we can design and build vehicles to meet those needs."

He pointed to the redesigned Toyota Tundra pickup that goes on sale in a few weeks. Toyota customers said they did not want a city truck, but a work truck. So Toyota sent its Japanese and American designers, engineers and product planners to construction sites, mining camps, ranches, truck stops and other work sites to find out what the customer wanted in a new Tundra.

Lentz said: "They did everything they could to live in the shoes of work customers and then used that knowledge in developing the next Tundra."

[Cord]

LOS ANGELES -- Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. has quietly settled a class-action lawsuit that covers about 3.5 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles that may have been damaged by engine oil sludge.

Quietly is right. Has anyone seen anything about this in the mainstream media? Maybe I missed it but I haven't read or seen anything about this story except on auto related sites. The cynic in me can't help thinkng that if this was about GM or Ford engines that it would rate a story in every newspaper and TV news program.

[Snowman]

Yes, if this were GM, Ford, or DC many would be trash talking. Awfully quiet in here? Hello…hello…is this thing on? 

[Mitlov]

Yes, if this were GM, Ford, or DC many would be trash talking. Awfully quiet in here? Hello…hello…is this thing on? 

I concur.  Fords have been called "s---boxes" on this forum for less.

[Leviathan]

I concur.  Fords have been called "s---boxes" on this forum for less.

Toyota can do no evil. Honda silver "H" cures baldness. Ford sucks. GM sucks. Chrysler sucks.  <- All universal constants for some 

[PJungnitsch]

Bah. GM, Ford, and DC have earned it. They've done as little as they could get away with for decades, only putting in as much effort in as they absolutely had to. Toyota, Honda et al get caught out sometimes, but their philosophy of continous improvement is remembered and it gives them a cushion in cases like these.