A network of blogging mothers offered each of its members $10 to write a positive story about Toyota‘s recent exoneration by the U.S. government over sudden acceleration and promote similar pieces. After complaints, Toyota says it had nothing to do with the plan. More »
@touchitgently: It’s that Toyota fucking up hits a lot of drones very uncomfortably. Remember, these are the same women that bought their vans and sedans based on parrotted “Toyota = Safety” stuff rather than actually check things out on their own.
Proving that Toyota isn’t some infallible supercompany makes it a lot harder to look down at a Chrysler minivan or a Hyundai sedan for that drone that thought they could buy “#1” that way.
Ironically enough, these are also the same sort of bitches that declared that just because GM was largest manufacturer in the world before Toyota, that didn’t mean GM products were good.
Sir Sonoma
Sure is, except you know, jalop-uh.
timbuktu
You are correct, they did have a problem with the pedal sticking. I remember hearing about this a few years back. From what I heard it was very few and far between, and not anything that required a recall. I know the customer that complained about back in 2006-07 was some sand/salt and crap that got in there. The recall where they put in the metal plate on the pedal addresses that issue. As for a brand new car…I dunno, maybe a lemon. I work in the automotive business, and can say sometimes brand new stuff messes up. Back in the early 2000′s our shop was emission testing new VW’s…you wouldn’t beleive the fail rate…but we shipped them to the customer anyways. After all, when they needed to do their first actual emission test…its out of warranty. That was straight from VW Canada. The problem was with this recall, ABC and the rest of the media was jumping on Toyota’s electrical system…ABC even spoofed/simulated a wide open throttle through an electrical short. That scared the crap out of people, and had them believing a Toyota is a deathtrap. I wish Toyota had recalled the floor mats, and the sticking pedal before it cost them billions. I guess they learned their lessons. I would also like to see a huge apology from ABC, and the media to Toyota for accusing them of something false. I remember a story from early 2010 on CNN where they talked about a car that backed into a building. The anchor made some vague comments linking it to the Toyota recall, turned out it was a Volvo…I looked it up, many people would have guessed another Toyota out of control.
Kangaru
@tobythesandwich: You driving a fucking car, NOT a toaster.
I make a comfortable living off of people who don’t realise that fact. I don’t know what it is about Camrys that make people forget that spatial awareness is mandatory when riding your gold-painted fridge through a parking lot.
Sir Sonoma
@Kangaru: I used to sell Toyotas (for five years total) and when i was in college I was a driver for a dealership that sold Toyotas.
I personally was in a Toyota that had an accelerator issue. It surged and died erratically on two separate trips when I attempted to deliver it to a customer. The second time was within a few hundred feet of the previous trips issue, 70 miles away from the dealership.
It was clear, that vehicle had an issue with the pedal.
However, in the 5 years, plus 2-3 delivery, I experienced it once, out of probably thousands of Toyotas that had the pedal in question.
I didn’t know it was an issue to even consider in any other cars as I had only had it happen with one, so to hear about it being ‘widespread’ it seemed strange to me.
However, I know of one car in a few thousand that I experienced. If that percentage were to be cast over the total sales, you would see a few thousand cases.
I am not subscribing to it only being a software/hardware matter, and there are scum out there that abuse the situation and use it as an excuse, but I can’t agree that it was 100% made-up either having felt it.
PotbellyJoe – Mission critical commodity, ask my bosses…
Wait, wouldn’t “negative stigma” be a positive thing?
nosirrahg
Oh god, a new witch hunt. /facepalm
Jebro
I’d do her in that minivan and praise the comfort of the Toyota afterward for $10…
_________
@paintandswim09: I am still waiting on my free iPad…I was told its shipping from Nigeria.
