Has Toyota lost its way?

When companies focus on investors it never ends well for the consumer. The consumer will usually end up with an over priced product that needs to be replaced more often.

 

Seems like Friday came a day early. OP drops a turd of a post and doesn't respond

 

Yep, 2015 was the last good vehicle Tacoma they made

I’ll semi agree to the above statement.

I know I should have never let a gentleman talk me into selling him our 15 Tacoma during COVID.

Then he sends me a picture showing me where he parks it.

 

please give examples of these fading qualities that expand across mutiple models made by toyota

-Value
-Dependability
-Simple design
-Efficient distribution

 

Totally agree. A company used to focus on the product, value to the consumer, build a better mousetrap mindset. When a company worries more about its stock price than its product the consumer is an afterthought.

 

Those single lanes and open roads are your favorite, we know.

Don’t forget exhibit C, Hogle.

 

Green Bay is lucky. Our service center is solid. Zero markups for in-demand vehicles. Our sales guy is great to work with.

Prices are an issue for sure, but they mirror the rest of the market, leaving working people scrambling for something they can afford.

Toyota is in the process of updating nearly their entire lineup. There are bound to be issues.

I’m still a big fan. We will probably replace both our Toyotas with new Toyotas within the next few years, after the new generation bugs are worked through.

 

You're aware that you are posting this in the center of the Toyota Fanboy universe, right? Toyota, by and large, still makes reliable cars--and some efficient ones at that--but the distance between Toyota and the domestics is as narrow as its ever been, for myriad reasons. So much so that I will strongly consider a domestic for my next vehicle. Thats a first in 35 years of ownership.

 

It is impossible to say if "Toyota has lost its way" without some quantification of these things:
-Value
-Dependability
-Simple design
-Efficient distribution

That said, cars are more complex today than they ever have been due to (1) government mandates to reduce carbon emissions and (2) increasing safety standards. Complexity necessarily reduces dependability, simplicity, etc. Those two policies create many of the real or perceived issues with the four factors listed above, though it's not a uniquely Toyota problem per se. Why are new Tacomas all turbo boosted 4 cylinders? See (1). Why does Chevy have cylinder deactivation problems? See (1). Why are there excessive safety nannies in all new vehicles? See (2). Why is there so much electronic monitoring and tracking in new cars? See (1) and (2). Etc. etc.

Today, cars last longer than they did in the past. However, it's possible we have hit the peak of car dependability and longevity and that the added complexity will give cars shorter, less dependable lives as has happened with consumer appliances. Time will tell.

 

I do find it funny that new tundra owners are posting "30 days with new truck and 500 miles no issues" - should be 10 years 250K miles no issues but that's the toyota of yesterday

 

Damn thats a clean truck! never selling my 2013 (unless I get a 4th gen haha). In the past year I've had 2 older gentleman stop me in parking lot asking if its for sale.

 

How would a new Tundra owner post about having 10 years of trouble-free ownership?

 

wait 10 years

 

What should they talk about in the meantime?

 

There are a lot of people selling this idea that new Toyotas are shoddy and imploding. It sells. The loudest can make a lot of money in the echo chamber.

 

I do not believe Toyota has lost there way and I am sure this new gen will sell. Not a truck for for me due to price and performance specs, but it is for plenty of other buyers.

 

I like Toyota but they are having some issues. Some of which I'm not concerned with, as long as those don't impact the vehicle or price.

I don't like that Toyota got rid of the large PCD hubs.

I think Toyota has too many of the same vehicles packaged as differnt models. Not that more choices are bad, but I don't think that helps much in the cost department. Look at GM and Ford and their discontinued brands.

Edit

I forgot my biggest complaint with Toyota is easily finding the Toyota Truck I want to buy from them. This is the main factor that sells me on the competition, they have vehicles to purchase.

 

My first Toyota was a 1980 4WD pickup in yellow. I'm still the proud owner of a 1997 FZJ I bought brand new.

In the past seven years we've owned two Tacomas - a 17 and a 19 and a 2018 forerunner. I would rank those vehicles more reliable than the two JKU wranglers we've had but much less reliable than my 06 LBZ and my 2012, 2016, and 2023 RAM 2500s (my company buys RAM diesels for fleet trucks, and we routinely put a ton of miles on them before auctioning them off and buying new ones.

I've been a Toyota fan for a long time and will continue to gravitate towards their products, but I have yet to be impressed with the last three we've owned. They've felt cheap and offered mediocre performance, and we've had fairly serious failures on the 2019 Taco and 2018 4runner.

 

Thanks!!
If you look closely you can see the silver two piece StopTech’s in front. It also has an LCE header and 2.5” exhaust system with Two large Magnaflow’s, 3.73 rear gear, removed the back seats and install the utility pack plastic & carpet. Then added a factory alarm and a very clean stereo and added some suspension mods.