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American and Japanese

"Being a truck of the year" has nothing to do with reliablity and durability. If you look at the RATINGS section in the APRIL consumer reports it is very different than the RELIABILITY section.

Just because People are more loyal to FORD, as FORD started in business more than a century ago, and FORD represents the " US FLAG " and more people buy it because it is FORD, does NOT............... I repeat... "does not" ... make it more reliable than the TUNDRA or the TACOMA...
Toyota has just not built a V10 engine in production for a truck yet if that is what will make the TUNDRA more RUGGED?????? Really?
IF the there was a FORD TUNDRA, or FORD TACOMA, then I want to see the sales of these trucks. TRUST ME.. the numbers won't be the same. I don't blame anybody for it. FORD represents America to many people. That is fine with me. Take FORD ESCAPE for example.. people here in DETROIT complain about its reliablity but they want a small SUV and will not consider any other BUT FORD because it is FORD. People have known my RAV4 and see how reliable it has been but at the end of the day.... they will prefer the ESCAPE.... There is quite a bit of DISRIMINATION involved in cars. THAT is what makes FORD trucks popular, NOT because it is any better than the TUNDRA or TACOMA but because their great grand fathers drove FORD. That is just human nature.
 
I hope they still make it in japan, the ML Merc is usa built, and what a pig that has turned out to be......
 
I own a 2003 RAV 4 L which was made in Japan. I have had it back to the dealership 4 times to correct the dash/cowl rattle without any permanent success. Definitely a structual design flaw which has not been corrected at the Japanese manufacturing facility.

My 1999 Camry LE which was made in the USA in Louisville, Kentucky is probably the best car I have ever owned. No rattles, quiet and zero problems since the day I purchased it.

I conclude that the RAV 4 was not engineered properly when it was designed for cold weather. All the various TSB's to fix the rattle are nothing more than temporary fixes. Why haven't the Toyota Japanese engineers corrected the obvious design flaw on the RAV 4 after 4 years? :!:
 
I agree with you and Toyota's response with a repair kit at the dealer level shows a lack of refinement for a problem that has been there for years. It tells me that they just don't care. My Japanese made RAV has the worst initial quality I've seen in a vehicle yet. With so much outsourcing happening with globalization, parts or preassembled units can come from just about anywhere and I believe it's pretty much the luck of the draw as to what you will get.
 
Canadian Built

My great grandfather drove a milk wagon pulled by a single horse. I drive a RAV4.

I've read they are building a RAV4 plant near Woodstock, Ontario, that should go online in 2007 or so.

The new CJ Cruiser is supposed to be built in San Antonio Texas.

Have you tried spraying the creaking areas with silicon spray. That often works.

What is the dealer fix for rattles in the dash?
 
If you research the F150 you will find it is one of the only things Ford does good.

I have mentioned in the past that up at our farm the farmers and other trades people tell me it’s the Toughness and Durability.
I would not double that they probably have issues on new models and then fix them, that’s typical Ford.

My good friend is in the construction biz and his takes a hell of abuse.
Plus there was a time I needed that favor and loaded it up over the ton limit with interlocks. :roll:
With every squeak I was waiting for a big bang but thank goodness it was a tank. :lol:
 
Re: Canadian Built

parkwaycruiser said:
I've read they are building a RAV4 plant near Kitchener Ontario Canada, that should go online in 2007 or so.
That's true, Toyota will be making the RAV4 in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, near to the factory in Cambridge that currently builds all the Corollas, Matrix and Lexus RX330 sold in North America.

parkwaycruiser said:
I would still prefer one built in Japan - look for VIN numbers starting with a J not a 1. plant.
Even when I'm not a great fan of cars built in a different place than in the country of design, I must say that Toyota somehow has avoided the drop in quality normally associated to fabrication abroad. Typical example on what not to do, the Benz SUV built in Alabama.

