The truth about 2024 Tacoma transmissions failing

[testerdahl]

That's why the 4Runner and Land Cruiser can be built in Japan and imported to the US. The Chicken Tax only applies to light pickups with an open bed. Subaru put backseats and seat belts in the Brat to get around the tax. I know you know this, but others may not.

Ford tried this as well with the Transit and had to end up paying a $365 million dollar fine. Basically, Ford put seats in the Transit van, imported from Turkey, and called them passenger vehicles. They brought them into the port and took out the seats and called them cargo vans. U.S. Justice officials weren't too happy with this switcheroo.

Ford settles US tariff dodging allegations for $365M

The fine ends a long-running allegation that the automaker skirted a 25% 'chicken tax' on cargo vans assembled in Turkey.

www.automotivedive.com

 

[TheDo114]

Mercedes also did the same thing for the longest time with the Sprinter van. They would built them in Germany, put extra seats, disassemble them completely, ship them to the US and re-assemble them at a factory in a port.

 

[Hilux]

Was the frame rust a supplier issue from Dana? Wouldn't the Hilux then used the same supplier?

Dana just made the frames, Toyota surely spec'd out the steel formulas and coatings I would think.
Thinking about it maybe that's why Toyota went a USA only Tacoma because Toyota could not get anyone in the USA to make Hilux spec frames.
If I could get in the Toyota engineering archives I could read that stuff for days or weeks, and I am not really a person that likes reading much unless its automotive type stuff, I have hundreds of auto brochures starting from about 1988 Chevy trucks that I got at a local auto show at a race track near me I still have the brochure.

 

[testerdahl]

Dana just made the frames, Toyota surely spec'd out the steel formulas and coatings I would think.
Thinking about it maybe that's why Toyota went a USA only Tacoma because Toyota could not get anyone in the USA to make Hilux spec frames.
If I could get in the Toyota engineering archives I could read that stuff for days or weeks, and I am not really a person that likes reading much unless its automotive type stuff, I have hundreds of auto brochures starting from about 1988 Chevy trucks that I got at a local auto show at a race track near me I still have the brochure.

Some automakers have archives and journalists can read meeting minutes and see correspondence. I have a friend who does this with classic cars. I was talking to him about this recently on a drive program and he said it took him a few months to get the story below written:

The 1963 Ford Cardinal—too radical for America at the time

Here’s what happened when Ford tried to react to the Volkswagen Beetle.

arstechnica.com