With the European debut of the FT-86 Concept, Toyota is looking to keep the hype alive by releasing a new series of photos of the sporty two-door, while dropping a press release that talks more about what we hope the FT-86 will become. Toyota says it has built the concept to embody the spirit of...
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With all of Toyota’s self-induced woes as of late, the biggest problem the company has faced in recent months might just be a report by ABC News in which an expert (Professor David Gilbert of Southern Illinois University) produced an unintended acceleration using a Toyota product. Initially Toyota responded with concerns about the demonstration and...
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Despite rumors that the Toyota FT-86 Concept would debut at the Geneva Auto Show in production form, it appears as though that isn’t the case. As the very first thing show-goers will see when they enter Hall 4 at Europe’s most prestigious motor show, its obvious the importance that Toyota places on this vehicle –...
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Toyota today confirmed that it will extend the pick-up and drop-off of vehicles involved in the recent recalls to all its customers in the United States. Earlier in week, Toyota announced the program of extraordinary service for its customers in the New York region. Services provided by Toyota include a pick up and return of...
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Toyota “withheld relevant electronic records” that it was required, by law, to produce said Rep. Ed Towns, Chairman of the committee looking into Toyota’s current recall woes. Towns, (D-N.Y.), made the comments today during the continuing House Oversight and Government Reform Committee meetings that earlier this week saw Toyota CEO Akia Toyoda grilled by lawmakers...
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While the mainstream media continues to pour fuel on the raging fire that is Toyota these days, the embattled automaker is finding, if not allies, then at least defenders in the journalists most educated on the topics at hand: automotive journalists. In an editorial by Autoline Detroit‘s own John McElroy, posted on Autoblog, this industry...
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During questioning at the House Committee’s investigation into Toyota’s ongoing recall crisis, safety advocate group Safety Research & Strategies founder Sean Kane admitted that his group is hardly an unbiased participant. In fact, Kane admitted that a recent report outlining Toyota’s faults was funded by five different law firms, all of which are currently engaged...
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In a prepared statement before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Toyota President Jim Lentz reiterated Toyota’s continued stand that the issue with its many recalled Toyota models is mechanical and not electronic. Lentz commented that Toyota hired Exponent, a top engineering and scientific consulting firm, to examine its electronic throttle system to see...
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After ABC News aired a segment yesterday where an expert was able to recreate a case of unintended acceleration, Toyota has taken to the offensive and challenged the news outlet and its source. In a video segment (see below), David Gilbert, an automotive technology professor at Southern Illinois University, recreates the problem in a Toyota...
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As hearings into Toyota’s recall woes begin today in Washington, the automaker has announced that it will install a new brake override feature on an expanded range of vehicles. The feature, initially announced for the 2007-2010 Camry, 2005-2010 Avalon, and the 2007-2010 Lexus ES 350, 2006-2010 IS 350 and 2006-2010 IS 250 models, will also...
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Toyota has announced that it has received subpoenas from both the U.S. Grand Jury and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over documents related to “unintended acceleration” issues with millions or cars, as well as the braking system on the Prius. This news comes a day before congressional hearings on the matter and a day...
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Just days after he said he wouldn’t, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda has accepted an invitation to testify before the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform, which will examine the automaker’s recent spate of recalls. “I have received Congressman Towns’ invitation to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on February 24...
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a probe to investigate if Toyota issued its recalls in a timely manner. The NHTSA will use its statutory powers to obtain documents from Toyota and investigate how it learned of the defects in vehicles and when it knew about them. Automakers are required by law...
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Toyota has again announced another recall. Or should we say another, another recall. Yup, not one, but two recalls, affecting the Tacoma pickup and Camry sedan. Both recalls are minor in number, totaling just around 15,000 units and affect only 2010 model year cars and trucks. First came the 2010 Tacoma recall for 8,000 trucks...
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Toyota, a company that is notoriously good at keeping its vehicles secret until the very last minute, has apparently let down its guard, with a few pictures of the facelifted 2011 RAV4 finding their way onto the net. With a new grille and headlights, the cute-ute gets a little less cute a it more muscular....
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Toyota has made the bold move to turn down a prestigious Japanese automotive award, given to the automaker for the new Prius model just days after a recall was announced for the hybrid’s ABS brake system. The award, handed out annually by the Japanese Ministry of the Economy, Trade and Industry celebrates a vehicle’s energy...
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Toyota has just taken the wraps off the all-new 2011 Avalon. The changes certainly aren’t dramatic, but this is the Avalon after all. In other words, it’s a Japanese Buick. We don’t have much info on the vehicle as Toyota hasn’t even released any official specs, but from the press conference at the Chicago Auto...
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According to a spokeswoman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Toyota may face yet another investigation, this time over steering-related issues with the 2009 and 2010 Corolla model. The NHTSA has recorded 83 power steering related complaints on the 2009-10 models, which use an electric power steering system. Toyota switched to electric power...
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As expected, Toyota has announced a recall for the 2010 Prius hybrid, as well as the 2010 Lexus HS250h model. The recall affects 133,000 Prius models as well as 14,500 HS250 models so that the automaker can update the car’s ABS software. The recall does not affect previous generation Prius models or any other Toyota,...
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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...
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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...
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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,”...
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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...
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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...
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