GM points fingers with its steering recall

GM points fingers with its steering recall

The recall bug that’s been going around seems to have infected General Motors as well. They are recalling 1.3 million compact cars in North America, citing problems with the power steering. The problem has been linked to 14 crashes and 1 injury as of yesterday. The models affected are the US market 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, the Canadian market 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit, and the Mexican market 2005-2006 Pontiac G4.

Affected vehicles can still be ‘safety controlled’ but will require ‘greater steering effort’ at speeds of under 24km/h. The problem is the poweer steering system, but the vehicle will warn you when the power steering system fails. A chime will sound and a “power steering” message will flash on the dashboard.

But here’s the funny bit – they aren’t really being so gracious about it. GM is actually blaming Toyota for the power steering problem. It seems that the defective power steering system contains parts manufactured by Jtekt Corporation, which is partly owned by Toyota – 22.5 percent. Yes, there is some form of connection there, but the propaganda is really being taken too far isn’t it? GM even claims the recall may cost around US$100 million. But aren’t you supposed to do some kind of check on the design of the components you source as part of your procurement system?

“This is a case where, yes, we would blame a partially Toyota-owned supplier. The supplier had not met all requirements for reliability and durability. So we will have to see who takes financial responsibility. But this is a risk you sometimes take when you buy a complete system from a supplier,” said GM’s Bob Lutz at the Geneva Motorshow.

Source

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • Wan Mohd on Mar 04, 2010 at 2:53 am

    Haha pulang paku buah keras

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  • Wan Mohd on Mar 04, 2010 at 2:55 am

    US Senate should call GM bosses for query as well similar to what they did to Toyota

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  • sirimusa on Mar 04, 2010 at 3:02 am

    Being American, I am ashamed to see how far the country has taken this issue.

    Because US auto-manufacturers have not been able to compete against the Japanese despite a major effort in terms of assembly quality on American cars, they are now wiggling the knife in Toyota's wound and making sure they can hurt them and disgrace them as much as possible.

    The US is a major proponent of capitalism and free market forces… but only when it wants to!

    I really don't know when this farce will end…

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  • Is GM really that desperate???

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  • Kristin Mattews on Mar 04, 2010 at 3:34 am

    I do agree with you sirimusa. This issue has gone too far when something aggressive to address the issue is ongoing. Why can't they just make sure that the health care issue is resolved soundly or the unemployment benefits not to be threatened these are far more important matters.

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  • japanesecarsucks on Mar 04, 2010 at 3:45 am

    Toyota produce poor quality parts

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  • told ya.. this all about capitalism and control of economy. if others tried to raise against american, all sort of things can happened even killing people can be justified.

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  • Alpha on Mar 04, 2010 at 3:58 am

    well,by looking at it,YES,GM IS REALLY THAT DESPERATE!!

    "The supplier had not met all requirements for reliability and durability."

    if the supplier had not met all requirements for reliability and durability,they shouldn't hav had the supplier to supply the items in the first place.it's their fault too.And just because it's partially owned by toyota,they're gonna point finger at toyota??man!!what a bunch of p*ssies!!

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  • That's why we support European companies…

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  • J Cross on Mar 04, 2010 at 4:22 am

    I think that GM should concentrate on doing what Toyota are doing – putting the customers first and fixing their cars. I think it's a much better approach than trying to find someone else to blame!

    Clearly, GM still hasn't realized, even after all these years, it has to take responsibility by itself, for what it sells.

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  • Is GM running by a bunch of Kids? I feel sad for the Americans reading this

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  • Kington on Mar 04, 2010 at 4:39 am

    As a reader, i can only conclude that GM behaves no better than toddlers.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • S.Roma on Mar 04, 2010 at 4:46 am

    Being American, I am ashamed to see how far the country has taken this issue.

    Because US auto-manufacturers have not been able to compete against the Japanese despite a major effort in terms of assembly quality on American cars, they are now wiggling the knife in Toyota’s wound and making sure they can hurt them and disgrace them as much as possible.

    The US is a major proponent of capitalism and free market forces… but only when it wants to!

    I really don’t know when this farce will end…

    ——————————————————————

    I agree with u !

    SInce that T badge already got big wound, the wanna make it worse. Stupid la…

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  • fliedlice on Mar 04, 2010 at 4:49 am

    "The supplier had not met all requirements for reliability and durability"

    What rubbish. If the supplier hasn't met all the requirements, why did GM accept the parts? All that says is that their development process is lousy.

