Author Archive for Jason Lancaster
Jason Lancaster is the editor and founder of TundraHeadquarters.com. He has nearly a decade of experience on the retail side of the auto industry, and another decade of experience of the part and accessory side of the industry.
Sources Hint Toyota Accelerator Recall Fix Will Come Soon
A couple of sources from Toyota’s sales division have told us off the record that the official accelerator recall fix is ready and waiting for NHTSA approval.
The “fix” is rumored to be nothing more than a simple shim that will keep the accelerator mechanism from getting stuck. It’s anticipated that Toyota can manage to repair most of the effected vehicles within the month. Sources say that recall repairs could begin as early as next week, meaning that Toyota’s sales freeze could be over in just a few days.
Will Consumers Buy Compact, Unibody Scion Pickups?
Toyota has been kicking around the concept of building a compact unibody pickup for it’s Scion brand. While Toyota’s motivations aren’t completely clear, they probably go a little something like this:
- Because the Tacoma has grown from compact to midsize, there might be room in the marketplace for a truly compact pickup truck.
- Truck owners seem to be fiercely loyal to a particular brand, and this loyalty is often fostered at a young age. Building a cheap compact Toyota truck gives us a chance to grow a lifetime customer.
- A compact pickup would help Toyota meet our federal fleet fuel economy rating.
- Compact little unibody pickups have some appeal worldwide.
- Toyota is really, really good at building small vehicles.
So there you have it – Toyota’s case for building a compact pickup for the Scion brand. Now let’s break it down a little further.
Toyota Temporarily Freezes Tundra Sales
In light of criticism surrounding their recent accelerator mechanism recall announcement and safety warning, Toyota has stopped selling the Tundra along with 7 other models.
The following models are no longer available for sale:
2010 Toyota Tundra VVTi Gear Assembly TSB Explained
We recently received a copy of a Toyota TSB (technical service bulletin) regarding the mysterious 2010 Tundra check engine light issue we documented a few months ago. What follows is an explanation of the exact problem, how it’s fixed, and what Tundra owners can expect. We’ve also included a VIN list that you can use to see if your Tundra is effected by this TSB.
NUMMI Workers Fighting (Literally) With UAW Leadership
Following-up on news that 80% of NUMMI’s workers are upset with the UAW, a NUMMI employee has sent us some information about a meeting that took place on Sunday, January 24th between NUMMI employees and UAW Local 2244 leaders. Evidently, the UAW’s local bargaining chairman Javier Contreras (the guy who is supposed to be negotiating for a worker’s severance package) dropped a sling of F-bombs on a crowd of 400+ NUMMI workers.
Here’s the video (not for kid’s ears or something you want to watch at work without headphones):
You’ll hear the meeting explode at the 31 second mark.
That’s right folks – the guy who is negotiating directly with GM and Toyota can’t control his temper. Incredibly, UAW Local President Sergio Santos claims that this scene was caused by workers “planted” by NUMMI’s management:
