Toyota

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

The video features anchor desk and field correspondent reports and footage of two prominent accidents involving Toyota vehicles. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.

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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 announces another massive recall following runaway acceleration car deaths

Four people died Dec. 26 in Southlake, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, when a 2008 Toyota sped off the road, through a fence and landed upside down in a pond. The car’s floor mats were found in the trunk of the car, where owners had been advised to put them as part of the first recall. Although local and federal investigators are still trying to determine why the car went out of control, one possible cause has been definitively ruled out — floor mats. The floor mats were found in the car’s trunk, leading police to speculate that they were removed when the driver was notified by Toyota of the floor mat recall in November, 2009. In the ABC News

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Toyota plans to increase Prius production to 1 million in 2011

Toyota hopes to sell one million models annually worldwide early into this year. The manufacturer’s second hybrid, the Sai sedan, was recently introduced in Japan. The Prius became Japan’s best-selling car in 2009. “For the foreseeable future, the focus of Toyota‘s (low-emission car) strategy will be on hybrids, not electric or fuel-cell cars,” said Yoshihiko Tabei, chief analyst at Kazaka Securities. “Except for Honda, Toyota is facing little competition in hybrids and is set to put distance between itself and other automakers.” The Honda Insight in the primary rival to the Prius, but its sales greatly trail Prius sales. According to a report in Japanese business newspapers, Toyota will add about 10 hybrid models to its existing lineup in the

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Honda, Toyota dominate Kelley Blue Book car searches in 2009

Honda has the top two searches with the Accord and Civic and also the fourth position with the Honda CR-V. Toyota has four spots in the top 10 and Nissan has one position. American manufacturers combined for only five spots among the top-20 most search cars on KBB.com. Ford and Chevrolet each had two vehicles represent, but Chrysler wasn’t represented. The Honda Civic, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry (in varying orders each year) have been the top three most-researched new vehicles on kbb.com each year since 2004. The top-20 cars researched in 2009 in KBB.com: 1. Honda Accord; 2. Honda Civic; 3. Toyota Camry; 4. Honda CR-V; 5. Toyota Corolla; 6. Toyota RAV4; 7. Toyota Highlander; 8. Toyota Prius; 9.

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Honda Fit to Lexus GS450h, The Weekly Driver's Cars of the Year, 2009

Lots of car buyers purchase $15,000 cars or prefer SUVs and midsize sedans. Hybrids and sports cars are fun drives, but they still comprise niche market choices compared to more popular choices — Honda Accord to Ford F-150 pick-ups to Toyota Camry. It’s these cars I’ve most often reviewed since 2003. In 2007, I began a Best-of-the-Year list. Like during the list’s previous two editions,  I waited until the end of the year — the opposite approach of the major car publications. The industry’s renowned magazines and web sites often select their lists to outdo each other. Sometimes, some of the cars chosen have just debuted or in some instances they’re not yet available to the public. How does that

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Yaris, Touareg, Probe among Cars.com worst named cars

The author writes: “Below are 10 vehicles from the past 30 years with names so awful and awkward that we’re sometimes surprised consumers gave them a shot.” No. 8 on the list, for example, is the Toyota Yaris. The author details: “There was a girl in my dorm freshman year who organized her shoes alphabetically by mood. She majored in dead languages and responded to every single question with ‘no worries.’ She once set the dorm microwave on fire by overcooking a ham-and-cheese Hot Pocket. Yes, that story is ridiculous and nonsensical … sort of like naming a car Yaris.” AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars Here’s

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Toyota planning new challenge to 'cheap car' Tata Nano

Since the announcement of the first production plans for the Tata Nano, the auto industry has remained abuzz about the minimalist vehicle known as the world’s cheapest car. After months of controversy and delivery delays, the Nano is now being sold in India and Tata has plans to export the $2,000 car to other countries. Several other manufacturers make cars that cost less than $10,000. And Toyota now says it will join the “cheap” car market. It plans to release a concept car  it will target to the world’s emerging markets. The concept model’s name is EFC. It stands for Entry Family Car. Toyota has not announced pricing for the car, nor many of its details. But the expected price

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Subaru tops all manufacturers in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2010 ratings

