TOYOTA stops production in USA (Recall)

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/20/j...trial-in-2013/

Judge: First Toyota lawsuits likely to go on trial in 2013

by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Jan 20th 2011 at 9:29AM

It looks like it will be some time before Toyota enters the court room for the very first of the mountain of lawsuits that were bundled by a federal judge in relation to sudden-acceleration claims.

A federal judge has said he wants the first of the cases to be tried in the beginning months of 2013. That means the pre-trial discovery of evidence should be wrapped up by the end of 2012. U.S. District Judge James V. Selna made the announcement at a hearing on January 14. For those keeping track, Toyota is staring down the barrel of around 400 lawsuits related to the recall of over 8 million vehicles.

According to Bloomberg, Selna specifically urged trial lawyers to select "bellweather cases" designed to test the claims of both plaintiffs and the defendant sooner rather than later. According to the report, attorneys on both sides of the cases have agreed to Selna's time table.

Meanwhile, another set of personal injury cases are set to go to trial in Texas in February or March of 2012.

[Source: Bloomberg]

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/21/t...tens-of-milli/

Toyota settles Prius headlight lawsuit, could pay "tens of millions" without admitting wrongdoing

by Autoblog Staff (RSS feed) on Jan 21st 2011 at 9:58AM

Having trouble with the headlights of your second-gen (2006-2009) Toyota Prius? Apparently, you're not alone. In fact, 2,500 people complained in a class action lawsuit that the car's high intensity discharge (HID) headlights sometimes turned off without reason. Toyota has now agreed to a settlement of an undisclosed amount – potentially costing the company tens of millions of dollars – to get all of those headlights fixed.

The Los Angeles Times reports that eligible Prius owners will not only get money reimbursed to fix the lights, the headlight warranty will also be extended to five years/50,000 miles, up from three years/36,000 miles. Up to 320,000 Prius owners with HID lights could be affected. Starting in February, eligible owners will be notified by mail and they will have 90 days to register.

Even though this is probably an expensive settlement, by agreeing to it, Toyota does not need to go in front of a jury, risk a recall, and does not have to admit to any wrongdoing. The LAT learned that about half of the complaints regarding the 2006-2009 Prius in the NHTSA database were about "lighting, headlamps or visibility." Prius Chat has a detailed page on the issue, and recommends that even drivers who replaced an HID bulb after five years or 50,000 miles should submit a claim for reimbursement. Top tip, Danny!

[Sources: Los Angeles Times, Prius Chat]

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http://news.theage.com.au/drive/moto...126-1a5hj.html

Toyota to recall 1.7 million vehicles worldwide
Shingo Ito
January 27, 2011 - 7:59AM

Toyota Motor said Wednesday it will recall 1.7 million vehicles worldwide over concerns about possible fuel leakages, in the latest setback for the troubled Japanese auto giant.

The move will see the world's largest automaker pull 1.28 million vehicles in Japan and 421,000 overseas, Toyota and the Japanese transport ministry said.

Analysts say the carmaker now faces further pressure in its battle to regain consumer trust overseas after a crisis involving millions of recalls, a wave of lawsuits and record fines. Its shares tumbled 1.87 percent in Tokyo Wednesday.
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Defective parts prompting the latest recalls include engine fuel pipes that may crack and leak, and faulty pressure sensors connected to engine fuel delivery pipes.

"Slight cracks may appear on the engine fuel pipes. If it continues to be used, the crack may be widened and there may be risks of fuel leakage," Japan's transport ministry said in a statement.

The recalls include around 245,000 of Toyota's luxury Lexus vehicles in the United States, including Lexus GS 300 and 350 models as well as the IS250 and IS350 vehicles, Toyota said.

The car giant will pull 74,590 Lexus, Crown and other cars in Japan over similar leakage fears, and around 10,000 Lexus units in Europe.

Domestically, 19 models such as Noah, Voxy, Caldina and Isis produced between 2000 and 2009 will be affected.

No accidents have been reported out of more than 140 cases, it said.

Toyota said it would begin fixing defective parts for free on Thursday in Japan and would follow recall regulations overseas. "We sincerely apologise to our customers for causing a lot of trouble," the company said in a statement.

In 2008 Toyota ended General Motors' 77-year reign as the world's largest automaker but the road has been a bumpy one for the Japanese giant, facing the impact of the economic crisis, recalls and recently a strong yen.

Earlier this week, Toyota announced global sales of 8.42 million vehicles, just ahead of General Motors' 8.39 million, confirming its position as the world's biggest carmaker for the third year running but with GM closing in.

Previously lauded for its vehicles' safety and reliability, a US recall of around four million vehicles in late 2009 swelled to nearly nine million units by February 2010 for brake and accelerator defects linked to some driver fatalities.

As criticism mounted of its slow response and bureaucratic inflexibility, Toyota tightened its recall policy and by November last year had pulled nearly 13 million vehicles over a range of issues.

Wednesday's recall swells that tally further and is likely to increase pressure on the automaker as it battles to retain market share in the United States where it is losing ground to re-energised rivals such as General Motors, say analysts.

"The recall is sizeable and it may further damage Toyota's brand image and put trust in its technology in doubt," said Tatsuya Mizuno, auto analyst at Mizuno Credit Advisory in Tokyo.

"The timing is bad as Toyota is barely recovering from the previous massive recall."

Mizuno also noted that with auto parts increasingly globally standardised, worldwide recalls were more likely once defects come to light.

Last month, the carmaker agreed to pay a record fine of $32.4 million in the US, following a $16.4 million penalty in April over its handling of the recalls.

