Toyota troubles again: Potential oil leak in more than 900,000 cars, Avalon to Camry

Toyota notified its dealers of the issue March 1, according to Reuters. The potential oil leak problem has not prompted a recall, the issue is not a major safety concern and has been described as a “limited service campaign.” The oil hose service campaign covers 2007-2010 model year Camry, 2005-2009 Avalon, 2006-2009 Rav4, 2007-2008 Lexus ES 350 and 2007-2009 RX 350 vehicles. The leak would likely be noticed by drivers as the condition may cause abnormal engine noise or cause the oil pressure light to illuminate. Toyota owners who need the oil hose replaced can do so without charge at

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Toyota incentive plan: lure back customers with five-year, zero percent financing on recalled models

The new incentives will start March 2 and continue through March. Toyota will offer zero-percent financing for 60 months on some 2010 model year vehicles, including its most popular Camry and Corolla sedans and other vehicles involved in the recalls that involved faulty accelerator pedals. Returning Toyota customers will also receive a complimentary two-year “Toyota Auto Care Premium Package” that includes oil changes and other maintenance services, in addition to cash rebates. Akio Toyoda, whose grandfather founded Toyota, spoke before the U.S. Congress last week in Washington. D.C., to address the recall of more than 8.5 million cars, including several

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Ferrari hybrid images leaked, but few other details before Geneva Auto Show

Ferrari has tried to keep its much-anticipated debut secret. But images are now appearing in various publications. The car has an unusual “green” green exterior and the interior features the high-voltage setup that stores braking energy for an extra boost of power via a push of the steering-wheel mounted button. It’s the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) used in Ferrari‘s Formula 1 cars during the 2009 season. The Geneva Auto Show will be held March 4-14. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since

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Ford Mustang to Dodge Charger: America's top-10 muscle cars

WeirdWorm.com is a “weird” web site that likes lists as much as The Weekly Driver. It has lists of lists, best-looking cowgirls to wacky technology innovations. Here are 10 of WeirdWorm.com’s favorite muscle cars: 1969 Chevy Camaro, 1969 Dodge Challenger, 1969 Dodge Charger, 1969 Chevy Chevelle, 1970 Ford Torino, 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger, 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda, 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge, 1965 Ford Mustang, 1969 Ford Thunderbird. Here’s what the site said about the 1969 Chevy Camaro: “With the meaner look of this car compared to the softer look of the years prior, this car was a high seller. You had

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Toyota recall: How fair was Congress to Akio Toyoda?

That’s the way it is with many well-published hearings in Washington, D.C. Some observers feel politicians use the public platform to “grandstand.” Some news networks believe politicians are indebted to special interest groups. Newsy.com videos analyze and synthesize news coverage from multiple sources.  Its unique method of showing how different media cover the news helps viewers better understand complex stories. In this instance, according to a Newsy.com representative, “The video shows a clip from his actual speech as well as a few different opinions on the speech, Toyoda, and Congress/reporters’ aggressiveness or appropriateness in interviewing him.” For new car reviews,

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Toyota offering nationwide free rentals for recall clients

The deal was initially scheduled only for New York, but when questioned about the free offer at the congressional hearings in Washington, a Toyota executive said the company was extending the same benefits across the country. New York Attorney General Mario Cuomo said services in his state will include pickup and return of the vehicle, driving the customer to the dealership or their work place, and rental and loaner cars or taxis during the time the customer’s recalled car is being repaired or upgraded. The system will likely work the same way in every state. Toyota has not announced what

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Tesla Roadster price slashed to $1,658 (per monthly lease payment)

The Tesla retails, depending upon options, for $104,000-$111.000. But a three-year, 30,000-mile lease is now available for as little as $1,158 per month, or about $55 per day. There’s small type, too: the leasing customer needs to provide $12,453 due at signing, which includes a $9,900 down payment and $895 acquisition fee but not taxes, title, license, registration, and “locally applied” fees. The Tesla Roadster has two seats, 248 horsepower and powers from 0-60 mph in less than four seconds. Such performance, of course, likely means expensive insurance premiums. They’re not included in the monthly lease payment. Like other leases,

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Rare 1937 BMW roadster set for London auction

The BMW 328 Mille Miglia ‘Büegelfalte’, chassis no. 85032, was part of the manufacturer’s early sports racing activity in the pre-war years. Chassis 85032 was manufactured in May 1937 as a standard-bodied car for Rudolf Schleicher´s Experimental Department at BMW. The car participated in the 1937 Le Mans with the well-known British driver of the period, A.F.P. Fane, as well as the 1937 Tourist Trophy in the hands of H.G. Dobbs. The following year it participated in the 1938 Mille Miglia and won a notable victory in the 2.0-litre class, again with Fane driving and William James as co-driver. The

