Has anyone ever had a dispute/confrontation because their 4Runner is made in Japan?

[blanchard7684]

Many manufacturers have a sordid to straight up ugly history during WWII. Basing a major decision like purchasing a car on this alone usually won't add up to being congruent with your personal beliefs.

However that being said, Toyota had only a very, very minor role in WWII for Japan compared to other manufacturers like Kawasaki and Nissan.

From what I've read, their early products for Japanese military were so bad that they were relegated to procuring, sourcing, and QC'ing material instead of manufacture of whole vehicles. Toyota was still a very new automobile company coming from making looms for textiles.

Toyota also does a lot of outreach for US in various ways like offering free or low cost consultation on manufacturing processes. They do this even today out of a sense of accountability for events in WWII.

My philosophy is to buy goods from countries that have a middle class and are not controlled by a communist system or a hopelessly corrupt government. Then past this if the company has poor ethics then I look elsewhere, do without, or substitute.

There has to be a mutual benefit to the trade. Toyota has kept more Americans on the road, with minimal out of pocket maintenance cost, than any other manufacturer by a wide margin. That's fair.

I am actually proud that my 4runner is 100% made in Japan down to the tires.

 

[CO-Cygnus]

Just ban the competition if you can't compete eh? This would not be an issue if the big 3 made a competitive SUV with good reliability.

 

[04rnr]

There's HUGE difference between "Made in America" and "ASSEMBLED" in America.
I use to live in KC where the Claycomo Ford plant is, they built the F-150, I have about 10 friends that work there, one is in receiving. You would surprised, just how many parts, that go on that F-150 that are "made" in Japan, Mexico etc that are "assembled" in KC..

To be honest, Im not sure if there are anymore, cars that are actually 100% made in America. sure lots are "assembled" here in the US.

:usa2:

 

[TacoRunn0517]

Just ban the competition if you can't compete eh? This would not be an issue if the big 3 made a competitive SUV with good reliability.

Truth. I'd have no problem buying domestic but I value reliability over everything else. Toyota has proven that it does it better than anyone else when it comes to volume and consistency.

 

[Muzzle of Bees]

I do not particularly care what humans think. They watch the news and believe those idiots spoon feeding them. Enough said.

 

[brtnstrns]

I do not particularly care what humans think. They watch the news and believe those idiots spoon feeding them. Enough said.

Well you bees just do whatever your queen tells you without question!

 

[Chrisinvermont]

Not Toyota related but I was visiting a college friend in Michigan whose dad was a big wig at GM and I wasn't allowed to park my VW in the driveway. Understandable with his position, he even admitted VW made a good car. In return I did get to drive the 65 corvette convertible.

 

[Hitman]

Not since I got those US flag decals! :usa:

That's funny. I have an American flag decal on my Jeep. I won't put one on my 4Runner, just because it seems like hypocrisy.

 

[Hitman]

That guy is a moron! Most Honda’s are made in this country and are more American than a lot of the “domestics.” The number one American made vehicle with the highest percentage of domestic parts and made is the good ole USA??? Yup....Toyota Camry according to Forbes. It’s a global economy.


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He said that "cars not MADE in America" not "American" cars. Lots of Japanese brand cars are made in America.

 

[ran]

I have run across people that think all Toyota's are made in the US. It's always fun to point out the VIN number starting with 'J'.
_________________
2007 SE V6 Titanium

 

[alico268]

That's funny. I have an American flag decal on my Jeep. I won't put one on my 4Runner, just because it seems like hypocrisy.

Is your Jeep married to Daimler-Benz or Fiat?

 

[ToyoT4R]

A lot of union parking lots have signs saying that cars not made in America aren't welcome. Beyond that, a confrontation could happen anywhere. I was renting a car once and the lady in front of me was returning a Honda that she had just rented because when she got it home and her husband saw it he made her take it back because he wouldn't ride in a Japanese car. That's not anything major, but still....

Just wondering if anyone has a story to tell.

#japanesecarsmatter
#allcarsmatter

 

[Jetboy]

Sometimes people give me a hard time because they immediately think my 4runner is painted like the Confederate flag. I just nicely explain that it's really the French flag and they understand the confusion because they're so similar.

 

[brtnstrns]

Sometimes people give me a hard time because they immediately think my 4runner is painted like the Confederate flag. I just nicely explain that it's really the French flag and they understand the confusion because they're so similar.

Oh shit!

 

[ToyoT4R]

Sometimes people give me a hard time because they immediately think my 4runner is painted like the Confederate flag. I just nicely explain that it's really the French flag and they understand the confusion because they're so similar.

Do this instead

 

[CoolMax]

That guy is a moron! Most Honda’s are made in this country and are more American than a lot of the “domestics.” The number one American made vehicle with the highest percentage of domestic parts and made is the good ole USA??? Yup....Toyota Camry according to Forbes. It’s a global economy.


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But which country do the profits go to???

 

[CoolMax]

Nissan rebranded themselves as Datsun for a while, for this reason. American WWII vets wouldn't buy a vehicle branded as "Nissan" due to memories of EoJ planes powered by Nissan engines engaging Americans.

That's actually objectively reasonable for the era. Fast forward 70 years and it's not.

Is 70 yrs the cut-off time?
Every year they tell me to remember Pearl Harbor....

 

[brtnstrns]

Do this instead

That would be totally ****ing hilarious.

 

[MeefZah]

Is 70 yrs the cut-off time?
Every year they tell me to remember Pearl Harbor....

I think atrocities should eventually age out, in the sense that while the lessons learned should never be forgotten, at a certain point you have to stop holding people who had nothing to do with the incident responsible. Yeah, I think 2 generations removed is probably more than fair. And yeah, I realize you are being facetious by asking.

Apply the same filter to slavery, native Americans, etc...

 

[2012sr5]

That's funny. I have an American flag decal on my Jeep. I won't put one on my 4Runner, just because it seems like hypocrisy.

I never understood how it is hypocritical. Being able to buy the best product you see fit on the open American market regardless of where it was made is about the most American thing I can think of. Buy American if you want. Buy Japanese if you want. Our flag represents many amazing things, one of those being your ability to freely make that choice. Anyone trying to shame you needs to be educated.

One other thing: buying domestic under the pretense of loyalty to American companies does a damaging disservice to those companies: it robs them of the incentive to better themselves through competition.