The canadian-based plants have been providing the Corollas to the US-Canada market for more than 15 years, and Corollas are still one of the best car ever built. Same to the Lexus 330. Therefore I would like to give a little bit of credit to those guys. The Camrys built in US are probably as good as the Japan-made, and I think that at least in the Toyota name brand quality has not suffered major setbacks with the jump to NA, but some times we tend to find some issues with the home brews one. Can't say the same for others brands. I think that the lack of quality on this particular issue is more related with the company own internal philosophy than the actual building place.

parkwaycruiser said:
I had a Japanese Camry and it was Lexus quality - probably built at the same Lexus
In general, the Lexus and Toyotas come from the same places and plants and share many components, so it is not something that only happens to the Japan made cars.

Take care.
 
...as the saying goes..never buy an American car...because it's not reliable...like FORD..they kept on saying in their ads the all new FORD EXPEDITON...EXPLORER...etc..after a few months or few years later ..theres a RECALL again...if the new RAV4 will be built in US..I'm not sure of reliability of the RAV4.
 
Japanese Made

Given the choice of VIN numbers on the dealers lot, I'd still choose a Japanese car built in Japan over a domestic made one. That's just my personal choice.
 
Alabama vs Ontario

Who would you want your car built by? Someone who used to work at Cooter's Garage or Canadian Tire?
I don't have knowledge of the Alabama automotive workforce but i can tell you that in the newer generation of auto workers in Ontario you will find University grads with Dr. and Law degrees taking these high paying jobs.

The high wages are thanks to the Auto Unions have put so much extra cost into the North American cars which have cost us consumers over the years. :x
 
I thought I would have to reply to a few things that were talked about here. Union wages do increase the price of vehicles. Also, huge salaries for corporate people and chief execs which make millions per year also are a factor. Japanese factories in this counry which are usually located in the south are 90% non union and the quality is 100% as good as the ones made in Japan. If the quality is less than 100%, heads do roll, that is the way they do things. These are the facts, I know many in the auto industry. This is where I get my information.
 
Excuse me butting-in with a European persective on the country of manufacture debate - but I bought a new FORD Explorer for my wife and I was really appalled at the poor quality compared with European and Japanese cars that we'd owned before.
That's not to mention Ford's complete lack of interest in fixing the quality problems and serious delays with recalls for known issues.

I'm sure that the F150 sells well because it represents good value for money - but that does not necessarily equate to quality.
Quality is not simply about reliability, but also fit, finish, durability, service and owner satisfaction.

Sorry - nothing to do with RAV4 (or which I am a very happy owner 2001 - 63k miles).
Wife now has a Toyota Landcruiser Colorado (1998 - 103k miles).
These are our second Japanese-built Toyotas and I really don't see the point in owning anything else.
 
1998 Jeep

I traded my 1998 Jeep for a 1999 4Runner after only a few months with the Jeep. The 4Runner ran for over 6 years without any problems. The Jeep was in the dealer's garage at least once a month for transmission clunking, and differential and steering problems.

Here's one example: In the Jeep's service manual, it says to drain and refill the differentials once a year, but they don't put a drain and fill plug on them, so the entire shell has to be pulled off and resealed every time you do it. It takes about an hour and is a big mess, for something that all Toyotas come standard with, which can be done in about 10 minutes.

This has nothing to do with where it was built. It's how it was designed in the first place using off the shelf old AMC technology and parts.

The technology on my 98 Jeep came right off my old 1973 AMC Gremlin - same low tech engine, crappy steering, and transmission - need I say more. I should have learned my lesson with the Gremlin. I'm sorry, but that was the last American designed car I will ever buy.
 
may be your job some day

I would just like to make a comment to those who'd rather their cars be built in a foreign country. First of all, I have had a couple Toyotas and their quality is impecable, as compared to a Ford I had which was in the shop twice a year. Having said that, 80% of my staff's jobs are being sent to either India or Russia because their labor rate is cheaper. So be careful when you say you prefer foreign work over your own country's, because some day it may be your own job that's being transferred overseas.
 
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