US Yaris to be imported from France ?

[bronsin]

There is also nothing better in the world than French bread!

I'll wait to see what others say about French Toyotas before I buy one though.

The water pump in my sons 2000 ECHO is 12 or 13 years old and has nearly 200,000 miles on it.

The one in my 09 Yaris with ~30k miles in it is six months old and has about 2k miles on it.

Not good!

[CTScott]

I just returned from a 15 day trip all over Italy. The incredible quantity of high mileage, 1st gen French-built, Yaris all over Italy reinforced my belief that this will not be an issue.

Also, speaking with some owners of said 1st gens (while standing in line a gelato shops) was interesting, as none complained of any issues (and the highest mileage one that I spoke with the owner of had 277,000 km on it) and most believed that if they had bought a Fiat, Lancia, Dacia, Renault, Opel, Citroen, etc. of the same vintage, that they would not have had the same experience with reliability.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by CTScott

I just returned from a 15 day trip all over Italy. The incredible quantity of high mileage, 1st gen French-built, Yaris all over Italy reinforced my belief that this will not be an issue.

Also, speaking with some owners of said 1st gens (while standing in line a gelato shops) was interesting, as none complained of any issues (and the highest mileage one that I spoke with the owner of had 277,000 km on it) and most believed that if they had bought a Fiat, Lancia, Dacia, Renault, Opel, Citroen, etc. of the same vintage, that they would not have had the same experience with reliability.

Good. I was hoping that MRPJ's experience wouldn't be the norm. I hope you had a great time. It is a fantastic country. If someone told me I had to live in some other country I've traveled to (rather than living in the US), it would be Italy.

[bronsin]

Is it true then the Yaris will at some point be coming from France?

[edmscan]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Is it true then the Yaris will at some point be coming from France?

According to the link at the beginning of this thread. The US Yaris models will be built in France starting in May 2013.

[bronsin]

If the waterpump issue came up after a switch to production in France, I wonder how many people would have never bought another Yaris again?

[Billiam]

Originally Posted by bronsin

If the waterpump issue came up after a switch to production in France, I wonder how many people would have never bought another Yaris again?

The die-hard JDM guys tend to overlook issues like that as just flukes. But produce that same vehicle outside of Japan and any type of issue pops up...well, then it's the fact that it wasn't built in Japan....that's the reason. Those lazy French workers....those darn American workers....etc.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by Billiam

The die-hard JDM guys tend to overlook issues like that as just flukes. But produce that same vehicle outside of Japan and any type of issue pops up...well, then it's the fact that it wasn't built in Japan....that's the reason. Those lazy French workers....those darn American workers....etc.

I put a lot of stock in what CTS says when he says the French Gen 1's are good.

I wonder do THEIR waterpumps fail like ours do?

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

I put a lot of stock in what CTS says when he says the French Gen 1's are good.

I wonder do THEIR waterpumps fail like ours do?

I agree. Honest feedback from from high odometer mileage owners of production from that plant is, IMHO, the most valuable barometer...and any honest revelation along these lines is valuable, but it is especially credible coming from CTS.

I watched the whole video on YouTube that Hershey recently (on Yarisworld) provided the link to and the way the equipment on the car can help mold your driving style to get the best MPG is incredible. If the Yaris is still available with the 5 speed manual when I'm ready to get a new car it will be a tough decision between the Prius C and the Yaris. If the Yaris still has the hand crank windows available at that point, the decision will be even harder!

[Billiam]

Originally Posted by bronsin

I wonder do THEIR waterpumps fail like ours do?

In the end though, how many have actually failed? I've owned 4 1NZ powered cars and have never had a pump failure. Remember that this site, like all car sites, tends to be a highly concentrated group of owners...many who end up at places like this because they are having issues. Yet, despite what may seem like huge numbers, YW members account for but a tiny % of the actual total number of owners out there. In other words...problems can sometimes seem bigger than what they actually are. What occurs here is not necessarily indicative of what's actually happening out in the rest of the world.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by Billiam

In the end though, how many have actually failed? I've owned 4 1NZ powered cars and have never had a pump failure. Remember that this site, like all car sites, tends to be a highly concentrated group of owners...many who end up at places like this because they are having issues. Yet, despite what may seem like huge numbers, YW members account for but a tiny % of the actual total number of owners out there. In other words...problems can sometimes seem bigger than what they actually are. What occurs here is not necessarily indicative of what's actually happening out in the rest of the world.

I agree. But thats not what leads me to say that.

