Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Safety, Toyota
Toyota TRD Aurion sales suspended Down Under
Toyota just released its performance TRD Aurion, but sales have ceased while the Japanese automaker investigates a potential engine failure issue. According to Toyota, the problem with the 323 HP V6 engine is unrelated to its supercharger or high output, and that the issue is likely a one-off. Toyota has 150 demo vehicles at its dealerships, and the automaker plans on inspecting each of those vehicles over a week's time to verify that a larger issue isn't at play.
Caution is always key when customer service and safety are at risk, so Toyota is doing the right thing by thoroughly investigating the issue before continuing sales. Assuming the engine problem is no big deal, we do hope that Toyota takes this sales break to consider selling a Camry version of the TRD Aurion here in the States, as the boring midsize sedan is anything but down under.
[Source: Drive]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
raz 11:36AM (9/20/2007)
Where did all that quality go?
I guess Honda is the next Toyota.
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John R 11:38AM (9/20/2007)
Even the Camry looks better down under.
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Jeff 11:40AM (9/20/2007)
Let's see, Toyota has engine failures in a new product and "they're doing the right thing". I bet if this were a GM product, you guys would be pointing out just another crappy GM product, blah blah blah.
Let's face it, they all have their qality issues, and any new car one buys today is a far better vehicle than any new car you would have bought 15 years ago, regardless of the company who made it.
By the way, has anyone else noticed how unfortunate the Toyota performance acronym "TRD" happens to be? Say "TRD" fast and you get "TuRD". What an unfortunate mistake.
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Zamafir 11:49AM (9/20/2007)
yay! All car companies are the same! This should point of view should cut out 1000w% of the bickering and 95% of the comments here ;-)
FYH 11:55AM (9/20/2007)
First,
"Let's see, Toyota has engine failures in a new product and "they're doing the right thing". I bet if this were a GM product, you guys would be pointing out just another crappy GM product, blah blah blah."
Nobody has said that. I'm seriously tired of you people claiming that you are surrounded by toyota fanboys, but in reality, your opinion of japanese cars being garbage is in the majority.
Second,
"By the way, has anyone else noticed how unfortunate the Toyota performance acronym "TRD" happens to be? Say "TRD" fast and you get "TuRD". What an unfortunate mistake."
Well, aren't you clever, nobody has ever noticed that before!
Jeff 12:01PM (9/20/2007)
"I'm seriously tired of you people claiming that you are surrounded by toyota fanboys, but in reality, your opinion of japanese cars being garbage is in the majority."
FYH,
Go back and read my post. Nowhere did I say any car was bad. In fact, I said they are all good and that all have some quality issues, but any car from any manufacturer today is a far better car than one could buy from any manufacturer 15 years ago. The fact is I think one would have to look far and wide to find any car that is a piece of crap in today's market.
Seriously, when most of the debate centers around who uses the most plastic (they all use, gasp, plastic) in the interiors, that tells me the mechanicals and overall quality is high on them all.
As far as the "TuRD" comment, get a grip, brother, I was making a joke.
FYH 4:45AM (9/21/2007)
Yeah, i realize you didn't say the car was bad, but so many times in posts relating to toyota's ever increasing quality problems someone will usually take a moment to point out the obvious. That was a vague, preemptive response to the readers who usually troll stuff like this. I must have assumed from the trd comment that you thought the car was bad. However, in my opinion, this car is a bloated, fwd pig, an absolutely terribly executed concept. Looks nice though.
DealerISM 11:41AM (9/20/2007)
Is toyota going to out do Chevrolet in the future, or are they going to pull out and move up front?
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CoRDS 11:50AM (9/20/2007)
a camry version of tha aurion? but it itself is a version of the camry *head explodes*
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Aaron 11:58AM (9/20/2007)
hey nice work guys!
doing thi right thing.. .lol.. Yeah I guess they aren't forcing another class action suit. Too bad it wasn't just snapping camshafts like thr tundra, then they could let it slide. Or packing transmissions like th eearly v6 camrys were.
they stop the presses on their small volume cars but let the others go for broke.. lol.. yeah they are saints.
Either way looks great on them. that car is a turd compared to the 400 hores RWD competition anyways.
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nardi 1:17PM (9/20/2007)
The Ausies can even make a Toyota look cool, somthing that seems to be impossible with the current US Toyotas.
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07CHEVSILVLTZ 2:02PM (9/20/2007)
Why cant anybody admit Toyota's quality is going down?
The same thing just happened to GM, they were going for volume and they started going down. Now its Toyota's turn. Being No. 1 is more important then making the best cars. Now if GM is smart they will use this time to get rid of Toyota and Ford and Dodge. Its just too bad they almost had to go out of business to figure it out.
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MKIV 2:37PM (9/20/2007)
Sorry to disappoint you but GM never had well engineered reliable cars. They are just now trying to improve their products but the past models are pure junk in terms of quality and workmanship.
That One Person 7:55PM (9/20/2007)
Hey MK...sorry to disappoint YOU but my 94 Regal has 134k miles on it. Has the engine sludged? No. Has the suspension failed? No. Has the transmission crapped out? No. This car has been problem free. I can't say the same for a loyal Toyota owner I know.
And what was that MK? It took a lawsuit against Toyo for them to do something about the whole sludging debacle? Oh yea, it's Toyota...they are automatically forgiven.
Have a nice day :)
MKIV 10:08PM (9/20/2007)
That One Person,
I'm having a great day... Hope you do too.
http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/1990-to-1996-buick-regal-2.htm
That One Person 5:54AM (9/21/2007)
Fortunately for me, I haven't had any of those problems.
The only major repairs I have had to do to my car was a water pump and a starter.
John P. 2:17PM (9/20/2007)
Gotta drum up interest in the thing somehow. I wouldn't be surprised if this press release wasn't written by Toyota's Ad agency.
They are after-all, looking after their valued customers best interests. Win Win for Toyota if you ask me. I had forgotten all about the TuRD, until this was released. Now it's back on my Radar Screen, if only for a few minutes.
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MKIV 2:43PM (9/20/2007)
What Toyota is doing here is something that is unheard of from any of the domestic three.
You got to have multiple FETALITIES and even then the recall is dragged on and on and on. Try to think back 5-10 years and find out for yourself how many GM, Ford and Dodge products have been treated like this Toyota where they are proactive trying to solve a POTENTIAL problem.
Props to Toyota for doing the right thing.
Props to Toyota for doing the right thing.
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Mike 4:56PM (9/20/2007)
What does Toyotas sack taste like?
MKIV 5:31PM (9/20/2007)
Let's give a collective hand to Mike here for the constructive, well thought out, educated and need I mention Highly intellectual comment.
I'm sure the "big three" certainly appreciate your support.
clap clap clap.. way to go Mikie!!!!!!