Toyota Avalon

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

Toyota recalled 2.3 million vehicles in the United States with the potential sticking accelerator issue. “We know what’s causing the sticking accelerator pedals, and we know what we have to do to fix it,” said Jim Lentz, Toyota‘s president and chief operating officer, in a statement. Toyota dealerships will work extended hours, some 24 hours a day, to repair the recalled vehicles. “It’s not clear how long it will take to fix all 2.3 million cars,” Lentz told CNNMoney.com. The fix involves installing a precision-cut steel reinforcement bar into the accelerator pedal assembly, which will reduce surface tension and prevent the friction that has caused the pedals to stick. The company said it has confirmed the effectiveness of the newly

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

The precautionary test the Q&A format of frequently asked concerns follow: Precautionary Test Drive to empty parking lot and practice how to put your car in “N” (neutral) position. Get the feeling of how the car responds to your actions, especially braking and turning, while the car’s gears are in “N” position. You must have learned this in your driver’s education class, but a refresher may be a good idea. If you are not sure what putting the car in “N” means, then you really should ask an experienced (and good) driver to teach you. The FAQs list: Which models are affected by the recall/stop sale? Toyota‘s accelerator pedal recall and suspension of sales is confined to the following:  2009-2010

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Toyota recall: Faulty gas pedals to rental car worries

Here in capsule form are facts and figures of Toyota‘s current predicament: * Toyota is temporarily suspending sales of eight models involved in last week’s recall: 2009-2010 RAV4, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2008-2010 Sequoia. The Camry and Corolla sedans are the top two best-selling cars in the U.S. market. Combined, those eight models sold 1,008,611 units last year, representing 57 percent of Toyota‘s 2009 U.S. sales. * Toyota has expanded the recall by at least two million cars, to include cars and trucks in Europe and China with the same gas pedals from CTS. * Toyota vehicles in Japan do not use a gas pedal manufactured by CTS. * Toyota will halt

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

USA Today reported in its January 28 edition, that Safety Research and Strategies, a Massachusetts-based safety research firm, said it has found 2,274 incidents of sudden unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles causing 275 crashes and at least 18 fatalities since 1999. Toyota‘s most recent problems became public last September. In a statement, Toyota disclosed it had investigated isolated reports of sticking accelerator pedal mechanisms in some models without the presence of floor mats. “There is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partly depressed position or return slowly to the idle position,” the company added. Toyota‘s first problem with various models occurred last September. Designated as a “Safety Improvement Campaign,” Toyota posted

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

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 stop production in early February include: 2009-10 RAV4, 2009-10 Corolla, 2009-10 Matrix, 2005-10 Avalon, 2007-10 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007-10 Tundra,

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

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 plants involved in the suspension are located in Indiana, where the manufacturers has two facilities, as well as one location

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Toyota recall: 3.8 millon Lexus, Toyota vehicles could have faulty floormats prompting stuck accelerators

The recall will cover recent versions of the Camry and Avalon sedans, the Prius hybrid, the Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks and luxury Lexus models, the IS250 and the IS350 as well as the ES350. The U.S. safety recall would be the largest in Toyota‘s history. Toyota and U.S. safety regulators warned owners to remove all driver-side floor mats from eight Toyota and Lexus models sold in the United States, including its Prius hybrid, as an immediate safety precaution. The U.S. safety recall would be the largest in Toyota‘s history. A cost estimate for the company’s still-developing recall was not immediately available. In August, an off-duty California state trooper and three members of his family were killed in the San

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Toyota Highlander, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

There was no urgent need for changes. Toyota already had success with the Highlander, a trend-setting model introduced seven years ago. It quickly became a template for a segment of crossover sport utility vehicles. Yes, the Highlander has been around since 2001. And during that time nearly every manufacturer has taken a shot at producing a crossover SUV. It’s a market segment with increasing popularity despite increasing gas prices. Despite its success, Toyota decided to make improvements to its beloved mid-size SUV. The Japanese automaker succeeded with the second generation redesign, taking suggestions from Highlander owners and addressing two main areas — size and performance. Some may have been skeptical. Why would Toyota make a more powerful vehicle with a

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Consumer Reports Selects Most Overlooked Cars For 2008

But the Consumer Report list that impressed me recently is Consumer Reports list of Most Overlooked Cars. It’s a short list for 2008 — four vehicles. Tthe foursome includes a car and a manufacturer I’ve been touting for several years, Hyundai. Consumer Reports has a lot of nice things to says about Hyundai’s top-of-the-line sedan, the Azera. And it’s hard to disagree. Here’s the list of Consumer Reports’ most overlooked cars for 2008 and a brief comment on each vehicle: According the publication’s online site: “These models prove that a car doesn’t have to be a top seller or a top scorer to be a sensible choice and a good value. “All have performed well in our testing, and all

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Ford, Volvo, Honda, Acura dominate Institute For Highway Safety's 34 Vehicles Top Pick

Winners also have to be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC), which research shows can significantly reduce the risk of crashing. At the beginning of the 2007 model year, 13 models qualified, but as manufacturers have made changes and introduced new and safer vehicle designs, 10 additional vehicles qualified during the year. Now another 11 vehicles are being added to the list for 2008. Designating winners based on the tests makes it easier for consumers to identify vehicles that afford the best overall protection without sifting through multiple sets of comparative crash test results. Eight vehicles from Ford and its subsidiary, Volvo, make the list of winners for 2008. Seven winners are from Honda and its subsidiary, Acura. For first

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