© 2011 AFP

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/26/t...llion-cars-gl/

Toyota recalls 245,000 Lexus sedans in U.S., 1.7 million cars globally

by Steven J. Ewing (RSS feed) on Jan 26th 2011 at 9:29AM

We won't blame you for reading this headline and thinking, "Oh great, another Toyota recall." After all, the Japanese automaker dominated headlines in 2010 by recalling every single model in its then-current product portfolio, including the massive sticky pedal and unintended acceleration recalls that took place in the first half of last year.

Now, Toyota has issued a voluntary recall on about 245,000 Lexus sedans here in the United States and an additional 1.5 million vehicles around the world. Here in the U.S., the 2006-2007 Lexus GS 300 and GS 350, 2006-2009 Lexus IS 250 and 2006-2008 Lexus IS 350 sedans are being recalled due to faulty installation of fuel pressure sensors. If this sensor has not been fastened tightly enough, fuel has the potential to leak between the gasket that connects it to the fuel delivery pipes. Including these North American vehicles, the fuel sensor recall affects 354,524 vehicles around the world, with Automotive News citing that the Toyota Crown and Mark X sedans are being recalled in the automaker's home market.

Toyota's other global recall involves faulty fuel pipes and fuel check valves, though none of the 1.34 million vehicles affected by this one are in North America. In Japan, the RAV4 crossover, Voxy and Noah minivans are being recalled, as well as the Avensis sedan and wagon sold in Europe.

For full details on Toyota's recall here in the States, follow the jump for the automaker's official press release.

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Toyota throttle cleared of acceleration glitch

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...25783200071DFB

NASA engineers give Toyota’s electronic throttle the all-clear in US safety probe

9 February 2011

By RON HAMMERTON

UNITED States road safety authorities have given Toyota’s electronic throttle system a clean bill of health after an unprecedented 10-month investigation into claims of unintended acceleration on American roads.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) enlisted engineers from the National Space and Aeronautical Administration (NASA) in the investigation into the potential for electrical interference or software glitches as a potential cause for the problem.

Sticking throttle pedals and moving floor mats that could entrap accelerator pedals remain the only known safety defects to cause unintended acceleration in Toyota’s range of cars and light-trucks in the US, where Toyota recalled eight million vehicles to address the issues. Globally, Toyota has recalled 18 million vehicles since 2009.

So far, Toyota has paid $US48.8 million in fines to US authorities, and also is still facing a number of lawsuits.

As a bonus of the NHTSA investigation, NASA has come up with a range of suggestions on how to make cars safer, using techniques from the aeronautical and space industries.

NHTSA has promised to consider the proposals, which include robust fail-safe systems that can protect against ‘two-fault’ problems and diagnostic codes that can convey safety-critical information to drivers.

More immediately, it is proposing new rules by the end of this year to require brake override systems, to standardise the operation of keyless ignition systems and mandatory aircraft-style ‘black box’ event data recorders.

Announcing the findings of the NHTSA investigation last night, US transportation secretary Ray LaHood said: “We enlisted the best and brightest engineers to study Toyota’s electronics systems, and the verdict is in.

“There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas."

Toyota’s chief quality officer for North America Steve St Angelo said Toyota welcomed the findings and appreciated the thoroughness of the review into the electronic throttle system, which Toyota calls ETCS-i.

“We believe this rigorous scientific analysis by some of America's foremost engineers should further reinforce confidence in the safety of Toyota and Lexus vehicles,” he said.

“We hope this important study will help put to rest unsupported speculation about Toyota's ETCS-i, which is well-designed and well-tested to ensure that a real world, un-commanded acceleration of the vehicle cannot occur. “We will continue to develop and equip Toyota and Lexus vehicles with industry-leading safety technologies, including many based on breakthroughs in sophisticated electronics systems.

“We will also continue to cooperate fully with NHTSA and respected outside experts in order to help ensure that our customers have the utmost confidence in the safety and reliability of our vehicles.”

In their research, NASA engineers evaluated the electronic circuitry in Toyota vehicles and analysed more than 280,000 lines of software code for any potential flaws that could initiate an unintended acceleration incident.

At the Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland, NASA hardware and systems engineers tested mechanical components , while in Michigan, NHTSA and NASA engineers bombarded vehicles with electromagnetic radiation to study if such radiation could cause malfunctions resulting in unintended acceleration.

NHTSA engineers and researchers also tested Toyota vehicles at NHTSA’s Vehicle Research and Test Centre in Ohio to look for any additional mechanical causes for unintended acceleration and whether any of the test scenarios developed during the NHTSA-NASA investigation could occur in real-world conditions.

NASA Engineering and Safety Centre (NESC) principal engineer Michael Kirsch said: "NASA found no evidence that a malfunction in electronics caused large unintended accelerations."

One of the first concrete results of the investigation will be a new design rule to require brake override systems in all passenger vehicles to ensure that braking takes precedence over the accelerator pedal in emergency situations. Toyota has already introduced such a system, called Smart Stop Technology, as standard equipment on all the new vehicles for the North American market.

As well, NHTSA is researching pedal placement to see if certain designs can help to avoid pedal misapplication, which it says happens in vehicles across the industry.

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http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-n...209-1amsu.html

US Toyota probe finds no electronic flaws
Andrew Beatty
February 9, 2011 - 5:29PM

Electronic flaws were not to blame for unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles that forced the Japanese automaker to recall eight million cars, a US government probe has found.