The other car manufacturers to do well in 2010 include: Ford and its subsidiary, Volvo, Volkswagen and Audi with five top picks, and Chrysler with four cars in the top categories. “With the addition of our new roof strength evaluation, our crash test results now cover all 4 of the most common kinds of crashes,” said Institute president Adrian Lund. “Consumers can use this list to zero in on the vehicles that are on the top rung for safety.” Toyota and its Lexus and Scion subsidiaries had a strong showing in 2009 with 11 winners but were shut out for 2010. Four other manufacturers whose vehicles have earned Top Safety Pick in the past didn’t have a qualifying vehicle for

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Popular Mechanics picks diverse group, Chevy Camaro to Kia Soul, Toyota Prius to Ford F150 for Automotive Excellence Awards

Performance: Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Design: Chevrolet Camaro Value: Kia Soul Fuel Efficiency: Toyota Prius Versatility: Subaru Outback Fun to Drive: Hyundai Genesis Coupe Off-Road Ability: Ford F-150 Raptor Technical Innovation: Lexus Remote Touch Luxury: BMW 335d Workhorse: Ford Transit Connect Each year, to determine the winners of the Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Awards, PM’s editors drive more than 100 of the newest cars, trucks and sport-utility vehicles, amassing more than 100,000 miles in the process. Through their experiences on extended test drives around the world, instrumented comparison tests and longer-term evaluations, the auto team nominates a list of vehicles in each category. Those selections are put to a vote and the top vote-getters in each category win an Automotive

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Scion Tops Consumer Reports 2009 Reliability List, Chrysler Falters

The Consumer Reports study is compilation of more than 1.4 million readers’ responses this spring to vehicles from previous years. The results are used to predict reliability for 2009 model. Here are top two best and worst cars (if available) from each category in the Consumer Reports’ reliability issue, available on newsstands Nov. 11. Small Car Best: Scion xD, Mini Cooper Clubman Worst: Nissan Versa (sedan), (no second pick) Family Car Best: Toyota Prius, Kia Optima Worst: Dodge Avenger, Chrysler Sebring (V-6) Sporty Car, Coupes & Convertibles Best: Lexus SC, Volvo C30 Worst: Chrysler Sebring (convertible), Saturn Sky Upscale/Luxury Car Best: Infinity M35 (rear-wheel drive), Lexus IS250 Worst: Cadillac STS (V-8), Mercedes-Benz E-Class (V-8) Wagons & Minivan Best: Toyota Matrix,

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Toyota Prius, 2010: Roman Mica's Rambling Video Review

In the video above we test the 2010 Toyota Prius V to find out if the third generation Prius can carry the torch as the hybrid car poster child and live up to Toyota‘s expectations. Here’s are some of the new Prius’ specifications: Price as Tested: $33,079.00; Engine, Transmission: Hybrid Synergy Drive 1.8L DOHC 16V VVT 4-Cylinder; Horsepower: 134; G-Tac Test Data test at 5430 feet above sea level; 1/4 Mile: 17.35 second at 67 mph 0-60 mph: 9.63 seconds; 60-0 mph stopping: 114 feet; Max Acceleration: 0.44 g’s EPA Fuel Economy Estimates, City: 51 mpg, Highway: 48 mpg; Combined: 50 mpg; As tested: 46.3 mpg; CO2 per year: 4,995 lbs. Facts & Figures: 2010 Toyota Prius Specification Details Engine

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Step aside, Toyota Prius (51 mpg). Meet the 2010 Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion (61.9 mpg)

And therein lies the problem. Debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show with its sibling, the Golf R (the most powerful Golf at 270 horsepower), the second-generation Golf BlueMotion is the most fuel efficient Golf of all time. But it’s not likely going to be available in the United States, according to a report by the Car and Driver journalist attending the Frankfurt Auto Show in September. The Golf BlueMotion is currently available in Germany starting at € 21,650 (approximately $28,000). The European price includes German and EU taxes. The new Golf BlueMotion features a 1.6-liter TDI diesel engine with 105 horsepower. The power is delivered via a front-wheel, five-speed manual transmission. The Golf BlueMotion also benefits from aerodynamic changes, plus

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