    "But this is a risk you sometimes take when you buy a complete system from a supplier"

    Power steerings are specialist systems. I bet GM themselves don't know how to design or produce it.

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  • Gajen on Mar 04, 2010 at 5:24 am

    toyota apologized and made recalls…gm blame others…

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  • seat-belt on Mar 04, 2010 at 6:18 am

    enough la GM…

    propaganda tak jadi la….hahahah~~

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  • go for it GM, shoot 'em kow-kow.

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  • i don't see any propaganda here….T screwed up big time…take advantage of this situation is most companies will do…why not?it's just bussiness…

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  • nazri on Mar 04, 2010 at 7:21 am

    inilah kesan akibat electronic menggantikan mekanikal part..

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  • BeemerFreak on Mar 04, 2010 at 7:56 am

    Such unprofessionalism, I will never buy american anymore. No way, what if my brakes fail? will they blame me for not stepping hard enough???

    Bimmer leads the way, yeah

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  • Things have really gone too far and off the limit in both GM and the US government..when Toyota had a problem, they sued Toyota and even asked Mr. Toyoda to attend the listening..even looked for cases that had happened 10 years ago and put the blame on Toyota!!..In contrast, they file no lawsuit or listening against GM..Isn't it clear that the US government is the one behind all these?..come on US, stop all your efforts to try to bring Toyota down..

    btw, this piece of news has dissapeared from Yahoo! News..Is Yahoo! under some kinda pressure from the US government?..oh ya, the GM thingy also appeared in The Star today, but it was such a small coverage being placed under a big Toyota problem..check it out people.. :)

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  • bobdbilder on Mar 04, 2010 at 8:00 am

    Sounds like not enough pressure from the pump to run the hydraulics. This can occur when there is slippage of the v-belt. In my Hyundai Trajet, this happens whenever the belt gets splashed with water. In Malaysia, that tends to happen a lot! Tightening of the belt would not solve the whole problem. A Non OEM v-belt might. Which the Authorised Service Centre would not do. They'll either tighten the belt tensioner or ask you to replace the belt.

    What one could do is lift off the accelerator pedal for a second and reapply power. Snapping the torque back in, seems to work.

    GM is not solving the problem. Its not part of the solution. It is THE problem.

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  • nabill on Mar 04, 2010 at 8:27 am

    lets c if they really drag GM ceo to congress for questioning….in no time thy will clain the world economic situation and terrorism are due to toyotoa as well…..

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  • “This is a case where, yes, we would blame a partially Toyota-owned supplier. The supplier had not met all requirements for reliability and durability. So we will have to see who takes financial responsibility. But this is a risk you sometimes take when you buy a complete system from a supplier,” said GM’s Bob Lutz at the Geneva Motorshow.

    partly owned by Toyota – 22.5 percent

    stupid….

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  • dejavu on Mar 04, 2010 at 2:37 pm

    Shame on GM for washing their hands so soon. Kinda kiddish considering all d earlier financial probs and handouts to d US big 3.

    Perhaps Mr Yoyoda should just say "Looks like ours, feels like ours, but not ours" since 22% share holding does not technically make it d main owner.

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  • vamos9446 on Mar 04, 2010 at 3:41 pm

    GM ought to learn to love thy neighbor else it fresh woes overtake them.

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  • umno juara tipu raky on Mar 04, 2010 at 4:48 pm

    juz like our gov…when sugar price increased,blamed the people coz eat a lot of sugar!

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  • moronic Mazda 3 MPS on Mar 04, 2010 at 6:05 pm

    insufficient assist on power steering vs pedal stuck & brake failure…

    can someone enlightened me, which is more severe?

    does anybody understand that the hearing which involved toyoda is about hiding fault and causing casualties?

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  • mokkf82 on Mar 04, 2010 at 7:00 pm

    Does not make sence as they are the big 3 that form the System so call PPAP. If the supplier not meeting the requirement, then why are they allowing them to pass?

    Means they too by pass their own system?

    Stop the blaming game and start the recalling the suspected vehicles.

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  • Squawk on Mar 04, 2010 at 7:18 pm

    If they didn't check what they buy from suppliers, it's their fault.

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  • tanasi on Mar 04, 2010 at 8:21 pm

    bob u sure this is hydraulic related? jtekt is the biggest electric assist steering system maker.

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  • initial R on Mar 04, 2010 at 9:04 pm

    That's AmeriCAN way….

