Toyota
Report: Toyota to Investigate Lexus HS for Brake Problems
With a brake-related recall for the 2010 Toyota Prius expected any day now, Toyota is now said to be investigating the Lexus HS250h hybrid, which is also sold as the Sai in Japan. Using plenty of similar equipment to the HS the Prius has received over 100 complaints registered by the National Highway Traffic Safety…
Report: Toyota Could Face Government Fine for Delayed Recalls
As though Toyota needed any more to deal with right now, the automaker could face a fine from the Federal Government for not acting quickly enough in issuing recalls. Legally, automakers that don’t issue recalls in a timely manner can be stuck with a fine for as much as $16.4 million. That amount, however, pales…
Toyota CEO Makes Public Apology, Announces New Safety Taskforce
Late last night Toyota held a press conference in Japan where company CEO and Akio Toyoda, grandson of the automaker’s founder, apologized for the recent recalls and safety concerns over Toyota products. “The recalls are affecting several models in several regions and have caused anxiety among customers who are wondering if their cars are OK,”…
Report: Toyota Expands Brake Investigation to Cover All Hybrids After Admitting Issues With the Prius
Toyota has now expanded its internal investigation over braking issues to cover all hybrid models says a report by the Wall Street Journal. Toyota has already admitted that there was a braking problem with its 2010 Prius model, and according to Japan’s Nikkei News, Toyota is preparing to issue a recall for 270,000 Prius models…
Report: Toyota Recall Costs Estimated at $2 Billion
Toyota’s recent recall issues may cost the company an estimated $2 billion. Along with the company’s third quarter report, Toyota estimated the costs of the global recall at 180 billion yen (US$2 billion), including 100 billion yen (US$1.1 billion) for repair costs and another 70-80 billion yen ($787-899 million) in lost sales. Toyota predicts a…
Breaking: Toyota to Recall Prius Hybrid
According to Japan’s Nikkei News, Toyota will recall 270,000 of its 2010 Prius models due to an issue with the car’s braking system. Unrelated to past Toyota recalls, the Prius uses a unique combination of traditional mechanical braking and sophisticated regenerative braking, which is used to recharge the car’s hybrid battery. The National Highway Traffic…
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: NHTSA to Investigate Electric Interference from Cell Phones as Possible Cause of Unintended Acceleration
Only yesterday the AutoGuide team was discussing the fact that with all the recent Toyota recalls, the next thing to be recalled might be the automaker’s Prius iPhone App. Well, truth may be stranger than fiction as the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has now said it will look into whether electronic interference from…
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…
AutoGuide.com Toyota Recall News Hub
Amidst the continuing controversy and confusion surrounding the numerous Toyota recalls, we at AutoGuide.com have decided to launch the TOYOTA RECALL NEWS HUB. Featured on our home page and constantly updated through our news blog, we aim to bring you the very latest in recall-related news as well as list important information about what vehicles…
What to Do If Your Car Has a Sticking Gas Pedal or Unintendedly Accelerates
With Toyota insisting that it’s safe to keep driving your recalled car, while other folks advise against it, owners are no-doubt confused about risking the trip to the office or finding another way to get around. Toyota insists the instances of sticky accelerator pedals are rare, but if you do choose to keep driving you…
Breaking: LaHood Retracts Statement Telling Toyota Owners to “Stop Driving” Their Cars
Just hours after Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood advised Toyota owners affected by the recent recall to “stop driving” their cars, LaHood has retracted his statement. LaHood made the comments earlier today appearing before a heading into the recalls. “What I said in there was obviously a misstatement,” said LaHood. The DOT is now…
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,…
Breaking: Transportation Secretary Tells Toyota Owners not to Drive Recalled Cars
If you are currently driving a recalled Toyota model, you shouldn’t be, says Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (above). In a statement given at a House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation, looking into the recent Toyota recalls, LaHood told owners to, “stop driving it. Take it to a Toyota dealer because they believe they have a fix…
Report: Toyota Chief Apologizes for Recall Issue Then Hops Into an Audi
Your company is going through a PR nightmare with nine million vehicles being recalled, worldwide. The government is investigating whether the issue is worse than you claim. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is on your tail. Consumer confidence in your product is waning. What do you do if you’re Toyota President and CEO Akio Toyoda? Offer…
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…
