Takata airbags

[fried1765]

I guess I do feel better now that all are replaced. But that doesn't change the fact that I had to place 2 vehicles into a very limited service that I paid about $75,000 to acquire. Total limited service time = over a year and a half for both. Service life usually = 10 years or so with us. Not being in full service for more than a year and a half sure made the value received ( or depreciated the value ) in this service life to a much lower useful service life. Don't think I'll ever feel good about that, that equals a loss of value received on the purchase price much less in my book.
Chris

I used my Corolla all last summer, and ignored the Toyota/Takata warning.
Obviously, I should not have done that.
The car was stored from early November until just this week.
I now am using a Thrifty rental, provided by Toyota, at $35 per day.
Cost to Toyota for the month of May alone will be $1085.
Toyota dealership states that a Takata fix COULD be available sometime in June.
I don't care when they fix it now!
I love my(?) new 2017 Nissan Sentra .....backup camera and all!

 

[3930dave]

Significant loss of use is quantifiable directly in $. People should have been compensated for loss of use.

If I was given a loaner vehicle gratis, I'd happily put miles on somebody else's vehicle - I'd be in no rush to return it.

Rgds, D.

 

[chriswheeler]

And that takes us back to my first post. The government fining Takata millions does nothing for the consumer, sure we get the bag inflators replaced, but that's it. If the government wanted to do the right thing here, they would split that fine received among the consumers who had the defect on a per airbag inflator basis for loss of use during the long winded replacement time period, or the risks taken by some waiting for the replacement inflators. By the time a lawyer gets ahold of this and turns it into a class action suite, any wins in court go directly into the lawyers pockets in legal fees and we, the consumers still loose when they send us a $5 check for our share of the settlement. We loose both ways.
Chris

 

[GolfAddict]

And that takes us back to my first post. The government fining Takata millions does nothing for the consumer, sure we get the bag inflators replaced, but that's it. If the government wanted to do the right thing here, they would split that fine received among the consumers who had the defect on a per airbag inflator basis for loss of use during the long winded replacement time period, or the risks taken by some waiting for the replacement inflators. By the time a lawyer gets ahold of this and turns it into a class action suite, any wins in court go directly into the lawyers pockets in legal fees and we, the consumers still loose when they send us a $5 check for our share of the settlement. We loose both ways.
Chris

Maybe I misunderstood some of the earlier posts, but I thought I read that Toyota would provide a replacement loaner until the bags were replaced. If that's true, then they are mitigating any loss of use issues. Of course it's up to you to take advantage of that, like fried1765 did.

 

[3930dave]

Maybe I misunderstood some of the earlier posts, but I thought I read that Toyota would provide a replacement loaner until the bags were replaced. If that's true, then they are mitigating any loss of use issues. Of course it's up to you to take advantage of that, like fried1765 did.

Chris may not have any Toyotas. He references a Jeep, but may own other brands too.

Many different brands have been affected, this list has some:

Takata Airbag Recall: A list of cars - NY Daily News

Not all vehicle brands may offer a free loaner, or perhaps they just make the offer less obvious than Toyota ?

Rgds, D.

 

[chriswheeler]

One is a 2009 Dodge diesel 3/4" ton 4X4. Dodge surely wasn't going to loan you one of these $50,000 trucks and put miles on it while you were waiting for air bag replacement. The other is a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4X4, lower cost vehicle, but same problem. My hat is off to Toyota for doing the right thing, don't think many others even considered loaners.
Chris

 

[fried1765]

One is a 2009 Dodge diesel 3/4" ton 4X4. Dodge surely wasn't going to loan you one of these $50,000 trucks and put miles on it while you were waiting for air bag replacement. The other is a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4X4, lower cost vehicle, but same problem. My hat is off to Toyota for doing the right thing, don't think many others even considered loaners.
Chris

No need for your "hat off" to Toyota!
They are covering their Axx for potential lawsuits.
They have told all Takata airbag owners that it is not safe to carry a passenger in that seat.
If you DO carry a passenger in that seat, ...... YOU are then guilty of "willful negligence".
If your passenger is injured or killed, I would be willing to bet that YOUR insurance company will NOT COVER YOU for "willful negligence"!
You were warned (in writing), and you DELIBERATELY chose to ignore the warning!
Do you REALLY think that Toyota did "the right thing",...... or was there an ulterior motive?

 

[3930dave]

No need for your "hat off" to Toyota!
They are covering their Axx for potential lawsuits.
They have told all Takata airbag owners that it is not safe to carry a passenger in that seat.
If you DO carry a passenger in that seat, ...... YOU are then guilty of "willful negligence".
If your passenger is injured or killed, I would be willing to bet that YOUR insurance company will NOT COVER YOU for "willful negligence"!
You were warned (in writing), and you DELIBERATELY chose to ignore the warning!
Do you REALLY think that Toyota did "the right thing",...... or was there an ulterior motive?

On the legal side of things, I'm curious - are these notices sent out by Registered Mail - ie. can the car manufacturer prove that you actually received the notice ?

I'd say that the minimum a vehicle manufacturer has to do is inform the vehicle owner of the fault/recall, and demonstrate "reasonable" effort to change out the part in a timely fashion once they become available from Takata etc. < Those steps would probably keep their Legal Dept happy, on their own.

I'm not aware of legal precedent that requires a vehicle manufacturer to supply free replacement loaners.... so IMO, any manufacturer that provides that free service voluntarily is going out of their way to compensate their customers for inconvenience..... I know it would certainly impress me from a service standpoint, and would seriously increase their chances of having me as a repeat customer.

Companies spend billions every year on media advertising; why not spend some money on loaner vehicles in this type of situation ?

Rgds, D.

 

[ultrarunner]

There are certain consumer protection statutes that extend warranty for the time a vehicle is out of service due to a manufacturing defect...

If the defect is significant and cannot be remedied in a timely fashion the lemon law allows the consumer to request a buy back.

 

[fried1765]

On the legal side of things, I'm curious - are these notices sent out by Registered Mail - ie. can the car manufacturer prove that you actually received the notice ?

I'd say that the minimum a vehicle manufacturer has to do is inform the vehicle owner of the fault/recall, and demonstrate "reasonable" effort to change out the part in a timely fashion once they become available from Takata etc. < Those steps would probably keep their Legal Dept happy, on their own.

I'm not aware of legal precedent that requires a vehicle manufacturer to supply free replacement loaners.... so IMO, any manufacturer that provides that free service voluntarily is going out of their way to compensate their customers for inconvenience..... I know it would certainly impress me from a service standpoint, and would seriously increase their chances of having me as a repeat customer.

Companies spend billions every year on media advertising; why not spend some money on loaner vehicles in this type of situation ?

Rgds, D.

Perhaps not in Canada, but in the US, registered mail is primarily for shipping high dollar value items.
Certified mail is for documents that must have assured delivery.

I agree that there may not be a requirement that a vehicle manufacturer supply free replacement loaners.
In my, case, requirement or not, I would have rented a car on my own, and filed a case in small claims court against Toyota.
In small claims court the defendant must appear, or the claimant automatically wins.
Is a Toyota representative actually going to be there? Maybe an attorney, but that is going to be an additional expense/nuisance for Toyota.

I do not think it matters if the recall was sent via certified mail. Once you go to the dealership, and inquire about the recall, you are on record as being aware of the recall.
You are kidding yourself, if you think that Toyota is doing this out of consumer benevolence!
Toyota is covering it's Axx !!!!