"Toyota's problems were mechanical, not electrical," Transport Secretary Ray LaHood said, announcing the results of a 10-month investigation that backed Toyota's claims.

The probe -- which called on NASA scientists to examine whether the acceleration was due to faulty electronics -- pointed to two previously known mechanical faults as the sole causes.
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The accidents, which have been linked to at least 89 deaths, were blamed on a "sticking" accelerator pedal and jammed floor mats, as the automaker had originally found.

Toyota Motor said early Wednesday the investigation "confirms the reliability" of the company's electronic throttle control systems.

"From here on, we intend to listen to our customers even closer and to offer not only safe vehicles but vehicles that provide peace of mind," the automaker said in a statement.

But a lawyer leading a class action suit against Toyota in Santa Ana, California, said, "I don't think this report ends this matter one bit."

"As far as we could tell there are thousands of complaints out there from very credible people. Some of our plaintiffs in the case are police officers who didn't have a sticky pedal or floor mat problem," said Steven Berman.

"People have had their cars fixed -- the pedals and mats -- and NHTSA (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) is still getting complaints," he said.

Amid a rash of injury reports, lawsuits and allegations of a cover-up the Transport Department called in NASA to examine whether there was a broader problem.

The probe analyzed 280,000 lines of computer code used to run Toyota's vehicles for electronics problems and examined whether electromagnetic radiation might have played a role.

NASA investigators said electronic problems could result in throttle openings of around five degrees, but that would hardly be felt if the vehicle was already moving.

LaHood described the probe into Toyota and Lexus vehicles as "one of the most exhaustive, thorough, and intensive research efforts ever taken."

LaHood, previously an Illinois congressman, gave the Japanese carmaker a rare endorsement.

"We feel that Toyota vehicles are safe to drive," he said, adding he had recommended his oldest daughter buy a Toyota Sienna minivan, which she did.

Toyota is struggling to recover from its damaged reputation after a series of mass recalls affecting 10 million vehicles worldwide in late 2009 and early 2010.

Its North America division said it appreciated the "extensive review."

"We believe this rigorous scientific analysis by some of America's foremost engineers should further reinforce confidence in the safety of Toyota and Lexus vehicles," said Steve St. Angelo, North America's chief quality officer, said in a statement.

Toyota will continue "to cooperate fully with (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and respected outside experts in order to help ensure that our customers have the utmost confidence in the safety and reliability of our vehicles," he said.

The company has toughened its recall policy to cover around 16 million vehicles between late 2009 and January this year.

Amid a rapid digitization of vehicles, the department also said it would further research the reliability and security of electronic control systems.

Toyota has paid the US authorities nearly $50 million in penalties related to the recalls.

© 2011 AFP

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http://www.caradvice.com.au/103662/t...o-electronics/

Toyota unintended acceleration not related to electronics
By Tim Beissmann | February 9th, 2011

The US Department of Public Transport’s investigation into the unintended acceleration of Toyota Motor Corp vehicles has found that there was no fault with the electronic throttle control systems used in Lexus and Toyota vehicles.

The in-depth 10-month review – ordered by US Congress and carried out by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and NASA – found that the only causes of unintended acceleration in Toyota Motor Corp vehicles were the floor mats and sticking accelerator pedals already addressed in previous recalls.

A statement from US Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, announced the definitive finding overnight.

“There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas,” Mr LaHood said.

The conclusive announcement followed a six-month update from the government in August last year that no electrical problems had been identified.

Toyota North America chief quality officer, Steve St. Angelo, said Toyota welcomed the findings of the NHTSA and NASA and appreciated the thoroughness of their review.

“We believe this rigorous scientific analysis by some of America’s foremost engineers should further reinforce confidence in the safety of Toyota and Lexus vehicles,” Mr St. Angelo said.

“We hope this important study will help put to rest unsupported speculation about Toyota’s ETCS-i (Electronic Throttle Control System with intelligence), which is well-designed and well-tested to ensure that a real world, un-commanded acceleration of the vehicle cannot occur.”

He said Toyota planned to continue to develop and equip its vehicles with safety technology based on its electronics systems.

“We will also continue to cooperate fully with NHTSA and respected outside experts in order to help ensure that our customers have the utmost confidence in the safety and reliability of our vehicles.

“Everyone at Toyota – all 30,000 of our team members in the United States and the many thousands of Americans at our dealers and suppliers across the country – is focused on listening to our customers and constantly improving our products and service,” Mr St. Angelo said.

More than 18 million Toyota Motor Corp vehicles have been recalled around the world since 2009, half of those because of floor mat and accelerator pedal issues.

The US Government fined Toyota $US48.8 million in three separate cases over its handling of the recalls, and the Japanese manufacturer still faces a number of civil lawsuits in the US as a result of the recalls, which could lead to potential liability reaching into the billions of dollars.

Mr LaHood said Toyota’s cooperation throughout the latest 10-month investigation was commendable.

“They’ve understood what we do here is serious business. What we do here is promote safety and we take a back seat to nobody.”

As a result of the investigation, the NHTSA now plans to study the potential for making three systems mandatory for new vehicles: brake override systems, standardised keyless ignition systems and data event recorders.

It will also commence a longer-term investigation into the design and placement of pedals in an attempt to improve safety across the industry.

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/08/f...cs-in-toyotas/

Feds find no evidence of faulty electronics in Toyota models

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) on Feb 8th 2011 at 2:29PM

The ongoing saga of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles has taken another turn today as Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood released a statement indicating that no evidence of electronic problems in runaway Toyotas has been found.

