Small Recall: 160 Toyota Camry Solara Coupes called back
There's no easy way to say this. Toyota isn't perfect. We know what you're thinking. Surely we jest (Prepare for heavy sarcasm - Ed.). Everybody in the whole wide world knows that Toyota can do no wrong. We elitist journalists proclaim their magnificence at every opportunity and are quick to defend them when there is even a suggestion of something going amiss. Conversely we never miss an opportunity to criticize the domestics for their shoddy workmanship, misguided management, and lackluster performance. So how could we possibly post something as shocking as a Toyota recall? Simple. It is newsworthy, just like all the other articles we run. Including all the ones about Japanese recalls. Look 'em up. Sorry to editorialize when trying to point out that we don't editorialize in our story selection, but hopefully you get the point. Readers pick up on elements of different stories and add their own biases and predispositions to our own, and often turn a perfectly innocent post into a raging debate on the relative merits of imports vs. domestics, cars vs. trucks, blue vs. red, boxers vs. briefs, whatever. Anyway, here's the story.
Toyota is recalling 160 MY 2007 Camry Solara coupes for a potential side airbag problem. It is believed that a tether may have been twisted when installed in the A-pillars. The thinking is that portion of the curtain bag might not deploy as intended because of the twisted tether. No accidents or injuries have been reported in regards to this issue, but Toyota is recalling them to fix it anyway. It says dealers can inspect and reroute the strap in about 30 minutes. Full details after the jump.
[Source: Toyota]
Press Release:
December 14, 2006 – Torrance, CA - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., will launch a voluntary Safety Recall involving 160 2007 Camry Solara coupes. The curtain side airbag (CSA) front tether strap located in each of the front pillars may have been incorrectly routed. If the tether strap is not correctly routed, the front side of the CSA may not deploy as designed. There have been no accidents, deaths or injuries reported related to this condition.
The affected Camry Solara coupes were produced from late July 2006 to early August 2006. Toyota will mail to owners of the involved vehicles a Safety Recall notification via first class mail in late December.
Owners are requested to contact their local Toyota dealer to inspect and, if necessary, reroute the tether straps. Inspection and repair will be done at no charge to the owners of the vehicle and will take approximately 30 minutes, depending on the dealer's work schedule.
Customers with questions or concerns should contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
emor8t 3:29PM (12/15/2006)
You know, if you look at the articles you post under Recall/TSB, quite a few lately have NOT been domestics.
Hmmm..... Domestics
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ssgtakeo 3:50PM (12/15/2006)
Apologizing for editorializing in a story column when you are obviously editorializing is dishonest man.
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Sgt. Hulka 3:52PM (12/15/2006)
Impossible. Toyota does'nt make mistakes. Just ask them.
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Tony 3:52PM (12/15/2006)
"Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., will launch a VOLUNTARY Safety Recall"
The important word here is VOLUNTARY.
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Chris 4:00PM (12/15/2006)
160 total. Wow, thats pretty close to all the cars sold for the year! They should quit making this pile and buid a Supra.
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Tony 4:34PM (12/15/2006)
Impossible. Toyota doesn't make mistakes. Just ask them.
Posted at 3:50PM on Dec 15th 2006 by Sgt. Hulk
Every company makes mistakes. How they choose to handle those mistakes is what defines them.
They can choose to ignore them or correct them and try not to make the same mistake a second time.
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D Man 4:18PM (12/15/2006)
Toyota is getting TOO BIG!!! They aren't what they used to be and their quality is going down. Styling wise they SUCK! I would rather buy a Nissan!
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hondacura 4:39PM (12/15/2006)
D Man
Nissan isn't better. Their damn engines were catching fire this year. Do you're research.
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JD 5:06PM (12/15/2006)
Regardless of what's happening with whomever for what because of why, I for one respect Toyota for recalling cars, no matter the number, for things that haven't even happened yet. This isn't the first recall of its kind from Toyota and/or Scion either - although I admit I can't recall EXACTLY what other one happened previously.
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Marc 5:25PM (12/15/2006)
Your editorializing was just oh so cute. Arent you clever.
Fact is, when you look at official recall data.... http://www.epa.gov/fueleconomy/420r06017.pdf
is my favorite, you find many more recalls that Autoblog never reports. Yet when Toyota voluntarily recalls a vehicle for a problem that no one has even reported yet, forums like Autoblog light up.
Toyota seems to have started a new precedent in the past year, fixing defects before they become problems. They are not perfect, but as a Toyota consumer, I certainly appreciate this.
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Yoyo 6:42PM (12/15/2006)
Most auto recalls are voluntary. All that means is that the company decided to recall the product before NHTSA officially told them to. That doesn't mean that NHTSA wasn't going to, they just give the time to react on their own before forcing them to do something. For example, the Firestone tire recall from 2000 was VOLUNTARY - doesn't mean it wasn't serious, or that NHTSA wouldn't have done anything.
