Bookmarking Auto on Info pagesSupporting Auto on InfoHome or Site Layout or Site Map or Site Index or Quick Jumps or Search Engine Directory or The MartAuto News, Analysis and Editorial Quality-Control Auditor at GM-Toyota Joint Venture NUMMI Alleges Defect Cover-Up, per San Francisco Chronicle

Links to Amazon.com Visitor support makes this site possible. Please shop often via Auto on Info. Thank you. Men's Fine Tie Clips and Ties Forzieri tie clips Men's Ties by Villa Bolgheri Men's Ties by Roberto Cavalli Men's Ties by Versace Men's Ties by Valentino Men's Ties by Fornasetti To view more men's ties, icons, and search phrases, click here. Men's Watches Men's Watches by Tag Heuer Men's Watches by Cartier Men's Watches by Omega To view more men's watches, icons, and search phrases, click here. Fine Women's Watches Women's Watches by Cartier Women's Watches by Omega Women's Watches by Baume & Mercier To view more fine women's watches, icons, and search phrases, click here. Other On-Site Pages with links to Amazon.com The Mart Digital Cameras, Camcorders, Printers, and Accessories 35mm Cameras and Accessories	AutoOnInfo.net  November 2007 Quality-Control Auditor at GM-Toyota Joint Venture NUMMI Alleges Defect Cover-Up, per San Francisco Chronicle By James B. Bleeker The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Katy Cameron, a New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. employee who is currently on medical leave, alleges in a complaint filed with Alameda County Superior Court, that: 1. Since 1991, her job function has been to detect defects in vehicles manufactured at NUMMI's Fremont, California manufacturing plant, prior to shipment to dealers, 2. From 2005 to 2007, she was finding an average (presumably daily) of 9 to 15 defects per vehicle, 3. Her superiors altered her defect reports "in order to lower the daily Defect Per Vehicle" count, 4. She was threatened and harassed when she complained about the alterations to her superiors. NUMMI is a joint venture of General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation formed in 1984 to give Toyota North-American manufacturing experience. Per Toyota Motor Corporation fact sheets and sales figures, the NUMMI plant manufactured all of the North-American-made vehicles badged as GM Pontiac Vibes in 2006, 96% of the Toyota Tacoma pickup trucks sold in the U.S. in 2006, and 60% of the Toyota Corollas made in North America and sold in the U.S. in 2006 and 52% of all Corollas sold in the U.S. in 2006. The Tacoma percentage assumes no across-border shipments with Mexico and the Corolla percentages assume no across-border shipments with Canada. All three models are engineered by Toyota. No mention was made as to whether the defects were corrected before shipment to the dealers, but CR Reliability-Verdict histories suggest that repairs were made at the Fremont plant or by the dealer. Factors that may serve to lend credibility to Ms. Cameron's allegations are: 1. General Motors Corporation, with a 1999-2003 Reliability Percentrank average of .31 and a 1999-2003 Reliability Grade average of F, has a half interest in NUMMI. 2. The Fremont plant is the only UAW-unionized vehicle manufacturing plant in which Toyota has an ownership interest. 3. The Fremont plant rests in North America. 4. Toyota Motor Corporation, with a 1999-2003 RPA of .89, has in the past expressed a desire to sever its NUMMI tie with GM, with a 1999-2003 RPA of .31, and consequently may have motive to sabotage the reputation and/or quality of GM's sole vehicle with a good reliability history, i.e., one with a CR Reliability-Verdict history from the 5 most-recent model years above .5, per Consumer Reports' Cars: Best & Worst for '08. For reference, see "The Best and Worst 2008 Automobiles by CR's Reliability-Verdict History: Toyota Models Dominate Best and Account for All Perfect Reliability-Verdict Histories of 6 or More Years; GM Models Dominate Worst," AutoOnInfo.net, November 2007. While this may be, assuming the allegations to be true, a simple instance of lower level management attempting to improve their management reputation among senior level management and/or to hold onto the their jobs, the consumer likely should proceed with considerable caution in purchasing a NUMMI vehicle, and may wish to exercise some, or more, caution when considering the purchase of a North-American-made vehicle, irrespective of manufacturer.   