"The jury is back. The verdict is in. There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas. Period." said LaHood in a prepared statement. This finding comes at the end of a 10-month investigation carried out jointly by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and NASA that was requested by Congress.

Over 280,000 separate lines of code embedded in the electronics of potentially affected Toyota vehicles were examined by NASA, none of which contained any flaws capable of causing runaway acceleration, says the report.

This isn't to say that the government has found that Toyota is not at fault in any way. LaHood added, "Our conclusion – that Toyota's problems were mechanical, not electrical – come after one of the most exhaustive, thorough and intensive research efforts ever undertaken."

Those mechanical problems, namely sticky accelerator pedals and pedals that got trapped under faulty floor mats, "remain the only known causes for these kind of unsafe unintended acceleration incidents," says NHTSA. It should prove interesting to see how the courts – both of public opinion and of law – react to these findings.

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Ramin Talaie/Getty]

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Not a recall but no point in having a new thread.

http://translogic.aolautos.com/2011/...-with-iphones/

Aussie Toyotas not playing nice with iPhones
Posted: Feb. 11 2011 by Damon Lavrinc

A relatively recent build of Apple's iOS 4.1 is apparently to blame for connectivity issues between a host of Australian-market Toyotas. The software update, which was released last September and installed on the iPhone, iPod Touch and sixth-generation iPod Nano, won't connect with 2009 and 2010 model-year Corolla, Yaris, LandCruiser, HiLux, Prius and Kluger models. Naturally, Bluetooth streaming and the 3.5mm headphone jack aren't affected, but when the device is plugged-in with Apple's proprietary 30-pin connector, users are met with a "Loading..." screen and no functionality. A service bulletin has been sent out to Aussie Toyota dealers informing them of the issue, and Translogic's sources at Toyota USA haven't been able to confirm whether the issue is worldwide or confined to the continent in the Pacific.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/15/r...ings-revealed/

Report: Toyota image gets big boost after NASA findings revealed

by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Feb 15th 2011 at 10:00AM

It doesn't take much to change the opinion of the masses, apparently. Automotive News is reporting that it only took a mere two days for Toyota to see a rebound in its reputation after NASA engineers cleared the company of any electronic flaws in its vehicle software. As you may recall, the Department of Transportation called in some of the brightest minds from the country's space program to have a look at the issues surrounding the rash of unintended acceleration claims involving Toyota vehicles. Those engineers couldn't find anything that would point to an electronic issue as the culprit.

What did they find? As it turns out, the NASA investigation pointed to the same culprits as both Toyota and the Department of Transportation. Instances of unintended acceleration were caused by sticky pedals, floor mat interference, or good old-fashioned pedal misapplication.

Automotive News reports that according to YouGov/Brandindex, a company that tracks customer perception of popular brands, Toyota saw a sizeable boost in its reputation in the days following the announcement.

Toyota, meanwhile, says that the company doesn't view the findings as a victory. Instead, the news is simply validation of what the automaker believed to be true all along.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/18/r...on-class-acti/

Report: Toyota pushing to dismiss sudden acceleration class action over NASA findings

by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on Feb 18th 2011 at 10:33AM

Toyota is facing down a lawsuit that cites unintended acceleration as the cause of several accidents and a greater-than-normal reduction in resale values. Due to recent findings by NASA, Toyota now has more ammunition for its legal efforts to get these allegations dismissed.

The automaker already attempted to have this case dismissed back in November of 2010. At the time, Judge James Selna declined to dismiss the suit based on the evidence presented by Toyota. This time, however, Toyota is armed with research conducted jointly by the space experts at NASA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which indicates that there are no electronic culprits to blame for the unintended acceleration phenomenon.

[Source: Los Angeles Times]

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http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...225-1b7hz.html

Toyota US recalls more than 2 million vehicles
Andrew Beatty
February 25, 2011 - 4:29AM



Japanese automaker Toyota recalled another 2.17 million vehicles Thursday to fix floor mat and carpet defects that could jam the accelerator, the latest in a spate of recalls to hit the firm.

Pressed by US authorities, Toyota announced the recall to fix flaws in its Lexus GS, RX and LX models as well as Toyota's sports Highlander, 4Runner and RAV4 sports utility vehicles.

Toyota has now recalled more than 12 million vehicles worldwide since late 2009, battering its previously stellar reputation for safety.

Like those earlier recalls, Thursday's announcements were linked to "sticking" in accelerator pedals caused by jammed floor mats or carpets.
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The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it had asked Toyota to carry out the move, after a 10 month probe which ruled out problems with the vehicles' electronic control systems.

In a statement Toyota said in some vehicles the carpet cover was not properly installed and could "interfere with the accelerator pedal arm," making it unable to return to the "idle position."

Another flaw could cause a plastic pad in the floor carpet to "interfere with the operation of the accelerator pedal."

A third problem caused "the potential for unsecured or incompatible floor mat entrapment of the accelerator pedal."

The NHTSA said it hoped the recalls would bring an end to the issue.

The agency "reviewed more than 400,000 pages of Toyota documents to determine whether the scope of its recalls for pedal entrapment was sufficient," administrator David Strickland said in a statement.

"As a result of the agency's review, NHTSA asked Toyota to recall these additional vehicles, and now that the company has done so, our investigation is closed."

But the matter is unlikely to be closed for consumers or the company.

It faces tough competition to regain its US market dominance and still has to deal with a rash of lawsuits over accidents linked to the accelerator issue -- including at least 89 alleged fatalities.