When I had my water pump replaced under warranty at the dealer the mechanics and the manager had a little conversation that went like "We got another waterpump!"

Also I bought one of the first ECHOs and have followed the car on the internet for 12 or more years. Ive not heard of a single ECHO ower replacing their waterpump EVER let alone under warranty.

Which is hard to explain considering the ECHO and the Yaris share the same engine.

But there it is...

[nookandcrannycar]

A reason to cheer the Yaris production move to France?...... France does have earthquakes but, from what I have read, the only reactor located in a region (other than Asia or North America) where a significant earthquake could even be felt was in Armenia in 1988 where a 6.9 quake had an epicenter 75km from a reactor. The operation (power delivery) of the reactor was not interrupted by the earthquake.

[bronsin]

Ive heard the problems in Japan are affecting production of everything there with many Japanese manufacturers, not just those who make cars, considering the possibilities of moving their production overseas.

One wonders is that is why the Yaris production went to France?

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Ive heard the problems in Japan are affecting production of everything there with many Japanese manufacturers, not just those who make cars, considering the possibilities of moving their production overseas.

One wonders is that is why the Yaris production went to France?

The Reuters article that I found (and mentioned ) deep into the 'Yaris production moving to France' thread stated that the two primary reasons are the rising yen and the 'skyrocketing cost of energy'. I wonder if the problems you are referring to have been included in the 'skyrocketing cost of energy' equation that is in the minds of the top Toyota executives.

[daf62757]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

The Reuters article that I found (and mentioned ) deep into the 'Yaris production moving to France' thread stated that the two primary reasons are the rising yen and the 'skyrocketing cost of energy'. I wonder if the problems you are referring to have been included in the 'skyrocketing cost of energy' equation that is in the minds of the top Toyota executives.

All of the Japanese car makers are building plants all over the world. When the value of a currency makes building a car somewhere more profitable, they build them there. With worldwide production capability, they can spit our thousands of cars at higher profits. Even if that profit is a hundred dollars, you do the math!

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by daf62757

All of the Japanese car makers are building plants all over the world. When the value of a currency makes building a car somewhere more profitable, they build them there. With worldwide production capability, they can spit our thousands of cars at higher profits. Even if that profit is a hundred dollars, you do the math!

Are you implying a variant on James Carville's famous phrase ('It's the Yen, stupid' instead of "It's the economy, stupid"). If not, you are missing the mark, because that;s how you sound. Hmm...who am I going to think might have the most credible information, you or Reuters. I think I'll go with Reuters, especially when the information in their article makes sense. The Reuters article (Toyota to move Yaris North American production to France) lists the Yen AND soaring energy costs as reasons Toyota made this decision. Later in the article they mention three headwinds that are facing all Japanese auto manufacturers---1. costly labor regulations, 2. high corporate taxes, and 3. a post earthquake energy policy deadlock. If soaring energy costs were ONLY attributable to the value of the Yen, why would they list the energy costs as a separate reason? They wouldn't.

Of course it is a 'you do the math' scenario with the value of the Yen likely being the dominant factor...BUT it is not the ONLY factor.

[daf62757]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Are you implying a variant on James Carville's famous phrase ('It's the Yen, stupid' instead of "It's the economy, stupid"). If not, you are missing the mark, because that;s how you sound. Hmm...who am I going to think might have the most credible information, you or Reuters. I think I'll go with Reuters, especially when the information in their article makes sense. The Reuters article (Toyota to move Yaris North American production to France) lists the Yen AND soaring energy costs as reasons Toyota made this decision. Later in the article they mention three headwinds that are facing all Japanese auto manufacturers---1. costly labor regulations, 2. high corporate taxes, and 3. a post earthquake energy policy deadlock. If soaring energy costs were ONLY attributable to the value of the Yen, why would they list the energy costs as a separate reason? They wouldn't.

Of course it is a 'you do the math' scenario with the value of the Yen likely being the dominant factor...BUT it is not the ONLY factor.

I wasn't thinking of only the Yaris, I was using the Japanese market as a whole. They are building factories all over the world that produce the same car. In Indiana, they just built a Honda plant to build the same line as the Canada plant. They also have an Ohio plant.

If you use the Yaris as the model, you would probably be right, but from a macro perspective, they are going to build cars at factories where the profit margins are higher in relation to the value of the yen vs the country's currency.

[bronsin]

Well the Japanese reply on nuclear energy for a large fraction of their electricity. I think there are only one or two nukes there making electricity now. So it figures manufacturing isnt getting all the power it would like. And what they have they are liekly charging more for.

Not a good situation for them.