Sources: "Quality Inspector Sues GM, Toyota over Retaliation in Fremont Plant," available at www.sfgate.com and others   Related Articles November 2007: The Best and Worst 2008 Automobiles by CR's Reliability-Verdict History: Toyota Models Dominate Best and Account for All Perfect Reliability-Verdict Histories of 6 or More Years; GM Models Dominate Worst November 2007: The 2007 Reliability-Durability Updates: Toyota Age-Equivalent Estimates: Estimates of When a Typical 1999 Model of Toyota Motor Corporation Will Be as Troublesome as Typical 1999 Models of General Motors Corporation and Its Several Marques Were Circa 3 Years, 4 Years, ..., and 7 Years of Age October 2007: By CR's Predicted Short-Term Reliability for 2008 Cars and Trucks, Reliable Two Models Account for 24 of 38 Most Reliable and Big Three Account for 20 of 42 Least Reliable; Hyundai Once Again Trounces GM October 2007: By CR's Predicted Short-Term Reliability Scores for Model Year 2008, Toyota and Honda Marques Gather 5 of 6 Best, GM Marques Gather 3 of 7 Worst, 5 of 9 Worst and 7 of 13 Worst: Is GM on a Quest to Be Junk's Absolute Monarch? September 2007: The 2007 Reliability-Durability Updates: Toyota and Honda Account for 4 of the 5 Most Durable Vehicle Lines; General Motors - 5 of 10 Worst: Will a Typical 1999 Toyota or Honda Model Be More Trouble Free at about 20 Years of Age Than a Typical 1999 GM Model at 3? September 2007: Toyota and Honda Account for All of Consumer Reports' 2007 Long-Run Good Bets August 2007: The 2007 Reliability-Durability Updates: For Vehicles 2-to-3 Years Old, Toyota and Honda Account for 14 of 16 Best, GM - 18 of 57 Worst August 2007: The 2007 Reliability-Durability Updates: For Vehicles 2-to-4 Years Old, Toyota and Honda Account for 14 of 19 Best, GM - 22 of 62 Worst August 2007: The 2007 Reliability-Durability Updates: For Vehicles 3-to-5 Years Old, Toyota and Honda Account for 18 of 19 Best, GM - 24 of 61 Worst July 2007: The 2007 Reliability-Durability Updates: For Vehicles 4-to-6 Years Old, Toyota and Honda Account for 17 of 17 Best, GM - 24 of 56 Worst: Will a Typical Toyota at 13 Years of Age Be as Troublesome as a Typical GM at 3 Years of Age? July 2007: The 2007 Reliability-Durability Updates: For Vehicles 5-to-7 Years Old, Toyota and Honda Account for 12 of 13 Best, GM - 19 of 48 Worst: Will a Typical Toyota at 21 Years of Age Be as Troublesome as a Typical GM at 3 Years of Age? July 2007: The 2007 Reliability-Durability Updates: For Vehicles 6-to-8 Years Old, Toyota and Honda Account for 13 of 13 Best, GM - 18 of 43 Worst: Will a Typical Toyota at 19 Years of Age Be as Troublesome as a Typical GM at 3 Years of Age? July 2007: The 2007 Reliability-Durability Updates: For Vehicles 7-to-9 Years Old, Toyota and Honda Account for 11 of 12 Best, GM - 22 of 41 Worst: Will a Typical Toyota at 30 Years of Age Be as Troublesome as a Typical GM at 3 Years of Age? April 2007: The Best Models by CR's 2007 History of Reliability Verdicts: The Reliable Two Shine; Big Three Score Zip   Related Mini-Surveys A Toyota Owner Survey with Enquiries into Reliability Importance A Honda Owner Survey with Enquiries into Reliability Importance A Toyota Owner Satisfaction Poll with Enquiries into Toyota Durability A Lexus Owner Satisfaction Poll with Enquiries into Lexus Durability An Infiniti Owner Satisfaction Poll with Enquiries into Infiniti Durability The True Value of a Big Three Big Three Bin Readiness General Motors Travails and Prospects Is the Ownership of a General Motors Vehicle a Useful Index of 21st-Century Cognitive Uselessness?	Links to Amazon.com Musical Instruments Karl Willhelm violins Schiller cellos To view more string instruments, icons, and search phrases, click here. Wallets for Men and Women Robe di Firenze wallets Jos. A. Bank wallets R.G. 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Acura	Audi	BMW	Buick	Cadillac	Chevrolet	Chrysler	Dodge	Eagle
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1Current data are insufficient to warrant charts.
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Page 1 - Original Durability Page	Page 2 - Results of 2001 Survey	Page 3 - CCC's 15 Most Frequently Stolen	Page 4 - 2001 Summary of Rosters	Page 5 - Top 20 High Mileage	Page 6 - The 2006 Study of Model Year 1998	Page 7 - The 2006 Toyota Age Equivalents for Model Year 1998	Page 8 - The 2006 Honda Age Equivalents for Model Year 1998	Page 9 - The 2007 Dilapidation Rates for Model Years 1998 - 2002
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