In 2008 Toyota ended General Motors' 77-year reign as the world's largest automaker. But since then the Japanese giant has faced the impact of the economic crisis, recalls and recently a strong yen.

While net profit in the nine months to December quadrupled year-on-year on a post-crisis rebound, last year ended with Toyota losing market share to rivals in the United States -- its second largest market by volume.

Toyota has paid the US authorities nearly $50 million in penalties related to the recalls.

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Another 2.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles recalled

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...25784200007262

Floor-mat concerns prompt another round of US Toyota safety recalls

25 February 2011

By RON HAMMERTON

TOYOTA has issued a fresh safety recall in the United States over Toyota and Lexus accelerator pedals that can become dangerously trapped in floor mats, adding almost 2.2 million vehicles to the repair list.

The recall, which does not apply to any vehicles in Australia, addresses concerns raised in a 10-month investigation by the US National Highway and Traffic Administration into claims of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles.

While the investigation, done with the help of NASA experts, cleared Toyota vehicles of any electronic throttle control problems, it reiterated that floor mats fouling throttle pedals were an issue.

The latest recall covers three separate issues with the floor mats. One involves 397,000 2004-06 Highlanders (known in Australia as the Kluger) and 372,000 2006-07 Lexus RX SUVs to replace the driver's side floor carpet cover and its two retention clips.

Toyota says that if the forward retention clip securing the floor carpet cover in front of the centre console is not installed properly, the cover might lean toward the accelerator pedal and interfere with the accelerator pedal arm.

“If this occurs, the accelerator pedal may become temporarily stuck in a partially depressed position rather than returning to the idle position,” he said.

About 20,000 2006-07 Lexus GS AWD SUVs are also being recalled to modify the shape of a plastic pad embedded in the driver’s side carpet that might interfere with the accelerator pedal if the carpet is not replaced correctly after service.

Finally, Toyota has added three more models to its list of recalled vehicles from its original 2009 floor mats problem. These are the 2008-11 Lexus LX570, 2006-10 RAV4 and 2003-09 4Runner – a total of almost 1.4 million vehicles.

The latest recalls brings Toyota’s global total to 19.2 million, two third of them in the US.

Toyota Australia issued a statement this morning assuring Australian customers that the recall affects only left-hand-drive vehicles.

“The floor carpet cover, plastic pad and all-weather floor mat involved in these recall campaigns were specifically designed and manufactured for left hand drive vehicles and are not sold in Australia,” the statement said.

“Toyota Australia and Lexus Australia have inspected local vehicles and confirmed that the conditions do not affect right hand drive vehicles sold in Australia.”

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/02/24/t...possible-peda/

Toyota recalls 2.17 million more vehicles over possible pedal entrapment

by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on Feb 24th 2011 at 10:00AM

Toyota has announced that it's voluntarily recalling approximately 2.17 million vehicles due to possible pedal entrapment issues. In case you've forgotten about Toyota's massive recall from last year, this new issue affects 2.17 million more vehicles where the driver's side floor mat can become a potential hazard. Uh oh.

In October of 2009, Toyota recalled nearly five million vehicles because of possible issues with the floor mats. In January of 2010, the automaker recalled an additional 2.3 million due to an issue with sticking accelerator pedals.

This latest rash of recalls pertains to:

* 2003-2009 Toyota 4Runner (603,000 units)
* 2004-2006 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid (397,000 units)
* 2006-2010 Toyota RAV4 (761,000 units)
* 2008-2011 Lexus LX 570 (17,000 units)
* 2006-2007 Lexus GS 300 and 350 all-wheel-drive models (20,000 units)
* 2004-2007 Lexus RX 330, 350 and 400h (372,000 units)

Toyota will be sending out notices to vehicle owners by first-class mail, and dealerships will fix the issue with no cost to the owner. As of this writing, Toyota states that it is unaware of any accidents or injuries related to this new set of recalls. The automaker's official press release is available after the jump.

[Sources: Toyota, AOL Autos]

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/07/t...sure-monitors/

Toyota recalling 22,000 trucks over tire pressure monitors

by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Mar 7th 2011 at 10:31AM

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced the recall of 22,000 Toyota trucks and SUVs over improperly calibrated tire pressure monitoring systems. According to NHTSA, certain 2008-2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Tacoma and Tundra models may have been equipped with TPMS units that weren't properly calibrated. As a result, the dash warning light may fail to illuminate in the event of a deflated tire. NHTSA is concerned that this defect may potentially lead to an accident.

Toyota will recalibrate the tire pressure warning systems free of charge, though at this point, the company has yet to disclose its owner notification schedule.

The defect puts the Toyota vehicles in violation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 138, which specifically deals with tire-pressure monitoring systems. Hit the jump for the full press release.

[Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/17/r...ration-plaint/

Report: Toyota wins right to view unintended acceleration plaintiff data

by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Mar 17th 2011 at 2:20PM

Toyota has been granted the ability to gather financial data on 81 plaintiffs filing lawsuits against the automaker over losses associated with claims of unintended acceleration. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, two private judges ruled that the automaker could, in fact, secure information from banks, lending and insurance institutions. Lawyers working for Toyota have argued that since the cases deal directly with the value of the plaintiffs' vehicles, the company is entitled to know just how much the cars were worth to begin with. In fact, most of the information has already been accumulated by Toyota, and the plaintiff's privacy is protected by a special court order.

Lawyers representing the plaintiffs, meanwhile, say that the financial information is irrelevant and "highly personal." Furthermore, there's some concern that private information like social security numbers and health history may be needlessly revealed during court proceedings. That argument apparently didn't stand up in front of the court.

