japanese cars
Toyota Announces $1.7B Profit Over Third Quarter
Finally some good news for Toyota. At least, for the time being. Toyota announced a profit of 153.2 billion yen (US$1.7 billion) in the third quarter ending Dec. 31, 2009. That’s an increase from the 164.7 billion yen (US$1.8 billion) loss over the same quarter in 2008. Vehicle sales reached 2.07 million units over the…
Report: 2010 Prius Now Officially Under Investigation by NHTSA for Faulty Brakes
Toyota‘s popular Prius model is now officially under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for potentially faulty brakes. In a statement released by the NHTSA, it said it will launch a formal investigation into whether the popular hybrid has a brief loss of braking capability when traveling over bumpy or icy roads….
Report: Toyota Admits New Prius Did Have Brake Problems
After pressure from the U.S. and Japanese governments, Toyota has admitted that there was an issue with the brakes on the all-new 2010 Prius hybrid. Over 100 complaints about braking related issues have been reported to the NHTSA and roughly a dozen such reports to the authorities in Japan. According to Toyota, Prius models sold…
Report: Committee to Investigate Complaints Related to Toyota Tacoma Denso Pedals
Along with two major recalls, one for Floor Mat Entrapment and another for Sticking Accelerator Pedals, a Federal government committee will investigate whether other models, including the Toyota Tacoma and Prius, might be in need of recalls. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 100 complaints have bee made by Toyota Tacoma owners…
Report: Hybrids Too Expensive for Scion Brand Right Now Says Exec
Toyota’s hybrid technology is too expensive to be used in Scion models says brand VP Jack Hollis. In an interview with Ward’s Auto, Hollis explained that a hybrid Scion model would essentially be out of the price range of the brand’s target demographic. Scion works to keep all its cars at, or starting at, under…
Report: Toyota’s Jim Lentz Denies Cover-up Over Acceleration Issue
Jim Lentz, Toytoa president of U.S. sales, denied his company is covering up problems related to unintended acceleration. On a media blitz to contain the damage after a nine million vehicle recall, Lentz denied Toyota was hiding anything after government documents revealed the company first received reports of “runaway Toyotas” in March 2007. “There is…
Toyota Loses Market Share on Suspended Sales, Recall Notices
As expected, sales of Toyota models dropped significantly in the first month of 2010, as last year’s largest automaker slipped to just third at the start of a new year. Toyota sales dropped 19 percent in January, while the industry overall posted a 6 percent improvement. While all the bad press certainly didn’t help Toyota,…
Report: Toyota to Provide Tech Support for Apple Co-Founder’s Prius
Toyota has offered to test Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak’s Prius after he claimed the vehicle’s electronics can cause it accelerate unintentionally. Wozniak’s claims made headlines when he claimed his 2010 Prius’ accelerator “goes wild” under certain conditions. He says he can repeat the acceleration issue and suspected the Prius’ software as the culprit. Toyota has…
Report: Japan Orders Toyota to Investigate Prius Brakes
The Japanese Ministry of Transportation has now asked Toyota to investigate its new third-generation Prius model after complaints from owners of potentially faulty brakes. This news comes as Toyota currently has recalls out for millions of vehicles (not including the current Prius) which are mostly for two separate recalls. The first recall for 5.1 million…
Breaking: Department of Transportation Investigating Toyota Electronics as Cause of Unintended Acceleration
The U.S. Department of Transportation has now said it will look into electrical issues as a possible source for the unintended acceleration of Toyota products. Toyota recently recalled 2.3 million cars and trucks due to pedals that stick or are slow to return and has since announced a fix for the problem that it says…
PSA: Toyota Launches Recall Website
Toyota has just launched a new website related to its recent recalls, hoping to provide its customers with information about the two different recall notices and what the automaker is doing to solve the issues. The website is also intended to help give answers to customers who, Toyota admits, “may have experienced lengthy wait times…
Chicago Preview: Facelifted Toyota Highlander, Tacoma Candidates for Windy City Show
Rather than shy away from the spotlight, Toyota is going to put the focus on its products, rather than its problems at the Chicago Auto Show next week. Officials are said to be “still working on the details” of the press conference, but it is expected that some revised trucks and crossovers could debut in…
