Toyota's head in Texas moving on to greener pastures
Toyota Motor Manufacturing's Texas President Hidehiko "T.J." Tajima is leaving the Lone Star state for Japan to begin his new role running Toyota's corporate social responsibility activities. Tojima's job over the past few years was to oversee the production of the new San Antonio Tundra plant, which had some serious cash overrun problems. Initial costs were projected at $850 million for the 200,000 unit capacity plant, but final costs were $1.28 billion. Production issues also reared their ugly head during Tajima's reign, with the timing of Toyota's new 5.7L V8 not aligning with the start of Tundra production.
Company officials say that the ballooning costs of the Tundra plant had nothing to do with Tojima's move back to Japan, but we think it will be tough for Tojima to drop an unscheduled $500 million in his new role.
[Source: Automotive News (subscription req'd)]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
GrindingAxis 8:17AM (3/16/2007)
....And here I thought Toyota was the divine epitome of efficiency in auto manufacturing. We are seeing more and more 'kinks in the armor' as this automaker continues on its obsession with overtaking GM. It's amazing that this company can continue to maintain its image considering its recent reliability/recall troubles. Now we can add huge cost overruns.
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Avinash machado 8:20AM (3/16/2007)
As Toyota keeps getting bigger and bigger they seem to be facing the same problems GM is facing.
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RLFontano 9:04AM (3/16/2007)
#'s 1 & 2...The expence of doing it right the first time shows that Toyota deserves to be number 1! A cost over run like that would be catastrophic to G.M or Ford. Because in true form they would have short cutted the problems and forced the product out onto the streets anyway, dealing with the issues later. Toyota's size will never lead to the "same" problems as G.M. because of the culture built into their production system. A warrior that has no "kinks" in their armor has not been in battle.
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shawn 9:10AM (3/16/2007)
RLFontano...so all those service "hugs" from Toyota to come to the repair shop are just their way of saying, "I love you."
Come, Toyota is a good company, but when they screwed up, they screwed up. Big deal. $1.28 Billion is chomp change to them.
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dejal 11:09AM (3/16/2007)
It was all the contractors with their Ford trucks on site.
The amount of down time was incredible. A guy supposed to be there on a Monday wouldn't show up because his F-150 was in the shop till Thursday. So, people waited around for the 1st guy to do his thing. And this happened over + over.
Now that Toyota is building their own "Big" rigs you can be the next plant they build will not be built "Ford Tough".
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Aaron 10:53AM (3/16/2007)
lol seems like grade 1 project management that the schedules of your engine plant and production facility should have been on the same page..
Where the lemmings would crucify the domestics about it, it is no big deal for toyota.. lol.. Now he can gho be the corporate party planner..
rlfontaidsbuns, nice try at being poignant lmao..
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GrindingAxis 11:26AM (3/16/2007)
Toyota is doing it 'right' the first-time? You bought the marketing hook, line and sinker!
Is that why they won the award for the most vehicles recalled of any automaker between December 2005 and February 2007? More recalls than Ford, GM or even DamnedChrysler. That's funny!
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synergeist 12:49PM (3/16/2007)
Americans aren't buying Toyota's full-sized Turds in droves like the fan-boi traitors hoped for. The few that do can look forward to engine-sludging, ball-joint breaking, figure-manipulating by the boatload. You're right that it's not built Ford Tough, it's built Toy-Trash.
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Bryan 1:50PM (3/16/2007)
How can this be??? Toyota is supposed to be perfect?? I am sure this is just a misunderstanding! Ha foolish Toyota!
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Jim Sanders 2:28PM (3/16/2007)
wow this is some illogical journalist scapegoating.
Blame a $500 million overrun on one person?
Was the $500 million overrun a bad thing in the first place? That's 2 month's income for Toyota.
To say Tojima's the one responsible?
Like you say everything bad that happens in the USA should be blamed on Bush?
Completely illogical scapegoating.
What an idiot writeup.
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Bryan 3:20PM (3/16/2007)
Well Bush has caused 99.9% of the problems..if the shoe fits...
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Barney 9:25PM (3/16/2007)
1. ....And here I thought Toyota was the divine epitome of efficiency in auto manufacturing"
Perhaps you missed it, but the article suggests that T.J." Tajima is going back to Japan rather then visiting relatives in a company jet. Toyota might just be polite enough not to bring him to face the consequences in the public light. So unAmerican.
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david 7:20PM (8/23/2007)
so in other words, toyota got tired of all the car and truck recalls so they started recalling people.
hey, i might be on to something. since most recalls and problems are blamed on the buyers, just recall the buyers and give them a month long training session on how to drive the cars better to not have problems. that means parking it in the garage and don't drive it til the warranty expires.
his new title sounds like he'll be managing morning jumping jacks.
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Squid 9:27PM (3/20/2007)
We happen to be discussing this at http://www.toyotatundraforum.com/index.php
Anybody own a FJ http://www.toyotafjcruiserforums.com/ or Titan http://www.titantruckz.com/ ?
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