Another Recall

[Raistlin]

Nice one Kingo, Good to see you back from the Dark Side... :)

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Maybe the best way is to double check the Toyota website whenever you hear about recalls in the news (Toyota or otherwise) and then you'll keep abreast of things.

http://www.toyota.co.uk/owners-info/recall-checker

[Parts-King]

Nice one Kingo, Good to see you back from the Dark Side... :)

I've always been a dark horse

[terryparrott]

Just had a call from my dealer, and they are now ready to carry out the flash upgrade of the ECU. But wait for it, despite the flash upgrade being a 45 minutes job, they want the car for a whole day to check the batteries and "other stuff". There is way more to this recall than has been published, i smelt a rat from the beginning and it;s coming true as I expected. Why would dealers suddenly want to check the Battery, do they think it has been over charged, ore maybe melt like dream-liner batteries? Surely Toyota are not going to pay them for a day if it's 45 minutes work?

[Raistlin]

Your cup is always half empty, have you considered that your dealer will just fit it in when he can so as not to interfere with his normal servicing plan.

You could demand a more definite time or maybe a loan car...

[Parts-King]

There is way more to this recall than has been published, i smelt a rat from the beginning and it;s coming true as I expected

Nonsense, talk about trolling!!

Your dealer will not have performed very many of these yet and will not be up to speed. He is trying to get several vehicles through the door per day, everyone wants their car done today, it will take some time to do, just let them do it, you will get it back within the day

Their are no rats to be smelt, let them get on with it

Kingo

[timberwolf]

Have the VOSA letters inviting you to dealer been sent already? It seems a lot quicker than the Prius Gen 2 recalls. Admittedly, in my case it, err, then slipped my mind for 8 months...

[Parts-King]

Not yet, the software has only literally just been released, the letters always take time to come through as they are phased out and not sent in one mass mailing, but don't smell a rat about that, it's just the way it's done

[Raistlin]

Do we troll here...

[Parts-King]

Do we troll here...

You were once described as a trolly dolly.......is that the same thing?

[Raistlin]

That's only because I have a large cart...

[johalareewi]

Not had a recall letter yet but I am on the list according to the Toyota website.

Hopefully they can do the recall at my next service.

Maybe this time I will get a shopping voucher seeing how it is an official recall rather than an unofficial one?

[Devon Aygo]

Not had a recall letter yet but I am on the list according to the Toyota website.Hopefully they can do the recall at my next service.Maybe this time I will get a shopping voucher seeing how it is an official recall rather than an unofficial one?

Unfortunately VOSA put a stop to gifts for Recall customers a few years ago, so Toyota had to stop offering anything.

[orangezorki]

Not had a recall letter yet but I am on the list according to the Toyota website.Hopefully they can do the recall at my next service.Maybe this time I will get a shopping voucher seeing how it is an official recall rather than an unofficial one?

Unfortunately VOSA put a stop to gifts for Recall customers a few years ago, so Toyota had to stop offering anything.

Now, I like what VOSA (occasionaly try to) do, but what the hell does offering gifts to recall customers have to do with them?

[Raistlin]

It may be seen as a bribe...

[orangezorki]

It may be seen as a bribe...

To stay safe and keep the customers happy? I fail to see what the problem is with that.

I haven't even picked up my car yet, but I want my left handed fallopian tube dammit!

David

[Devon Aygo]

It may be seen as a bribe...

To stay safe and keep the customers happy? I fail to see what the problem is with that.

I haven't even picked up my car yet, but I want my left handed fallopian tube dammit!

David

It used to be easy to offer a gift as it was not regulated, now VOSA have to pre authorise what gift can be given, adding delays to the Recall launching also there are very specific rules such as the gift cannot be offered to the first adoptors, it can only be offered if the recall response rate is low, it can only be offered in follow up mailings, what can actually be offered and it must have a time limit to the offer ( even though a recall has no expiry ). All of which makes it pretty unfair to people that actually respond to the recall, makes it very difficult to administer the offering of the gift, as if you get a gift It must be notified to VOSA along with the completed repair instruction and once the time limit is out people will be upset that the gift is no longer available. So while VOSA do not ban it they advise that it is preferable for simplicity sake not to offer a gift.