Kangaru
Toyota may have been exonerated for now of having electronic interference issues, but they are still guilty of producing sticking gas pedals, improperly designed floor boards and improperly designed floor mats. This is just another pathetic attempt by Toyota to convince the stupid American’s who purchase their trash that there is nothing wrong with their wheeled toaster. Of course dumb broads would fall for that and spend time promoting their b.s.
touchitgently
@PotbellyJoe – Mission critical commodity, ask my bosses…: The fact is they were exhonerated. I beleive Jalop and many other people in the biz knew that it was “user error” all along.
I have a friend who is a Toyota service tech. He said pre 2008(since 2000) he personally heard of 1 sticky accelerator pedal. After the news jumped all over it, they were getting 3-5 customers weekly saying they needed their cars checked out. None had problems…and many were cars that never even had the electronic pedal. It was based on pure hysteria. The floormat recall was real, and some cars had that happen…heck I even had that happen on an old Chevrolet I used to own.
1 major thing wrong with people, is their inability to admit they f***ed up. I know like many others, if I were to get into an at fault accident(driving a Toyota)…I would use that excuse, after all it could save you a fine and insurance increases. Think about the runaway Prius that ended up being bogus. Audi had the same thing happen in the 80′s…the media blamed the car…the NHTSA(years later) said it was driver error…go figure.
Kangaru
@Haywood Jablomey is Cheese Slap backwards.: Remember the Ford Ka commercials that were totally controversial…cat beheading?? Ford had nothing to do with those commercials as the company that was making the videos was actually shooting a real commercial that Ford approved. Sometimes advertisers and viral marketers make mistakes. Many times they go rogue, making the company look bad for their mistakes.
Kangaru
@tobythesandwich: You make no sense, are you blaming Toyota for getting off the hook and bragging it to everyone? I don’t think thats the case, this was obviously some advertising company failing at a viral campagin of posting to blogs and social networking.
The other part I don’t understand is your rant about people not knowing the ins and outs of their cars, and the fact that we take out car technology for granted. The days of manual transmissions and carburation are sadly long gone, for many reasons. I understand you may be an automotive purist…but most people out there need their car to be the appliance to get them from home to work. I am an enthusiest, but I also understand the car business. Its not Toyota’s fault for selling basic bland appliance like cars, that has been going on for decades. Travel to the east where many of the cars on the road are white Toyota Corolla’s, you will notice one thing in common…most people in the world drive appliances. However, you and I are entitled to drive what we want. Pretty cool, no?
Kangaru
@jodark: A thousand bucks? Rip off.
TheAntiCat thinks Valentine’s Day was invented by Satan
The marketing company that works for Toyota has a handshake deal with them; everytime they think of the deal, their hands shake.
I’d be nervous too if I had to sell their product.
TheAntiCat thinks Valentine’s Day was invented by Satan
@Lahjik: Perhaps, but after having seen some colossally stupid things people have done in the past in the interests of self-promotion, I’m going to give the MommyNetworks head the benefit of the doubt for now… unless someone exposes a connection to Toyota.
Jackie
it’ll likely be jammed up your ass if this gets cross-posted onto the Jez…
Lahjik
I seriously doubt that it was her whim; there was obviously something driving it (and providing capital for the gift certs). I would say if you look deep enough you’d find a link to a Toyota-based interest. It’ll likely be via a long-tortuous route, but I’m sure it’s there.
Lahjik
Hey! I got an email the other day saying that if I were willing to test an iPad, I could sign up on a website to get one for free, provided that I gave feedback to the company! All I needed to do was provide them with my name, DOB, mailing and email addresses, credit card number (for shipping costs only, of course), and social security number. Is this the same/a similar outfit?
paintandswim09
Yeah, well, that’s like, your opinion, man…
Lahjik
She owns a Bentley Continental GT, an SLR, and a MotoGP team. I’d rather have her do this than shill for Prius.
Pessimippopotamus
Fuck that. They may have been exonerated but that doesn’t cut to the main issue here. Toyota has been enabling the lazy morons. You driving a fucking car, NOT a toaster. I don’t care how much technology you have. until cars drive themselves, there is STILL a human equation to worry about.