Report: Apple Co-Founder Says His Prius Has Software-Related Unintended Acceleration
The Prius hybrid has not been affected by the recent 2.3 million vehicle recall by Toyota for unintended acceleration, but according to Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak it probably should be. Wozniak, a man who knows a thing or two about software, recently spoke openly about a “unintended acceleration” problem with his new 2010 Prius, which…
Report: Honda Insight Sales Struggling Because it’s Too Small, Says Exec
Honda is expecting that its new Insight hybrid won’t meet its sales target because it’s to small. That, at least, is the opinion of Honda Executive Vice President Koichi Kondo, who told Bloomberg, “I think we compromised too much on size in pursuing fuel efficiency.” Honda had expected to sell as many as 200,000 units…
Report: Toyota to Launch G’s High-Performance Division
Easily the most talked about vehicle at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon was the G Sports FT-86 Concept. With the FT-86 already garnering its fair share of attention, the G-Sports model is a high-performance version of the concept, from a new performance division. The G Sports or G’s division will essentially take parts from the…
Geneva Preview: Mazda MX-5 20th Anniversary Edition Revealed
Mazda doesn’t appear to be keeping any secrets for the Geneva Auto Show in March. The Japanese automaker has already divulged photos and specs on the new Mazda5 and facelifted Mazda6, and now it has given us a first look at the MX-5 20th Anniversary Edition. Celebrating the car’s 20 years of inexpensive fun, we…
Report: Nissan Passes GM to Become Mexico’s Largest Automaker
Thanks to a dismal year in 2009 for General Motors, Nissan was able to edge out the American manufacturing giant in Mexico and become that country’s largest automaker by sales. In total, Nissan manages to sell 156,186 units in 2009, compared to GM’s sales of 138,482 units. Like the rest of the world, auto sales…
Recall Notice: Toyota Recalls 1.8 Million Cars in Europe Due to Sticking Accelerator Pedals
Just days after a recall of 2.3 million vehicles in North America due to the possibility that the accelerator pedal could stick, Toyota Motor Europe has announced a similar recall of up to 1.8 million cars. The latest recall affects eight of Toyota Europe’s best selling models including the Auris, Avensis, Aygo, Corolla, iQ, RAV4,…
Recall Notice: Honda Recalls 646,000 Unfit Fits
Not one to let Toyota get all the publicity, today Japan’s number two automaker, Honda Motor Co., has announced its own recall. The recall affects 646,000 Honda Fit models from the 2007 and 2008 model years built in Japan, China, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia and India. These models were sold in the U.K., Latin American and…
Leaked: Mitsubishi RVR Brochure Gives Detailed Look at Upcoming Compact Crossover
Thanks to a tip from AutoGuide reader Peter Ms we have plenty more photos and some additional information on Mitsubishi’s upcoming compact crossover. The new model will debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March and is expected to arrive shortly thereafter in North America, slotting in underneath the Outlander in the Japanese automaker’s lineup….
Recall Notice: Toyota Adds 1.1 Million More Vehicles to Floor Mat Recall
Things just couldn’t get any worse for Toyota Motor Corp. The automaker has announced yet another recall, this one for 1.1 million vehicles in the United States, and is essentially an expansion of last year’s floor mat/pedal recall that affected 4.3 million vehicles. The recall is for all 2008-10 Highlanders, 2009-2010 Corollas, Venzas and Matrixes,…
Report: Mitsubishi Looks to Double Sales in Three Years
Mitsubishi aims to double its sales in the U.S. in the next three years, says Mitsubishi North America Executive VP John Koenig. Last year the Japanese automaker sold just 53,986 vehicles in the U.S., down alarmingly by 44.5 percent compared to 2008. While the recession did hurt the automaker considerably, Koenig believes that much of…
Chicago Preview: Honda Odyssey Concept to Debut in Windy City
With Toyota having just released its new Sienna minivan, Honda is following close behind with a concept version of the next Odyssey minivan set to debut at the Chicago Auto Show next month. While Honda is keeping tight-lipped about the new model, it has said that the fourth-generation Odyssey, “will further enhance its hallmark qualities…
Facelifted Mazda6 Model Unveiled in Japan
Mazda has just released photos and details of the 2010 Mazda6 model (known as the Atenza in Japan), which has undergone a mid-cycle refresh. As a part of the update is the usual facelift, with the 6 now featuring a front-end design more in keeping with the Mazda3 – although not nearly as smiley. Out…