[Source: The Salt Lake Tribune]

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/03/r...eration-accid/

Jury rules Toyota didn't cause sudden acceleration accident

by Chris Shunk (RSS feed) on Apr 3rd 2011 at 11:02AM

Toyota faces hundreds of lawsuits for accidents involving unintended acceleration, but the automaker needs only to win them one at a time. Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Toyota has done exactly that, as a New York jury ruled that the automaker was not responsible for an accident involving Dr. Amir Sitafalwalla.

Sitafalwalla claimed that his 2005 Scion tC accelerated on its own either through a throttle problem or a faulty floor mat, causing him to run into a tree. The jury didn't see it that way. Penny Overbeck, one of the jurors on the case, says that Toyota's extensive testing played a role in her decision, adding, "They had it all on video. It pretty much explained it."

This is just one case in what will doubtless be a protracted legal process for Toyota, but it's an important victory nonetheless. It'll be tough for Toyota to win them all, though, since the automaker did recall millions of vehicles for stuck brake pedals and defective floor mats. Sitafalwalla and his legal team are currently considering an appeal of the decision.

[Source: Bloomberg BusinessWeek]

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/26/t...driveshaft-fa/

Toyota recalls 51,000 Tundra pickups over possible driveshaft fault

by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Apr 26th 2011 at 1:57PM

Toyota has announced that it is voluntarily recalling 51,000 2011 Tundra pickup trucks. The automaker says that .05 percent of the vehicles may have been built with a faulty slip yoke on the driveshaft. Due to improper manufacturing during the foundry process, the yoke could break. So far, the incident has only occurred in one customer-owned vehicle and no accidents or injuries have been reported as a result of the defect. Toyota says that owners will begin receiving recall notices next month and that dealers will inspect the vehicles' driveshafts to determine if they are part of the defective production lot.

Though the inspection is expected to take no more than 10 minutes, if needed, actual replacement will take longer, but both inspection and replacement of the faulty parts will come at no cost to owners. No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles have been impacted by the problem.

Press Release

Toyota Announces Voluntary Recall on Certain Tundra Trucks to Inspect the Rear Drive Shaft

TORRANCE, Calif., April 26, 2011 – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc, today announced it will conduct a voluntary safety recall on approximately 51,000, 2011 model year Tundra trucks to inspect the rear drive shaft. The rear drive shaft in an estimated 0.05 percent of the vehicles may include a component (slip yoke) that could break due to improper casting during the foundry process.

Toyota is aware of one drive shaft slip yoke failure in a customer-owned vehicle. There are no reports of accidents or injuries associated with this condition. No other Lexus or Toyota vehicles are involved in this recall.

Owners of the involved vehicles will receive a letter advising them of this recall by first class mail starting in May 2011. Toyota will also post this information on its website.

Toyota dealers will be instructed to perform an inspection to identify a specific "production lot" number located on the rear drive shaft. Based upon the inspection results, in a limited number of cases, the rear drive shaft may need to be replaced.

The inspection is estimated to take ten minutes. If the rear drive shaft needs to be replaced, the repair will take more time depending on the dealer workload. The inspection and / or replacement will be performed at no cost to the vehicle owner.

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/05/t...utomakers-rec/

Study: Toyota's reputation takes big consumer hit, other automakers recover

by Chris Shunk (RSS feed) on May 5th 2011 at 9:57AM

The auto industry has been through a lot since 2009, but it appears that consumers have a lot more confidence in the industry two years later. Brand and marketing consultancy Prophet polled 4,900 U.S. consumers about 145 Fortune 500 companies from 18 different sectors, and the numbers reveal that most automakers are more highly regarded now than in 2009.

BMW and Honda lead the pack, as both automakers ranked in the top 50 overall brands. Ford finished with a score of 60, which is up from 72. General Motors made a big leap from 123 to 85, in part because of new technology like the Chevy Volt.

Those are all good stories, but then there is Toyota. The Japanese automaker, which was saddled with the recall of over 10 million vehicles for floor mat and gas pedal issues, dropped all the way from number 18 to number 139. That number hasn't exactly resulted in horrible sales totals for Toyota, but there is little doubt that demand has softened a bit for the brand. Hit the jump to read over the press release from Prophet.
[Source: Prophet]

PRESS RELEASE

SAN FRANCISCO (May 4, 2011) – With one notable exception, the automotive industry has come back strongly from the shaken consumer confidence and damaged reputation that resulted from the 2009 economic crisis and bailout environment, a study by strategic brand and marketing consultancy Prophet shows.

The firm's "Reputation Winners, Losers " study showed an overall jump in reputation scores from 2009 for the majority of the sector. While foreign automakers Honda and BMW remained in overall top 50 with strongest scores, the U.S. contingent saw substantial improvement despite remaining in the bottom of the overall rankings.

GM moved to the 85th spot from 123; Ford, to 60 from 72. Even Daimler saw improvement, moving to 115 from 124. "Ongoing moves by automakers to improve their products and finances seem to be paying off with renewed consumer confidence," said Prophet Partner Jeff Smith, who headed the study.

Not surprisingly, Toyota's ongoing woes with multiple product recalls caused it to fall from its leading reputation spot at 18 to a failing one at 139 – near the bottom of the 2010-2011 list.

Smith said consumers heavily weighted attributes centered on products, personal relevance, and leadership and ethical behavior, including how well companies delivered on innovation with products, services, and technologies.

