Toyota, a historic bastion of reliability, saw its reputation tainted in 2024 with a series of recalls and cascading defects. However, beyond appearances, these faults reveal more of a passing storm than a planned shipwreck.
Between capricious engines and defective parts, Toyota is going through a year 2024 which seems far from its standards of excellence. But under the weight of failures and recalls, the Japanese brand must face production problems and structural adjustments. Consistency, a quality that could well allow him to turn the page without losing the trust of the public.
Bad year or just a hitch along the way?
Toyota, once an unwavering brand when it comes to reliability, has endured a series of disappointments this year. The Japanese, caught in the turmoil of mechanical defects and an avalanche of recalls, seems far from his image of infallibility. But is this really the end of an era? As The Drive reminds us, the statistics speak of themselves: just for the year 2024, more than 100,000 motors Tundra and the Lexus 60 (these models are not sold in France) had to be replaced due to seizing, 380,000 Tacomas (model not sold in France) were recalled for defective rear axle mountingsand the new automatic transmissions, installed in these same Tacomas, are already showing signs of weakness. And it doesn’t stop there: the traction control system of the Corolla Cross hybrid has weaknesses, and several Corolla GRs even… caught fire without apparent explanation ! As for the sports car GR86, it continues to suffer from an oil problem…
In the case of the Tundra pickup, its V8 has been replaced by a twin-turbo V6. Failures occurred in series with hundreds of motors stalled due to metal shavings inadvertently left behind during the manufacturing process. These residues generated friction in the heart of the engine, causing a chain failure. At first glance, this error seems trivial. In reality, it is the illustration of a difficult transition between generations, especially when the outgoing engine has had more than ten years to reach near perfection.
Can the model student get back in the saddle?
For the Tacoma, its old 5-speed transmission has been replaced by an 8-speed box. The older generation model, equipped with a box dating back more than 30 years, had become indestructible over time. But for the new generation model, adjustments are still necessary since this gearbox encountered some problems even though the vehicles in question had not even covered 10,000 km. Finally, the transfer of production to factories in Mexico also caused assembly defects, as demonstrated by the massive Tacoma recall for axle problems. These recurring incidents mark an unusual break with Toyota’s image, often seen as a bastion of reliability. Toyota is a special case in the industry. He is not only a popular manufacturer: he has invested in all segments of the market. When other manufacturers multiply similar incidents, it often goes unnoticed; but for Toyota, the slightest problem quickly becomes everyone’s business. The model student, taken by surprise in the shift towards electric, has undoubtedly not lost his sense of perfectionism. Beyond youthful flaws, the year 2024 could well be a parenthesis in the history of a brand which has never ceased to cultivate a demand for absolute quality, and which intends to raise the bar with renewed determination.
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