Toyota busted for faux leather seats by ACCC

Gobes32 · 12-02-2013, 07:17 PM

http://www.news.com.au/national/toyo...-1226576092582

Personally, I can't even tell the difference between real leather, faux leather, etc

XR Martin · 12-02-2013, 07:53 PM

The Euros got stung by the ACCC doing the same thing a few years ago.

roberts · 12-02-2013, 08:07 PM

oh dear

bobthebilda · 12-02-2013, 08:08 PM

I'm not sure exactly what the "wording" was that Toyota was using, but was always suprised when Holden was able to say "full leather seats", when some "b" and all "c" panels in the commodore seats werent leather. Always thought they were able to get away with it because the "a" panels (the bits you sit on), were leather. I assume Ford would be in the same situation as they use the same seat manufacturer is Australia as Holden does.

roberts · 12-02-2013, 08:15 PM

"Toyota says impacted customers will receive $200 off the purchase price of their next Toyota vehicle - but only if they ask."
*ankers

Night · 12-02-2013, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roberts

"Toyota says impacted customers will receive $200 off the purchase price of their next Toyota vehicle - but only if they ask."
*ankers

Love that, $200 lol

roberts · 12-02-2013, 08:42 PM

this is like eating horse

Road_Warrior · 12-02-2013, 08:51 PM

Oh well, a wake up call for the rest of them.

**Burnout** · 12-02-2013, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roberts

this is like eating horse

Horse is good tucker - thousands of Europeans have been eating the stuff for Centuries.

It's more like eating ....... dog, your dog.

Yellow_Festiva · 13-02-2013, 12:36 AM

Horse.... Once you eat it you will forever question why we only export the stuff. I love the stuff ;) As for dog.... Not so nice!

csv8 · 13-02-2013, 12:38 AM

Chryslers 300C and 300L are full nappa leather and as an option can get door and dash in nappa leather..

Yellow_Festiva · 13-02-2013, 12:45 AM

Didn't some furniture manufactures get done for similar? Using blends that were semi synthetic and semi leather?

Leathers ain't leathers ;)

mash again · 13-02-2013, 06:46 AM

I suppose the real question comes down to definition, i mean WTF is nappa leather? i have seen things advertised as synthetic leather, obviously from a synthetic cow! faux leather? fake leather? maybe we can get the definitions for all the leathers? maybe we need to ask what animal the leather came from a faux cat , nappa cow or whatever.

Wretched · 13-02-2013, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mash again

I suppose the real question comes down to definition, i mean WTF is nappa leather? i have seen things advertised as synthetic leather, obviously from a synthetic cow! faux leather? fake leather? maybe we can get the definitions for all the leathers? maybe we need to ask what animal the leather came from a faux cat , nappa cow or whatever.

Nappa leather is from a lamb or sheep skin isn't it?

Anyway funny that this has happened because there are a few car makers out there that need a good butt kicking for misleading the buying public. Ford included with the G6E(T), those seats are not full leather, much of it is synthetic or vinyl.

aussie muscle · 13-02-2013, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roberts

"Toyota says impacted customers will receive $200 off the purchase price of their next Toyota vehicle - but only if they ask."
*ankers

i'm sure we can remind enough toyota drivers to make it worthwhile

new2ford · 13-02-2013, 08:47 AM

It's funny, in another thread somebody complained about ACCC not doing enough about grocery prices and needing to grow some balls, but here we see it in full force on a really nationally important issue! Onya ACCC. Mind you, it now makes me wonder now how much of the "leather" seats in my Territory are really leather.

Toyota have always been economical with the truth, that's well-known. Several years ago there was a Toyota troll on this forum who was arguing that the interior dimensions of the current Kluger were bigger than the Territory's. Of course, you couldn't do a comparison in Australia because, unlike Ford, Toyota didn't put these specifications in its sales brochures. However, someone looked up the Toyota USA website and there were all the figures - which showed the Kluger was smaller inside in most respects! The troll went quiet and then disappeared altogether when a Kluger fell over during a Wheels comparison test.

The best owning of Toyota I ever saw was on an ABC TV consumer program years ago when someone took issue with their claim that the "Landcruiser opened up the Snowy Mountains scheme". The ABC asked where they got that information and were told it was from Toyota's own publicity book - wow. Then they went to Land Rover and got the actual order books from the 1940s to the 1960s which, of course, listed (as everybody who worked for SMA knew) the hundreds and hundreds of Land Rovers that were purchased.

The Land Rovers were used in construction work before there were any roads - indeed helped build the roads. A few Landcruisers were bought right at the end to ferry staff around the already-built roads. The segment ended with a group of people standing beside a Land Rover jumping in the air singing "oh what a feeling Land Rover". Ah, it was good.

roberts · 13-02-2013, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burnout

Horse is good tucker - thousands of Europeans have been eating the stuff for Centuries.

It's more like eating ....... dog, your dog.

dog, WTF are you talking about.

they have been eating it so long they call it beef

nz13boy · 13-02-2013, 09:34 AM

$200 discount??? Thats just crap. Should have been fined $200 for every one of the nearly 100,000 cars they sold with their bs marketing.....

saam · 13-02-2013, 10:39 AM

" Oh what a feeling " Not leather .....