Sure it was “user error” but in a time and place when most people don’t even know how to change a tire, not forcing them to use common sense just enables them. I understand not all people are Jalops, Hoons, or any of the above. I understand the idea that a car is transportation from A to B. Not everyone is as much of a car nut as me. but at some point you have to KNOW how your car works to an extent. I mean my grandmother who is in her 60′s knows how to change a damn tire. Is it really THAT hard for people to learn this kind of shit?
It angers me that now Toyota will be going on about how great they are and how stupid Americans are. And the thing that will piss me off the most is that it’s true. Here in America, we don’t want to do it. We want it to do itself, or we’ll send it out of country. The fat cats we have become. Some countries barely even have paved roads, but we take that for granted. Some have whole villages that survive off the bare minimum. We get supersized meals and an obesity pandemic. And people wonder why at times I’m not proud to be an American.
tobythesandwich
In other news, Toyota has an arms-length relationship with their marketing company, so they can legitimately claim “No knowledge” of this while at the same time exhorting the marketing company to “try to pump our image using non-traditional media such as blogs.”
Buckus
Right! Jaeger girls would not lie to me. Strippers, either.
AlThums is not making this up!
@Clown Shoe Pilot: [
Even I know this shit is lame.
SagarikaLumos
Yeah, we do that where I work sometimes. Management makes a call they’re unsure of and when it hits some kind of fan, they come to me and say: “Cheese, you’re going to take the rap for this. You made a bad. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”
And just like that, it’s gone. Plausible deniability. I haz it.
Haywood Jablomey is Cheese Slap backwards.
thats what i meant. but i hope its not hideous enough to kill the car…
OMGItsWeasel
I sure wish I could heart click you for using the word “myriad” correctly.
Clown Shoe Pilot
@Brian: Cogito Ergo ZOOM!: Well, sorry that you had endure my rant.
OK, kinda sorry… writing “fuckwit” is so cathartic.
Jackie
Sounds like a great idea, pay your fans to endorse things. Hint. Hint.
NiiCKx3
That was the intended joke. =)
I was about the type “play Modern Warfare 2″ but that just seemed too easy. Portal is better anyway.
TheAntiCat thinks Valentine’s Day was invented by Satan
@ScoobWRX: To do the laundry?
Moparmaniac07
Wanna bet that the LF-A will die in a hideous accident a day later? Like most female-owned sportscars?
Track, days and wedges do mix
Hey, you’ll eventually beat that Mercedes record soon!
Track, days and wedges do mix
@PotbellyJoe – Mission critical commodity, ask my bosses…: Well Toyota did advertise here for a good period of time…
gman1023
Now you can’t say the accelerator stuck though.
Xander Crews
You gotta tell me about the CV’s, the belt jobs and the trans…
Slid Pissed Tossed Mazda3hatch sideways into a effin DITCH
@TheAntiCat thinks Valentine’s Day was invented by Satan: You may not have intended this (because I thought you were going to play Portal IRL), but you had to be an asshole to get your lady off the computer before you could play Portal.
And I wonder if the cake will be more than a lie this time.
jodark
“Toyota mommy — I’d so totally hit that and then not call her.”
Fixed that for ya.
TheAntiCat thinks Valentine’s Day was invented by Satan
@Xander Crews: *as peter griffin* “Swweeett.”
TheAntiCat thinks Valentine’s Day was invented by Satan
@Slid Pissed Tossed Mazda3hatch sideways into a effin DITCH:
for reference – my Dad’s ’91 Accord had 787000.. original clutch too
pikguard
@BrtStlnd: “I’ll suck Toyota’s cock for a thousand dollars. Jalopnik has to pay to too to watch.”
jodark
It’s like a pyramid scheme, except it’s a one dimensional pyramid scheme. It’s really a line scheme.