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  • Squawk on Mar 04, 2010 at 9:14 pm

    Another thorn in Toyota's side. All those who bought recon Harriers, Estimas, Mark Xs, don't worry, it's said to be a non-dangerous problem.

    —————–

    Repairs on 45,000 vehicles in Japan have already been rolled out since October. The problem affects an additional 230,000 vehicles in 90 other nations, Takeuchi said. The models involved in Japan are the Harrier luxury model, Estima minivan, Blade hatchback, Mark X Zio sedan and Vanguard crossover.

    Toyota does not consider the latest repair a recall because the problem doesn't endanger safety, and categorizes it as a "service campaign," with owners receiving notices through dealers about the needed repair.

    "This is a routine measure," said Takeuchi. "We are not hiding anything."

    The automaker earlier Tuesday said some 1 million vehicles were affected after the repair for the oil-supply engine hose was expanded overnight in the U.S. to include 2007 and 2009 RAV4 sport utility vehicles and some Avalon sedan models, totaling 217,800 vehicles.

    It was unclear when U.S. owners would receive notices on the Highlander and Sienna repairs, but Toyota was making preparations now, Takeuchi said.

    Toyota's quality standards have come under intense scrutiny following global recalls of some 8.5 million vehicles for gas pedal, floor mat and braking problems, mostly in the U.S.

    In Europe, the global recalls affects 1.7 million vehicles for the gas-pedal problems, and nearly 53,000 Prius hybrids for the antilock braking glitch, according to an updated tally.

    Story continues below

    In the latest defect, faulty hoses can cause engine noise and light up the oil pressure light on vehicle dashboards, according to Toyota. In the U.S., the problem also affects the best-selling Camry and two Lexus models.

    Toyota President Akio Toyoda returned to Japan Tuesday after apologizing the day before in Beijing, seeking to placate growing consumer worries.

    In Beijing, Toyoda made a formal Japanese-style deep bow of contrition – the first time since the recall fiasco surfaced – that immediately followed his words of apology. He had apologized earlier in Japan and the U.S., but did not offer a bow of apology.

    "I learned a lot," Toyoda told reporters at the company's Nagoya office. "We will really do what we can from now to transform to the kind of company that will have people saying they can trust in our transparency and our customer focus."

    Toyoda was encouraged by the response he got from American lawmakers, who expect Toyota to learn from its mistakes to become a great company, not just a good company, he said.

    But he did not respond when asked about the leaky oil hoses, and it was still undecided whether he would go to Europe, where he has yet to offer a personal apology, according to Toyota.

    Yasuaki Iwamoto, auto analyst with Okasan Securities Co. in Tokyo, said U.S. consumers were unlikely to be forgiving, and Toyota must continue to show how it has improved quality checks, not just make promises.

    "Brand recovery in the U.S. will take time, and there are no shortcuts," he said.

    China was another important growth market for Toyota, but the backlash there may be easier to contain, Iwamoto said, because of the smaller numbers of recalls. Some 75,000 RAV4 vehicles are being fixed in China for sticky gas pedals.

    Toyoda has said the automaker grew too fast in recent years and failed to listen as closely as it should have to consumer complaints about its vehicles.

    Toyoda was grilled by U.S. lawmakers at a congressional hearing last week. Three other Toyota executives are scheduled to appear at the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation later in the day.

    Toyota will announce that former U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater will lead the panel that will review the company's quality control systems, according to remarks planned for delivery by Toyota executive Yoshi Inaba.

    The U.S. government has attributed 34 deaths to alleged sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles since 2000. Since September, Toyota has recalled about 6 million vehicles in the U.S.

    Separately, Hyundai Motor of South Korea said Tuesday it was recalling 515 Tucson SUVs, produced from Nov. 10-30, 2009 for a defect in safety devices related to air bags.

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  • 1Malaysian on Mar 04, 2010 at 9:41 pm

    U.S need $$$ resources for their USF1, thats why!

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  • Toyota recall, Honda recall, Nissan recall, now GM recall. I bet if Toyota issue never came up…. GM would have kept quite on the issue.

    GM is worse than Toyota cos they blame others and that in management school of thought is a big no no. Big mistake. They should accept and move foward.

    Another point to think about is :

    Why the US not grilling GM?. I smell hidden propaganda here.

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  • Mazda 3 MPS + ANTI P on Mar 05, 2010 at 8:08 am

    gm is idiot

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