[johalareewi]

now VOSA have to pre authorise what gift can be given

As orangezorki said.

What has all that got to do with VOSA?

Why can't gov depts and quangos just concentrate on doing what they are supposed to be doing and stop meddling in other areas?

[Parts-King]

What has all that got to do with VOSA?

Toyota have to inform VOSA of an impending recall. Toyota cannot request the customer data from the DVLA, VOSA do this, it goes along the lines of Toyota tell VOSA of a safety issue, VOSA and Toyota announce it to the press, VOSA get a list of chassis numbers off Toyota for the affected range of vehicles, VOSA ask DVLA to match those chassis numbers to customers. That data is fed back to Toyota so that they can write to individual owners. The mailings to customers are then phased so that the letters do not land in one heap on say 30,000 door mats in one day! This is why there is always a delay from announcement to actually being able to book your car in for the work to be done. You could not have 30,000 people ring up in one day expecting the work to be done

The reason VOSA are used is that they are the only agency that can ask for the data from DVLA. The Toyota database of owners is never up to date, imagine the tens of thousands of cars being bought / sold without any involvement from Toyota, bought from private customers and non Toyota garages

Kingo

[Duffryn]

I think the bone of contention may refer to VOSA's sanctioning of gift-giving (or not).

[Parts-King]

They are a Government agency and cannot be seen to condoning "incentives" by manufacturers

[FROSTYBALLS]

At the end of the day, VOSA are jointly responsible with the manufacturer, for the recall process to be undertaken as quickly as possible, dependent on factors like the number of vehicles involved, etc.

Anything which hinders or delays the process, could affect the safety of drivers, passengers, etc, and it is probably for these reasons that VOSA introduced some control over whether inducements are offered, what inducements are offered, and at what stage inducements are offered.

VOSA aren't interested in helping manufacturers market their products or services - they are there to ensure the recall system operates as it should.

[terryparrott]

Reading the Press Release by Toyota Singapore the reflash is actually two reflashes. Quote "

Under this campaign, BMS will install modified ECU management programs for both
Motor Generator ECU and Power Management Control ECU, at no cost", so that may explain why my dealer wanted the car all day for the upgrade. I do wish Toyota UK would come clean on what is going on and whether it's a "while you wait" upgrade or whether the car is needed all day. If it's needed all day, will Toyota be paying for a replacement car?

[Devon Aygo]

Reading the Press Release by Toyota Singapore the reflash is actually two reflashes. Quote "

Under this campaign, BMS will install modified ECU management programs for both

Motor Generator ECU and Power Management Control ECU, at no cost", so that may explain why my dealer wanted the car all day for the upgrade. I do wish Toyota UK would come clean on what is going on and whether it's a "while you wait" upgrade or whether the car is needed all day. If it's needed all day, will Toyota be paying for a replacement car?

The reflashes take no more than 40 minutes, in the very rare case that your car has already started to have an issue with the invertor then a new one will be fitted this take a couple of hours. Other than work loads at your dealer there is no reason to have the car off the road all day.

Only if your car needs an invertor will Toyota pay your dealer to provide a car to you, as the invertor has to be ordered in.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Reading the Press Release by Toyota Singapore the reflash is actually two reflashes. Quote "

Under this campaign, BMS will install modified ECU management programs for both

Motor Generator ECU and Power Management Control ECU, at no cost", so that may explain why my dealer wanted the car all day for the upgrade. I do wish Toyota UK would come clean on what is going on and whether it's a "while you wait" upgrade or whether the car is needed all day. If it's needed all day, will Toyota be paying for a replacement car?

I was in my supplying dealer today (Inchcape Burton). Whilst I was in the service waiting area enjoying a cup of tea and reading the paper, a customer brought his Prius in for the recall on a pre-booked appointment, and he was told it would take 2 hours. They promised to give him a ring if it was done sooner.