Click above for a high-res gallery of the Toyota Tundra
The full-size pickup truck woes continue to worsen, leaving even mighty Toyota little choice but to slow production of its Tundra model. In fact, Toyota's brand new plant in San Antonio that was built just for the Tundra will be shutting down a total of 14 days between now and October. Full-time workers at the plant will be able to use vacation days, take the time off unpaid or find something else at the plant to do while the assembly line is halted.
Unfortunately, temp-to-hire workers aren't so lucky. Two-hundred employees who were hoping to land full-time positions at the plant will be laid off this summer. Toyota spokesman Mike Goss says, "We have a very long-term view of that factory in Texas. We're trying not to overreact. We're trying not to shut it down." Whoa... back up. Shut it down? We hadn't heard any such thing until it was spoken by Goss. Sounds like things are just as bad for Toyotas with beds as they are for pickups from Detroit. Thanks for the tip, Mike!
[Source: AP via My San Antonio]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
keatmp @ Jun 18th 2008 12:42PM
Toyota is not invincible.
Randy @ Jun 18th 2008 10:17PM
Not by any means! They really need to watch out for Ford! Ford's really becoming the A list car company!
just25 @ Jun 18th 2008 12:46PM
Thought we were supposed to believe that Toyota makes no mistakes. Then again, if a shutdown or more substantial slowdown were to occur; something tells me Toyota would find a way to make things okay. 50yrs and 8mths in America (http://goodcarbadcar.blogspot.com/search/label/Toyotaversary) - Toyota needs more than slowing truck sales to slow them down. (http://www.thecarblog.com/car_events/fifty_years_of_american_toyota.php)
TriShield @ Jun 18th 2008 12:46PM
Nobody that manufactures trucks and SUVs is immune.
Frank @ Jun 18th 2008 12:56PM
No, not Toyota! This can't be true. They only make green cars. And have happy (fulltime) workers. They wouldn't do anything like hire temps, contractors, and part timers, and have them paid less $ and benefits than the fulltimers, would they? And they wouldn't build a fullsize pickup truck plant right when gas prices shoot thru the roof. No, they are too all-knowing to do something like that!
R @ Jun 18th 2008 2:32PM
Why the disbelief? Seems like a smart business play to me. Meanwhile, the domestics bound to the unions have SUV/truck plants sitting there, while the employees just sit there?
lithdoc @ Jun 18th 2008 5:17PM
R, you clearly did not understand the sarcasm of the post you replied to.
AngeloD @ Jun 18th 2008 12:58PM
Looks like the bank of Toyota is out $1.2 billion on their Texas plant.
This slowdown might give them a little breather to put a decent frame under the Blundras.
john riley @ Jun 18th 2008 1:09PM
I wonder if they would be doing better if they were still making "not quite big enough" trucks. Is the ford f100 going to be the same size as the old Toy t100?
Guenther @ Jun 18th 2008 1:44PM
Good question- my 7/8 Tundra gets decent fuel econ and few of the 120k/year customers were disappointed with their trucks. OK, the rear springs aren't good for hauling much, but they do ride nice. Toyota announced that they would stat building Camrys in Princeton, formerly the home of the Sienna, Tundra, and Sequoia. If they can shift all trucks to San Antonio, they could keep an ok volume there. If they then bring the Tacoma with a diesel, or even as a hybrid delivery vehicle...
The Other Bob @ Jun 18th 2008 6:13PM
Guenther: "OK, the rear springs aren't good for hauling much, but they do ride nice."
That is the funniest thing I have ever heard. A truck that isn't "good for hauling much". What is the point in owning it?
YouFaceTheTick @ Jun 18th 2008 1:18PM
Lay-off and temp workers = incongruous concepts. You hire temp workers specifically so you can avoid paying them medical/benefits, avoid unions and have at-will employees who will never appear as anything other than a generic expense.
elfjuice @ Jun 18th 2008 1:21PM
I wonder what the sales figures for the Tacomas, Frontiers and Colorado are like? Are the full size truck buyers "down-sizing" to these mid-size trucks or have most of them abandoned the truck segment all together?
Jason @ Jun 18th 2008 2:19PM
Here in Texas at least, they're still buying full-size trucks. Around here the Colorado was never a big seller, judging by how many, or rather, how few, I see on the roads. Most of the ones I see appear to be fleet vehicles.
Tacoma owners were probably never would-be full-size buyers in the first place, or domestic truck buyers for that matter.
I don't see many of the newer, Pathfinder'ish Frontiers on the road, but the older Xterra'ish Frontier seemed popular in the small truck market.
Again though, I live in Texas, so our truck market is probably a bit skewed vs the rest of the country... 'Round these here parts, REAL trucks start at 3/4-ton, and have oil burners under their hoods and minimum 33" tires.
Dan @ Jun 18th 2008 2:48PM
Tacoma: 73K through May (-7% YTD)
Ranger: 36K through May (+2%)
Canyon/Colorado: 33K through May (-24% YTD)
Frontier: 21K through May (-26% YTD)
The Frontier falling through the floor is to be expected, it gets the same poor mileage as a fullsize so nobody is going to downsize into one.
The Canyon/Colorado drop makes much less sense, they're cheap and economical with the best 4 cylinder engine in the class so you'd think crappy interiors and all they'd at least be holding steady.
criticalninja @ Jun 18th 2008 1:37PM
If push comes to shove, Toyota will just convert that plant to build other models...such as Camrys, Corollas, and perhaps even Priuses.
Bryan @ Jun 18th 2008 4:07PM
Yeah....that factory will never shut down. In fact, i'll bet no toyota factory in US will shut down. They're still building plants. And with the new Diesel coming, and supposly even a 7.0L Diesel, I dont see that happening. At all. For a company who has a goal of overtaking the Commercial business, shutting down its truck plant would make no sense.
bruno @ Jun 18th 2008 2:05PM
I loved my 2000 Tundra. Had some flaws like slightly cramped seating for tall drivers. But it was just the right size and didn't feel ponderous on the road, which I liked. I hauled a landscape trailer with it and agree it needed help with the too-soft springs. The thing is, it's EASY to add a set of helper springs and after that and a set of bilsten shocks it hauls as much as any domestic light duty I've driven, and actually handled fairly sporty, too. I sold it because it had 4 years of use hauling 95% of the time and making short trips in the heat and lacked front ABS. Went from 16mpg around town unloaded to 13mpg on premium in a Hemi Ram. Went from 12.5mpg towing to 9.5mpg towing with the Ram. And 18mpg highway to 15.5mpg. Significant but not breathtaking differences, but that was a 9 y/o engine design. Today with a lighter 7/8th truck and cylinder deactivation and 6 speed auto, I wouldn't be surprised if they could make a 18/24mpg pickup that could do a decent amount of work.
psu48187 @ Jun 18th 2008 1:54PM
It's a good thing that plant is flex.
Alex @ Jun 18th 2008 2:13PM
not having union labor helps... a lot.