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Chris 6:46PM (12/15/2006)
Ship all of that japanese crap back on a slow boat to Tokyo.
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Toyota4Everyone 8:31PM (12/15/2006)
The Solara is the ultimate driving machine - has the perfect balance between luxury, performance and value. Why consider anything else?
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Casey 11:29PM (12/15/2006)
Prepare for heavy sarcasm:
The humor of the Autoblog writers is expertly crafted and enjoyed by a multitude of readers everyday who come to Autoblog in search of coy cheapshots at the automotive industry rather than automotive news. Thanks Autoblog!
/sarcasm off
You have made it clear that you are sick of Toyota's image of infallability. Well done. Drop it and do your jobs.
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Chris 11:58PM (12/15/2006)
"The Solara is the ultimate driving machine - has the perfect balance between luxury, performance and value. Why consider anything else?"
Man, you're funny! Sorry but when you start using the words "ultimate driving machine" and "perfect balance" describing a Solara it just makes me laugh. I always thought the ultimate driving machine was a BMW, silly me!
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drolds1 3:01AM (12/16/2006)
Right, 7&9. We all know what an aboveboard and consumer-oriented company Toyota is. Always willing to help it's customers, like they did at first with the engine sludging. And always ready jump right in with those recalls and would never, ever cover up a safety defect:
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/20/toyota-gets-40-lashes-with-a-wet-noodle-from-japanese-government/
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Richard Warren 9:52AM (12/16/2006)
Recalls happen--to eveybody and just about everything. Get over it.
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Snark 12:46PM (12/16/2006)
Huh, go figure... Autoblog blocks a comment critical of them. You guys have lost a reader. You can only show so much contempt for your readers before they ditch you for other sources.
Autoblog has fallen a long way in the past two years. When Dave Thomas was running this blog, people were pretty much free to express their opinions. You guys run this blog like a bunch of bratty kids. Poor, slanted writing and a disdain for your readers that will only keep Autoblog's 5000RPM revolving door smacking each of your writers in the ass.
Email me back when Autoblog turns over a new page and hires some decent writers. I recommend bringing back Dave Thomas, and letting him clear this little playhouse out.
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Renegade 12:06AM (12/18/2006)
Even while claiming turning over a new leaf of impartial journalism and poking fun at those who claim bias against the domestics, read:
"No accidents or injuries have been reported in regards to this issue, but Toyota is recalling them to fix it anyway. It says dealers can inspect and reroute the strap in about 30 minutes."
The use of the word "anyway" suggests that Toyota is doing something extra...something they didn't have to. It also suggests that the problem is, in fact, not a problem.
Let's read a few more comments from the Toyota recall file:
"The recall includes models sold between March of 2004 and March of 2006. At this point, only 17 vehicles have suffered from this anomaly. Per usual, owners of the affected vehicles will be sent a notice in the mail and the cost of the repairs will be covered by Toyota." (Scions that could have the side airbag deploy WHEN YOU SLAM THE DOOR SHUT; no one does that...it's ONLY 17 anyway.)
"Nevertheless, a recall is what Toyota announced on Wednesday, even if it is for something as minor as a wonky check engine light." (Nevertheless = not needed, but doing it anyway; "wonky" = Aw, shucks, so it's just the check engine light...)
"Toyota's announcement today further justifies Ford's decision yesterday to delay the delivery of Edge and MKX crossovers to dealers until problems with the manufacturing process could be ironed out." (Ok...so Ford's decision to launch a high quality product is only good b/c Toyota announced a recall??? - Pure B.S.)
And most troubling...
"Toyota asked for an exemption from the rule and was denied, at which point it decided to issue a recall to disable the air bag shut off switches and affix a new warning label that recommended parents place child safety seats in the back seat. Toyota went this way because engineering new child safety seat latches for the front passenger seat of the Tundra would be extremely expensive and difficult. The NHTSA decided that disabling the airbag shut off switch would confuse owners, so now Toyota is forced to start over. This time the automaker will be sending a letter to all affected Tundra owners that explains the problem and urges owners to put children in the back seat. The letter will also inform owners that if they want new child safety seat latches in the front seats, they can request them from Toyota, which will retrofit fit them as soon as it figures out how to."
Ok. So here we are. Even when Toyota is forced to issue a major recall as on the Tundra for child safety (which is usually a sure-fire ticket to bad-recall-coverage hell), AutoBloggies simply shrug it off.
So, just about every other automaker gets "straight reporting" or criticized for their recalls. Toyota gets qualifiers. And I wonder why people think this site operates with a ProToyota bias. Hmmmmmm...I'll let you know when I figure it out.
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JEEPSTER 4:20PM (3/08/2007)
It is no secret that Japaneese manufacturers are never taken to task in the US press for defects as the US manufacturers are. For proof of that how many of you know of the class action suit on Honda and odometers that are miscalibrated? And I wonder how that will affect their resale since they reallt should all be stamped with the TMU branding on the title.
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