With new products like the electric Chevy Volt, GM got high scores on innovation-related reputation drivers. It also helped, Smith said, that GM divested several brands to focus on improved quality and reliability of others. Consumers also gave GM points for its performance on reputation drivers related to reliable products and services.

Ford, which just reported market share gains and the highest profits in 13 years, saw high marks on product-related reputation drivers, said Smith. He attributed much of that to the new Ford Fiesta and its unique product features. Ford ranked first among all automobile companies on innovation-related reputation drivers. Its refusal of the federal bailout also likely contributed to its strong scores on qualities of leadership, transparency, and ethics.

Prophet polled 4,900 U.S. consumers about 145 Fortune 500 companies in 18 sectors, asking them to gauge overall reputation, and how well they believe companies perform on various attributes that impact reputation.

Prophet (www.prophet.com) is a strategic brand and marketing consultancy that helps its clients win by delivering inspired and actionable ideas. For further information about the study, contact Jeff Smith at jsmith@prophet.com .

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http://www.caradvice.com.au/119169/u...vehicle-value/

US owners to pursue Toyota over loss in vehicle value
By Tim Beissmann | May 18th, 2011

Toyota vehicle owners in the US have been granted the right to pursue claims that the world’s largest automotive manufacturer caused their vehicle’s value to decrease.

A number of owners in the US are arguing that Toyota has not disclosed information about sudden unintended acceleration of its vehicles related to a fault in the electronic throttle control system, and has not issued a recall to fix the defect.

Toyota claims there is no such defect with any of its vehicles and denies that there is any evidence of electronic defaults.

Over the past 18 months, more than 18 million Toyota Motor Corp vehicles have been recalled around the world, with sticking accelerator pedals and sliding floor mats found to be the cause in the majority of cases.

In February, the US Department of Public Transport found after a 10-month investigation that there was no fault with the electronic throttle control systems used in Lexus or Toyota vehicles.

Despite this, the ruling by US District Judge James means that Toyota owners will be able to pursue Toyota for loss of vehicle value.

“Taking these allegations as true, as the court must at the pleading stage, they establish an economic loss,” Judge Selna wrote.

“A vehicle with a defect is worth less than one without a defect.”

Toyota spokeswoman Celeste Migliore said the ruling meant Toyota owners would now have to find evidence that there was an electronic defect with the vehicles.

“The burden is now squarely on plaintiffs’ counsel to prove their allegations, and Toyota is confident that no such proof exists,” Ms Migliore said.

No vehicles sold by Toyota Motor Corp in Australia were affected by the sticking accelerator or floor mat recalls.

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/17/t...sure-monitors/

Toyota recalls 2007-11 Tundra for faulty tire pressure monitors

by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on May 17th 2011 at 6:32PM

It's important to make sure your tires are adequately filled, but for some Toyota Tundra owners, that may be a problem. A recall notice has been issued for some 2007-2011 Tundras because they may be afflicted with faulty tire pressure monitoring systems. Approximately 1,629 pickups are affected by this recall, as it is limited to vehicles handled by Southeast Toyota Distributors.

The TPMS were incorrectly calibrated, which means the warning lamp will not light up despite a tire being under-inflated. Owners of potentially affected trucks are being notified, and dealers will recalibrate the systems free of charge.

PRESS RELEASE

Report Date : May 17, 2011 at 01:03 PM
NHTSA Campaign ID number : 11V278000

Vehicle Make / Model: Model Year(s):
TOYOTA / TUNDRA 2007-2011

Manufacturer: SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, LLC Mfr's Report Date: MAY 12, 2011

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V278000 NHTSA Action Number: N/A

Component: TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

Potential Number of Units Affected: 1,629

Summary:
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2011 TUNDRA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS." THE TPMS ON SOME VEHICLES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY CALIBRATED AND AS A RESULT THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LAMP MAY NOT ILLUMINATE SHOULD THE INFLATION PRESSURE IN ONE OR MORE OF THE VEHICLE'S TIRES FALL BELOW THE THRESHOLD FOR WHEN THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LAMP SHOULD ILLUMINATE.

Consequence:
DRIVERS WILL NOT RECEIVE A WARNING FROM THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR THAT ONE OR MORE TIRES ARE UNDERINFLATED, INCREASING THE RISK THAT THE VEHICLE WILL BE DRIVEN WITH ONE OR MORE UNDERINFLATED TIRES, INCREASING THE RISK OF A TIRE FAILURE THAT MAY LEAD TO A CRASH.

Remedy:
DEALERS WILL RECALIBRATE THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE REGULATION FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MAY 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER TOLL FREE AT 1-800-301-6859, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 8:30 AM TO 5:00 PM, EASTERN STANDARD TIME.

Notes:
OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .
[Source: NHTSA]

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/18/j...over-economic/

Report: Judge's ruling paves way for owners to sue Toyota over economic losses *UPDATE

by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on May 18th 2011 at 3:02PM

If Toyota was hoping to end its ongoing unintended acceleration-related legal issues, the latest bit of courtroom news will make the automaker quite unhappy. U.S. District Judge James Selna has ruled that vehicle owners can sue Toyota over economic losses. Some Toyota owners claim the automaker is responsible for diminished resale value of vehicles wearing the Toyota badge.

"A vehicle with a defect is worth less than one without a defect," said Selna.

Toyota, however, has stated that it remains confident it will emerge from the courtroom victorious. Selna's ruling moves the burden of proof over to the plaintiff's lawyers, and Toyota believes that no such proof of wrong-doing on its part exists. Lawyers for the plaintiffs will be tasked with proving that the automaker was aware of a defect and chose to ignore it.

