Fightnfire
Moderator
Really solid deep dive review
The Car Care Nut - The Unfortunate Truth TRD Pro Review
- Thread starter Fightnfire
- Start date
NMTRUCKER
Well-known member
I just watched his review and read a lot of the comments (probably 95% negative). AMD’s overall take on this model I would characterize as negative.
It's a good review. I wouldn't want that truck at all. I'm into practical and cheap, not expensive and special use.
After I watched it, I had a couple of other videos come up in my recommended feed. Both of them are related to bump stops and shock mount failures. They are pretty informative. The Tacoma failure in the ICON Vehicle Dynamics video is the 3rd Tacoma to fail on a Youtube channel that I know of so far. TFL, Truck King, and now ICON. The bad news for Toyota just keeps coming.
After I watched it, I had a couple of other videos come up in my recommended feed. Both of them are related to bump stops and shock mount failures. They are pretty informative. The Tacoma failure in the ICON Vehicle Dynamics video is the 3rd Tacoma to fail on a Youtube channel that I know of so far. TFL, Truck King, and now ICON. The bad news for Toyota just keeps coming.
Ok, when some people stared to discussed about some of the topics mentioned in that video on TFL, someone (name starting by A if not mistaking) jumped in and started to say 'lets not do politics' in a very insisting way, then I realized those guys probably did not want to upset Toyota as they wanted the truck first for review. Right when I saw that, I stopped following them as they lost credibility. It is not about reviews but about more views (nature of the business).
I still have kids tagging along, so that one would be a big no no
I appreciate this forum as I can see good and bad can be discussed, for sure it needs to be in a proper manner. It can really help a buyer to make the proper choice and see what emotions could hide during the buying process. It is not only about metal, but also all sort of things that come around it that you may have to live with it.
Thumbs up!
I still have kids tagging along, so that one would be a big no no
I appreciate this forum as I can see good and bad can be discussed, for sure it needs to be in a proper manner. It can really help a buyer to make the proper choice and see what emotions could hide during the buying process. It is not only about metal, but also all sort of things that come around it that you may have to live with it.
Thumbs up!
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NMTRUCKER
Well-known member
Doesn’t seem to be unfortunately. I wonder what that portends for the new 4-runner? I think I heard that Toyota has delayed the release of the 4-Runner due to parts shortages. One wonders if they are stalling for more time to make sure the engine is up to snuff.
I haven't heard an official reason for the 4Runner delay. All I know is the press event for it this Fall got canceled.Doesn’t seem to be unfortunately. I wonder what that portends for the new 4-runner? I think I heard that Toyota has delayed the release of the 4-Runner due to parts shortages. One wonders if they are stalling for more time to make sure the engine is up to snuff.
Not defending Toyota here, but does anyone find it interesting that Icon broke their truck and then made a new part they sell to fix it? I'm sure it is a good part and maybe I'm being overly cynical.
Fightnfire
Moderator
No, conspiracy theories have to work both ways.
Why are you so willing/determined (insert adjective) to defend the behavior of vehicle manufacturers, who have all lost court battles for purposefully deceiving the public and or authorities, been sued and lost or been caught cheating and fined some VERY recently but ...Icon.
I say this in jest lol but there is a track record forming here.
Pretty clear he didn't like it at all. LOL
Fightnfire
Moderator
Are you familiar with him? The video is getting traction because he's considered the Toyota reviewer. Toyota/Lexus master tech who owns Toyota's and has been accused (by morons) of pulling for the brand a bit in the past.
Probably because I've spent time with them. I see automakers as the people I've interacted with rather than a big corporation that is the bad guy.
I'd go further to say people also hate those "stealerships" and see them as the bad guy too. I don't. I know lots of good people who work at dealerships.
I've have zero qualms with Icon. I just found the parallel between breaking the truck and launching a new product in one video interesting.
Yup, I know him personally. He's a good guy. What's interesting about him is people see him as a Toyota lover, and he is to some degree, but he is also pretty practical when it comes to the brand. He calls out Toyota quite often for engineering decisions. I'll have to remember to ask engineering, over a drink, what they think of him. That would be interesting.
That was the first ICON video I remember watching. I have no opinion on them one way or the other. The new design without a bump stop looks pretty bad to me though. It seems like a trend for things to be made cheaper, thinner, etc. I can't help but think about what I learned when I dug into Toyota's financials recently. They must be making crazy profits per vehicle now. The cash on hand they have in out of this world. The $3B estimate to replace all the Tundra engines was a drop in the bucket for the really. Why not spend a little more on making the vehicles more durable?
I remember about 18 yrs ago I was sitting in a meeting with a corporate efficiency manager where I worked. Every couple years they would go out in search of cost savings and design improvements. I was the chief engineer at the time and they wanted me to squeeze every inch out of a project we had designed because they could calculate the savings and report back what they had done (big bonuses for them). I argued to the point of almost getting fired because the risk was too high. The savings were about $1-2M, but if there was a failure, it was closer to $1B loss and might even shut down the whole site. I have a feeling Toyota has some corporate types pushing for cost savings too. Sometimes the motivations are lining pockets and not producing the best products. I've experienced that pressure firsthand and it's hard to push back on it.
Maybe I didn't hear them right, but it does have a bump stop just built into the shock, right? Check out the 3:31 minute of the video. That's a bump stop IMO.
Also, the Car Care Nut video showed a bump stop too. So call me confused. LOL
Fightnfire
Moderator
I hear you, I feel pretty much the same way. I haven't figured out if they're good people towing a line or hung out to dry.
Is it safe to assume, or at least I'm guessing, that the majority of people you interact with at a manufacturer are significantly downstream of the people making the decisions to deceive/lie/cheat?
It's unfortunate for those people. Sheldon at Toyota seems like a genuine really good guy but I've been around long enough to understand he's operating in a very tightly controlled box. Then it appears he's stuck towing the line on decisions that he probably would have made differently if he was truly in control.
It's something new and flimsy. The shock bottoms out on that rubber which pushes on the part that broke. It's not good even with that upgraded part.
TheDo114
Well-known member
The ICON truck is not the only one where the shock pushed trough the top of the mount. There's at lest two other examples of this on the tacoma4g forum and the tacomaworld forum as well.
This issue is specific to the TRD offroad trim with the Bilsteins shock. Those have the progressive bump stop integrated into the body of the shock. All of the other trims have a regular bump stop on the A arm. This also generated some complaints regarding clunking noise when hitting a bump.
This issue is specific to the TRD offroad trim with the Bilsteins shock. Those have the progressive bump stop integrated into the body of the shock. All of the other trims have a regular bump stop on the A arm. This also generated some complaints regarding clunking noise when hitting a bump.
Thanks.