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Nissan Rogue, Hyundai Tucson, 2010: The Weekly Driver Car Reviews (videos)

The Tucson has received a lot praise with its all new design and estimated 31 mpg highway mileage (I got 23.5 mpg in mostly freeway mileage during my weekly test.) The Nissan Rogue is rated at 27 mpg on the highway and that’s closer to my average during my week with the car. The Nissan Rogue I tested had an exterior color of Venom Red; The Hyundai Tucson exterior I drove for a week had an exterior of color of Garnet Red. Put the SUVs side by side, and they’re the same color. Here’s what Car and Driver said about

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Chrysler will replace potentially faulty airbag sensor in Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan

Chrysler’s “safety improvement campaign,” which will begin in June, included 259,437 vehicles in the United States and 72,035 in Canada. The move comes after Chrysler found one of the front airbag crash sensors could crack under some environmental conditions and allow water to enter the sensor, potentially causing the sensor to become inoperative. The company, which is controlled by Fiat SpA, said it is not aware of any complaints, injuries or property damage related the sensor issue. Chrysler said the campaign is different from a recall because should problems occur, the vehicles would still meet crash standards outlined by U.S.

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Honda three-wheel concept vehicle will debut at Geneva Motor Show

According to Honda, the electrical powertrain consisting of a motor and a battery pack will be housed in a front storage cell ahead of the driver’s seat. The power cell will be provided with a lock in order to ensure enhanced safety of the battery pack. The enclosed capsule of the auto will make the Honda 3R-C an all-weather motor option. With the introduction of the third wheel, physically challenged persons will also be able to experience the thrill of biking using the Honda 3R-C. European designers created the concept at the Honda’s R&D facility in Milan, Italy; however, there

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Toyota? Toyoda? What's in a name? Try rice paddies and good fortune

The original name of the car was Toyoda. But in 1937, Toyoda had a public competition to design a new logo. The winning entry of 27,000 was the three Japanese katakana letters for Toyoda (トヨダ) in a circle. But family member Risaburo Toyoda (her married name is Toyoda) preferred the word Toyota (トヨタ). It took eight brush strokes, two less than Toyoda. Eight is also a number of good fortune in Japan. But there’s more. The literal translation of Toyoda is “fertile rice paddies.” Toyota was also adopted to distance the company from old-fashioned farming methods. It was trademarked and

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Bloom Energy bloom box debuts, hailed as 'future of American energy'

Fuel cells rely upon chemical reactions to generate energy rather than fossil fuels, and as such are considered cleaner, more affordable, and more reliable than the traditional energy sources. Bloom Energy’s national public debut after years of secrecy occurred Feb. 22 when the Dr. KR Sridnar, the compmay’s principal co-founder and CEO, was featured in a 60 Minutes interview with Lesley Stahl. The segment generated global response, but conspicuously absent from the interview was any relationship or potential application of the “Bloom Box” to the automotive industry pursuit for cleaner omissions and improved efficiency. Dr. Sridhar repeated the same enthusiasm

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Hummer no more as GM, China truck company deal fizzles

General Motors Co has announced it will wind down its Hummer SUV line after failing to complete a deal to sell the brand to China’s Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co. GM had hoped to sell the poor-selling brand to Tengzhong, an industrial equipment maker based in Sichuan province, the the deal in negotiations for monthly, dissolved. GM said it will continue to honor warranties and provide service support and spare parts to current Hummer owners. The first model, the Hum-Vee, was built in a variety of military-based equipment and versions. These included troop carriers, gun turrets and radar. The

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Toyota Hearings: Akio Toyoda, 'We will invest heavily in quality' (part 3)

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Here is the third of three parts of Toyoda’s prepared text: “Since last June, when I first took office, I have personally placed the highest priority on improving quality over quantity, and I have shared that direction with our stakeholders. As you well know, I am the grandson of the founder, and all the Toyota vehicles bear my name.” “For me, when the cars are damaged, it is as though I am as well. I, more than anyone, wish for Toyota‘s cars to be safe, and for our customers to feel safe when they use our vehicles.” “Under my leadership,

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Toyota Hearings: Akio Toyoda, 'Priorities became confused' (part 2)

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Here is the second of three parts of Toyoda’s prepared statement: “At Toyota, we believe the key to making quality products is to develop quality people. Each employee thinks about what he or she should do, continuously making improvements, and by doing so, makes even better cars.” “We have been actively engaged in developing people who share and can execute on this core value. It has been over 50 years since we began selling in this great country, and over 25 years since we started production here.” “And in the process, we have been able to share this core value

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