**Silver Ghia** · 13-02-2013, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wretched

Nappa leather is from a lamb or sheep skin isn't it?

Anyway funny that this has happened because there are a few car makers out there that need a good butt kicking for misleading the buying public. Ford included with the G6E(T), those seats are not full leather, much of it is synthetic or vinyl.

Ford refer to 'Leather seat inserts' in the G6E specifications on their website.

Edit: Even in the BA brochure years ago, they refer to 'Leather trim', not full leather for the Fairmont Ghia and luxury packs.

tweeked · 13-02-2013, 10:53 AM

Not surprised, the whole Camry is a Faux Car

mik · 13-02-2013, 11:01 AM

I just did a bit of research on the net about leathers and found a company that sells bomber jackets, they go into great detail about different types of leather and cars do get a mention, there`s 2 full pages, it`s a good read.
it seems it is very easy to get conned with the different types of leather and processes to treat it.
http://www.americanmistique.com/about_leather.html

Cheech · 13-02-2013, 11:48 AM

I wonder how one would go fronting up to the Toyota service desk and demanding leather seats now be put in the car as thats what they paid for.

mik · 13-02-2013, 11:52 AM

i don`t like your chances Cheech.

Cheech · 13-02-2013, 12:01 PM

There might be a hope depending on what was listed on the sales contract.

I knew when I bought my FG that the leather was :
a. Low quality
b. only partially covered the seat (salesman did explain this).

However if I found that I had a Toyota situation with my FG and that there was zero leather in the seat, I reckon I'd have a good case for the dealer to make good on the contract.

Of course there could be some small print somewhere defining what "leather" is on Toyota dealer contracts.

Road_Warrior · 13-02-2013, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wretched

Anyway funny that this has happened because there are a few car makers out there that need a good butt kicking for misleading the buying public. Ford included with the G6E(T), those seats are not full leather, much of it is synthetic or vinyl.

The brochure clearly says "leather trim options on the G6E models" not "full leather seats" so you can't say they're being misleading like Toyota was.

STINKY NINJA · 13-02-2013, 01:46 PM

i think the so called leather seats in my 2012 fg ute are pleather,feels like plastic and looks like it also.

Poetic Justice · 13-02-2013, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheech

There might be a hope depending on what was listed on the sales contract.

I knew when I bought my FG that the leather was :
a. Low quality
b. only partially covered the seat (salesman did explain this).

However if I found that I had a Toyota situation with my FG and that there was zero leather in the seat, I reckon I'd have a good case for the dealer to make good on the contract.

Of course there could be some small print somewhere defining what "leather" is on Toyota dealer contracts.

Or no where at all, like any new vehicle sold with "premium" interior, it's usually standard in the car you're buying otherwise it's aftermarket, therefore not part of the terms of the contract. I think if you were to pursue this then you'd find yourself with little joy.

This was actually brought to Toyota Australia's attention in November 2011, or perhaps a little earlier, so I'm not sure why this has taken until now to become news. I received communication from a Toyota rep about this time that was more concerned about sales staff telling potential customers it was indeed full leather when it was not.

In this instance Toyota were caught out using terminology that wasn't 100% politically correct. If they were suggesting that the car came with "leather interior" and you took delivery of the vehicle with fabric interior, I'm sure you could make a claim that you were misled.

However, if you get a car and 'parts' of the interior are not leather (not all), then is it really something to cry about? Mind you, you're buying a run of the mill product rather than an exotic, or expensive luxury car where you'd expect that nothing but the best was used in its production.

From what I can gather, almost ALL new cars have some degree of synthetic leather used in the same scenario as Toyota does (the higher wearing areas.)

FalconXV · 13-02-2013, 04:04 PM

I know this was done for cost cutting reasons rather than etichial, but imagine being a customer being ticked off a cow wasn't killed for their comfort. Mercedes ARTICOW proves that even high end products dont need it.
Come to think of it, I'm a bit of a hypocrite because I love the smell of Frau, Connelly, or just rich leather.

ltd · 13-02-2013, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gobes32

http://www.news.com.au/national/toyo...-1226576092582

Personally, I can't even tell the difference between real leather, faux leather, etc

It was explained to me by a detailer years ago. What you do is put your finger on the surface and push. If there are little cracks appearing around the point of your finger on the surface, it is indeed leather. If there's no cracks, it's vinyl or synthetic. The reason for the distinction is that on synthetic or vinyl they put a cotton matting which depresses a larger surface area and you get no cracks. Leather hide has no backing stuck to it and therefore you can get more of an indent to a point which is what gives the cracks.

I checked my G6E-T, and the faces of the seats are leather, the sides and the back are fake. The door skins are fake too.

Back in the day I had an AU2 LTD, that thing had about 20 dead cows in it, even the whole centre console was covered in genuine leather.

This information is provided free of charge and invaluable to those who like to wear leather thong britches.