One particular issue from Toyota's point of view, with regards to James Selna's ruling, is the judge has applied a California law to the case. One that may make it easier for plaintiffs to recover damages. Toyota argues that vehicle owners from all over the country are involved in the lawsuit, and therefore local state laws should be applied with respect to the owner's location. Either way, it appears that Toyota's legal drama is going to continue for quite some time.

*UPDATE: Toyota reached out to Autoblog.com for clarification. It appears the ruling has not yet come down, but that Selna is merely considering the application of California law to a case that reaches across the entire country.
[Source: Bloomberg | Images: Ramin Talaie/Getty]

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/24/w...erates-toyota/

Report: Watchdog group blasts report that exonerates Toyota

by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on May 24th 2011 at 1:28PM

Remember the reports released by NASA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which concluded that Toyota's electronic systems were not to blame for cases of unintended acceleration? Watchdog group Safety Research & Strategies has a 51-page bone to pick with those papers.

According to The Safety Record, the advocacy group's publication, Safety Research & Strategies took a deep dive into unintended acceleration research reports. The group also obtained previously unreleased portions of the report, and the results seem to contradict the very defense that Toyota is using in its UA-related lawsuits.

The unreleased documents show that NASA was able to find electronics failures, which could cause unintended acceleration. Per The Safety Record, these research efforts were heavily influenced by Toyota and limited in scope. In fact, more of the research has yet to be revealed.

These are bold claims by Safety Research & Strategies, and you can read its findings by heading to SR&S website. This new report could spell serious trouble for the automaker, if the allegations are found to be accurate.
[Source: Safety Research & Strategies via Huffington Post | Images: David McNew/Getty]

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/01/t...eering-defect/

Confirmed: Toyota recalls 52,000 Prius hybrids for steering defect

by Zach Bowman (RSS feed) on Jun 1st 2011 at 9:00AM

Toyota is recalling 106,000 Prius models built between 2001 and 2003. A total of 52,000 of those units were sold in the States.

Toyota says that if the steering wheel is strongly turned to the full lock position over and over again, the electric power steering pinion shaft nuts may become loose. Over time, that may result in the driver having to exert more force than typically necessary to turn left.

Owners can expect to be notified of the recall in early July, and the repair (in which dealers will replace the electric power steering pinion shaft nuts with new equipment) is expected to take around four hours.

In addition, the Japanese automaker is recalling a handful of Venza and Sienna all-wheel drive models for improperly heat-treated front drive shafts. The recall covers a total of 34 Venza models and 16 Sienna units produced in 2011, and owners can expect to be notified of the problem by June of this year. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

PRESS RELEASE
Toyota Announces Voluntary Safety Recall of Certain Prius Vehicles

Separately, Toyota Will Recall 50 Venza AWD and Sienna AWD Vehicles to Replace the Front Right-Hand Driveshaft

Torrance, Calif., June 1, 2011 – Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. (TMS), today announced that it will conduct a voluntary safety recall involving approximately 52,000 2001 through 2003 Prius vehicles sold in the U.S. to replace the electric power steering pinion shaft attachment nuts. This announcement is for U.S. vehicles included in Toyota Motor Corporation's global recall of 106,000 vehicles.

If the steering wheel is repeatedly and strongly turned to the full-lock position, there is a possibility the nuts securing the pinion shaft in the steering gear box assembly may become loose. If the vehicle is continuously operated in this condition, over time, the customer will gradually notice significant increased steering effort when making a left turn.

Toyota dealers will install improved nuts that secure the pinion shaft at no charge to the vehicle owner. The repair will take approximately 4 hours depending upon the dealer's work schedule.

Owner notification letters by first class mail will begin in early July, 2011.

The separate recall announced by TMS involves 34 Venza AWD and 16 Sienna AWD vehicles to replace an insufficiently heat treated front right-hand driveshaft. All of these vehicles are recently produced 2011 model year. Only 38 are expected to have an insufficiently heat-treated driveshaft.

Due to insufficient heat treatment, there is a possibility that the front right-hand driveshaft may break. If this occurs, engine power will not be transmitted to the wheels and the vehicle will coast to a stop.

No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles are involved in these recalls and the driveshaft recall only involves vehicles in the U.S. and Canada.

Owner notification letters by first class mail will begin in mid June, 2011.

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http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/01/t...sed-on-techni/

Toyota's first unintended acceleration trial dismissed on technicality
By Zach Bowman RSS feed
Oct 1st 2011 10:02AM

U.S. District Judge James V. Selna has dismissed the first unintended acceleration lawsuit against Toyota in California on the grounds that it should have been filed in Utah. Automotive News reports that the case was brought to court by the families of two people killed in a Utah crash in 2010.

Judge Selna found that a federal warranty claim in the lawsuit failed to meet a required threshold of $50,000. The warranty claim was levied toward the dealer that sold the vehicle, and since the judge ruled that the plaintiffs couldn't use personal injury or punitive damages in warranty claim, the lawsuit fell short of the threshold. That meant that the case fell back under Utah jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, Mark Robinson, the plaintiffs' attorney, said that he's already working to draft another complaint that leaves the dealer out as a defendant altogether. Doing so will allow the suit to go forward seeking full punitive damages. The suit alleges that Toyota failed to install a brake override system or otherwise prevent unintended acceleration. The case is thought to be a litmus test for similar suits around the country.

News Source: Automotive News sub. req.