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Toyota recall update: CEO offers apology, explains recall dealer fix plan (video)

Jim Lentz, president and CEO of Toyota, U.S.A., has gone into stealth mode. Appearing on national television news shows to Internet video posts, Lentz is in the early stages of trying to help Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, regain customer confidence. Here’s a short Associated Press video during which Lentz, in sound-bite form, apologies and explains Toyota’s plans to repair several million automobile with two potential issues — sticking accelerator pedals and shifting floor mats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCb2dEFBq7I

Toyota recall update: faulty brakes, floor mats fix plan announced.

Toyota Motor Co., has announced it has developed the way to repair faulty gas pedals in millions of recalled vehicles and has begun shipping new parts to dealers to fix millions of affected cars. The repair includes reinforcing the pedal assembly to eliminate the excess friction that caused pedals to stick.

Tesla Motors moves quickly again, announces $100 million IPO

Tesla Motors, Inc., the California-based electric car manufacturer, has announced plans to go public with an estimated $100,000 million stock offering. The move, according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, does not include a date when the company named after scientist Nikola Tesla will start selling stock or at what price per share.

Honda recall: Melting window switches in Fit potential fire hazard in nearly 650,000 cars

Honda Motor Co., has announced a voluntary recall of 646,000 Fit models, its globally popular sub-compact, to examine window switches that can melt or catch fire when exposed to an extreme amount of liquid. The vehicles affected are Fit models from 2007-2008. Honda reported 141,140 units with the potential window switch issues were sold in the United States. The problem stems from a master power window switch on the driver’s side. It will need replacement or retrofitting with a waterproof skirt. Seven cases of the part melting have been reported n the U.S., two involving fire. No injuries have been

Pirelli legacy: innovative tires to provocative yearly topless calendar

Pirelli was founded by Giovanni Battista Pirelli in 1872 in Milan, Italy, and throughout its more than 125-year history has evolved as among the world’s most well-known tire companies. In 1974, Pirelli debuted the “wide radial tire.” It was created after a request from the Lancia rally racing team for a tire strong enough to withstand the power of the new Lancia Stratos. The new tire attracted global attention. And Pirelli tires are now synonymous with the World Rally Championships, the British Rally Championship and the Superbike World Championships, among other prestigious races and motorsports events. Pirelli also received vast

Toyota recall: Test your pedal mettle, read manufacturer's suggestions

If the aftermath of recalls and the suspension of several of its most popular cars, Toyota Motor Corp., has been bombarded with email queries and phone calls from owners of affected vehicles. On its web site, Toyota details how to test your vehicle for potential problems and it has provides a FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) section.

Toyota recall: Faulty gas pedals to rental car worries

The future of Toyota Motor Corp., is ever-changing. Two massive recalls in North America since September 2009. The halt of sales and production at North American manufacturing plants. The suspension Toyota rental cars from major agencies. An expanded global recall of Toyota vehicles in Europe and Asia.

Ferrari set to unveil new F1 car, team live via team's webcast

Ferrari will announce its 2010 Formula 1 car live January 28 on the team’s web site. The new vehicle will be launched at the team’s Maranello, Italy, headquarters, and it will be a first for Fernando Alonso.

Toyota recall: CBS details Camry, Corolla and siblings production halt with dramatic video

On its Early Show broadcast, CBS News has provided a condensed, comprehensive look at the announcement by Toyota Motor Co., that it will stop production and sale of eight of its models, including the best-selling Toyota Camry and Toyota Corolla.

Toyota recall: Safety research firm reports 275 crashes, 18 deaths in 11 years from faulty acceleration in suspended models

The day after the halt and production of eight Toyota models, including the Toyota Camry and Toyota Corolla, two of North America’s most popular cars, details of the unprecedented maneuver by the Japanese manufacturer provide a clearer and expansive scope of the problem.

Toyota recall: Tips for owners of Camry, Corolla, Matrix, other suspended cars

News Service

When the sale and production of the Toyota Corolla, the biggest selling car in history, and the Toyota Camry, the top-selling passenger in the United Sates the past seven years, comes to a sudden halt, something is obviously wrong Toyota Motor Co., confronted the problem with a sudden and unprecedented announcement. Sales of several years of the Corolla and Camry models as well as six other Toyota models have ceased. Likewise, a temporary production halt of the same eight models from numerous North American production plants has been announced. The models which will no longer be sold and which will

Toyota recall: Camry, Corolla, Matrix among eight models suspended

Automotive News, News Service

Toyota Motor Corp., has announced it will suspend the sale and production of eight models, including the top-selling Camry, at production plants throughout the United States and Canada. The halt, which will begin in the first week of February, comes in the aftermath last week of the second recall of various Toyota models with potentially faulty accelerator pedals. The Camry has been Toyota’s top-selling vehicle every year since 2007. The Toyota Corolla is the best-selling car in automotive history. The suspension and production halt also includes: RAV4, Corolla and Matrix (2009-2010); Sequoia (2008-2010); Tundra (2007-2010); Avalon (2005-2010); Highlander (2010). Production

Spyker buys Saab in last-minute deal from GM for a reported $400 million

Saab, the Swedish carmaker that used the tagline “Born From Jets” but whose recent performance had taken the company into a severe tailspin, has been purchased by Spyker, the small Dutch sportscar manufacturer.

2011 Ford Explorer: Revamped SUV plans helps manufacturer create 1,200 jobs in Chicago

Providing another key example of the rebounding automotive industry, Ford Motor Company will create 1,200 jobs in its Chicago, Ill., plant to help facilitate the production later this year of the revamped 2011 Ford Explorer. “Tomorrow, in one day, we’re going to get 1,200 new jobs for Illinois,” Illinois Governor Pat Quinn told the Associated Press. According to several news reports, Ford wants the new Explorer to become “greener.” The fuel economy of the Explorer will increase and CO2 emissions should be reduced by as much as 25 percent. The Explorer is an integral part of Ford’s lineup. But it’s

Maybach mistake: Sean P. Diddy Combs buys son $360,000 car, Haiti charity gets $10,000

It’s hard to understand what motivates a father to buy his son a $360,000 Maybach for his 16th birthday. But rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has few equals when it comes to extravagance and bad taste Combs gave his son Justin Dior a new Maybach during a lavish celebration last weekend. The occasion was filmed by MTV for the reality series My Super Sweet 16. The show is about teenagers’ over-the-top birthday celebrations. The birthday party also featured performances by the rapper’s friends Fabolous, Lil Kim and Juelz Santana. In addition to the Maybach, Combs gave his son a check for

Mattel will debut a Hot Wheels first — pocket-sized Stealth Riders

Mattel, the maker of toy cars for more than 40 years, will soon debut a first: folding Hot Wheels. The five new models will be called “Stealth Riders” and will be contained in a pocket-sized case.