Xander Crews
Just wear some protection. We don’t want this little shit to have a younger brother.
alan505
*evil grin*
TheAntiCat thinks Valentine’s Day was invented by Satan
Jarapeu, is that like regular poo?
Xander Crews
P.S
DO post THIS on jezebel..
Lets get their panties into a nice little bunch…
Shows ya how being a SHILL damages ya rep…
Slid Pissed Tossed Mazda3hatch sideways into a effin DITCH
Xander Crews
@Jackie:
Im going to write that one down..
FUCKWIT..
And add it to my pile of single word complaints:
SHITFORBRAINS
TINKLES
DOUSCHECANOE
FUCKNUTS
SHITFACE…
FUCKWIT… sounds pretty good.
Slid Pissed Tossed Mazda3hatch sideways into a effin DITCH
@Track, days and wedges do mix:
Shes got more miles on her.. than every 92 Accord still around on this planet should ever have the right to.
Slid Pissed Tossed Mazda3hatch sideways into a effin DITCH
@alleggerita: Because they love us and they want us to be happy? Right? Right?
13thfloorelevator
For once..
I wanna hear some shit about a car.. that is real.
Thats why I cant tolerate car mag reviews / autoblog reviews.. cause its just the rosiest bunch of horse shit Ive ever read.
TELL the damn story man, dont sugar coat it.
Tell me the damn trans sucks..
Tell me the car got no damn balls
Tell me its a heavy load of crap and taking it off road really doesn’t help its rep.
Tell me about the decontenting.
Tell me about how the company removed cost out of the scissor hinges in the trunk and expensive LEDs in the lights and a well designed rear independent suspension to put in a 2g nav unit.. for fuckers to figure out how to get to the mall without GOING IN THE WRONG DAMN DIRECTION!!!!
I wanna hear the TRUTH MAN!!!!
DONT FUCKIN SUGAR COAT IT MAN!!!!
DAMN MOMMY BLOGGERS!!!!
Slid Pissed Tossed Mazda3hatch sideways into a effin DITCH
Now if we can only get a Jezebel cross-post…
armyofchuckness
Yesterday we get Chris Harris’ scathing rant about Ferrari and its tactics.
Today we get Chrissy Page’s expose on…MommyNetworks? Have we reached peak 자라프?
timbuktu
Toyota mommy — I’d so totally hit that.
ɹǝʌoɹ ǝБuɐɹʇs
meh. the ones that are properly placed into a good home are going to need replacement parts eventually.
sad to see, but its for a greater good.
OMGItsWeasel
Those moms really tied the review together man!
BrtStlnd
@e30m3: Did Toyota pay you to say that to start an arms race between Jalopnik and Jezebel?
BullittFan_Fords4Life
Jalopnik: Getting the dirt on MommyNetworks.org!
LeadfootYT
@TheAntiCat thinks Valentine’s Day was invented by Satan:
If it makes you feel better..
My initials are M.F.
Slid Pissed Tossed Mazda3hatch sideways into a effin DITCH
So, how does this Mommyblogger advertising thing work? You pay a ton of Mommybloggers to write about your product who then all the Mommybloggers just read each other’s blogs about the product they just wrote about?
Actually, that’s brilliant now that I think about it. What better way to get everyone to like your product than to have them write what they like about it? The cost of $10 is practically free for the space in a person’s head you’d get for that rate.
jodark
@Slid Pissed Tossed Mazda3hatch sideways into a effin DITCH:
They are protecting their brains from the brainwashing waves to agree with you..
Slid Pissed Tossed Mazda3hatch sideways into a effin DITCH
because DaddyNetworks.org would be instantly added to the FBI’s sex crime task force watch list.
OMGItsWeasel
Man..
Dont trust the media.. they are all owned by multinational conglomerates..
Dont trust the pro-car-blogging sites ya hear… PAID FOR BY automakers desperate to get their message out.
Then ya got the car mags and the TV shows…
And then ya got shit like Ferrari tampering with the cars and the reviews ya do give out..makin sure its what they want ya to hear..
ON TOP OF..
I CANT get a negative review out of ANY VEHICLE… for some psycho belief that ya could do damage to th vehicle’s rep!!!
DONT TRUST ANYONE MAN!!!
Slid Pissed Tossed Mazda3hatch sideways into a effin DITCH
Hell yes.
“Remember, the Aperture Science ‘Bring Your Daughter to Work Day’ is the perfect time to have her tested.”
TheAntiCat thinks Valentine’s Day was invented by Satan
“I’m sorry, but you have to be an absolute fuckwit to think that this was a good idea.”
BULLSHIT! You are not sorry.
Brian: Cogito Ergo ZOOM!
In other news, Skank Celebrity Paris Hilton easily got her hands on an LFA. God help us.
(Not trying to be a sexist, I just don’t see that happening; a supercar being driven by a snot-nosed brat called a girl.)
Track, days and wedges do mix
@PotbellyJoe – Mission critical commodity, ask my bosses…: Rumor has it that no money changed hands, but Ray was promised a romantic evening with an LF-A and a bottle of lube.
Jackie
@TheAntiCat thinks Valentine’s Day was invented by Satan: The new one is going to be excellent.
jodark
This is what the mommy bloggers should do instead, take a Charger
stephdumas
@e30m3: Dude, a thought. Toyota’s are like appliances. Kitchen’s have appliances. So does driving a Toyota count as leaving the kitchen or is it like a walk in refrigerator?
Mack41
It’s called marketing…..Bitch. Why do alcohol companies send their sales staff to nightclubs an buy patrons their company branded drinks?
alleggerita
@ScoobWRX: @TheAntiCat thinks Valentine’s Day was invented by Satan: But since a Toyota is an appliance, is driving one considered not leaving the kitchen?
Mack41
“I am a Toyota owner, that saw this come out last week and I thought that it would be a good case study….I really thought that I could bring up something as large as this recall and create a portfolio for MommyNetworks.org”
I’m sorry, but you have to be an absolute fuckwit to think that this was a good idea. As if it wasn’t bad enough to ask bloggers to shill for Toyota, you have the gall the think that bribing them was a good idea? Really?
So yes, you created a portfolio — of ways to get sued by Toyota for further damaging their already heavily tarnished reputation.
Jackie
Same. Little wagon-hating bastard.
FrankenStang should probably call himself QuattroStein
Nope. There’s not, in fact.
snapoversteer
There’s a difference between freedom of speech and misrepresenting oneself as unbiased.
See: astroturfing.
cheeezwhiz
Hey I just got paid for that – neat!!~
Benovite
It’s “sammich”.
Benovite
Toyota paid off MommyNetworks to take the blame.
Ravey Mayvey Slurpee’s current urge: Manic GT
I don’t care, I still want the FT-86.
Motor_Yakuza
Which leads to the question…
How much were you guys paid for the myriad articles you wrote exonerating Toyota?
PotbellyJoe – Mission critical commodity, ask my bosses…
“GET OFF THAT FUCKING COMPUTER WOMAN!!”
Now that I’ve done my part to be an asshole, Imma go play “Portal”.
TheAntiCat thinks Valentine’s Day was invented by Satan
underwear-ninja
Did someone repeal the 1st Amendment, or does the disclosure requirement apply to the advertiser not the blogger?
snapoversteer
Ever since that “hottest bun in the oven” ad I kept seeing for a while, I just get really creeped out when I see a Sienna.
underwear-ninja
Thanks for reminding me of the Highlander Kid and how much I hate his face.
jakebonz
Why did the woman cross the road?
Matter of fact, actually, why did she leave the kitchen?
Just kidding, just kidding.
ScoobWRX
that’s why we don’t let them out of the kitchen. Now where the hell is my sandwich?
/justkiddingtakeajoke
e30m3