TOYOTA stops production in USA (Recall)

[Windsor220]

Yeah we heard about the rust one a while ago. Cant believe how bad they rust out!

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by Ohio XB

Having done some more reading......the NHTSA has done 6 investigations regarding Toyota unintended acceleration issues (starting in 2002) and 3 of those 6 times the investigation was petitioned (by their own agents? Not sure) to continue the investigations deeper past the conclusions that were found at the time, and these petitions were refused. Now NHTSA is to be investigated for dodgy handling of the situation. Toyota is already to be investigated by our Congress over this issue.

There will be people getting busted for cover-ups, mud will be slung, fingers will be pointed, and this is going to be soooooooo messy.


Steve

Wouldn't be the first time a Japanese manufacturer was caught covering up safety defects. Mitsubishi got busted years ago covering up a problem with some of its light trucks wheels falling off, which resulted in a number of deaths.

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-195567.html

[Mr Hardware]

Wow, this is bad news for toyota. As a closet toyota fanboy, i'm sad to see such a disasterous thing happen to the once-king of quality in normal-person cars. Just remember in the late 80's a similar thing happened to Audi in the US where apparent sudden unassisted accelleration killed people (this was later found out to be false) but nonetheless it killed Audi in the US for years.

[XR Martin]

Toyota were caught covering up problems with the Surf front suspension that would collapse and caused a few deaths in Japan. (these Surfs made it to here on the grey market, and have never been fixed)
Also there was the headgasket issues with engines, and oil sludging. These we recalled overseas, but were ignored here.

[yetchh]

toyota isnt the only car maker to suffer recoils for dangerous flaws on a large scale... ford usa has had it fair share too, this is from http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recal...calls_auto.htm in america

* Ford Recalls Millions of Vehicles to Fix Fire Danger
* 2009 Ford Expedition, Navigator
* 2009 Ford F-150 Pickups
* Ford Recalls Big Trucks, Motor Homes
* Ford F-150, Lincoln Mark LT Pickups
* Ford Recalls F-250, F-350 Trucks for Fire Hazard
* Ford Recalls 2008 E-350s
* High-Speed Steering Shimmy in Ford F-250, F-350 Probed
* Ford F-250, F-350 Super Duty Trucks Recalled for Driver Seat Flaw
* Ford Recalls 400,000 Mustangs
* Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigators Recalled to Fix Door Handle
* Ford Recalls 57,000 More Trucks, SUVS for Fire Hazard
* NHTSA Probes Ford F150 Brake Failure
* Ford Recalls 1.2 Million Diesel Trucks, SUVs, Vans
* Feds Probe Ford F-250, F-350, Five Hundred, Freestyle
* Brake Fires Plague Ford Escape, 527,000 Recalled
* Ford Stops Sales of Big Super Duty, Recalls 2008 Trucks
* Ford Recalls Police Cruiser for Faulty Wheels
* Ford Recalls 155,000 More Trucks to Fix Fire Hazard
* Ford Recalls Five Hundred, Montego and Escape Hybrid SUVs
* Feds Wind Up Ford Engine Fire Probe with Massive Recall
* Ford Recalls Escape, Mariner to Fix Headliners
* Ford Mustang Cobra
* Ford F-150, Lincoln Mark LT
* Ford Recalls 224,000 Vehicles to Fix Windshield Wipers


it seems that they all suffer build quality issues, some more than others, the proof in toyotas pudding will be whether they can weather the storm of scapegoating and spin from rivals in the major markets.. if they do it right its gonna cost them a lot of their massive cash flow but i reckon if any company can come back from this it will be them, they are backed by their build history and massive customer base.. spose we'll see

[Ohio XB]

That's an impressive list to be sure. So is this one....


http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls/auto/toyota.html

*2008-10 Highlanders
*2009-2010 Corollas, Venzas, and Matrixes
*2007-10 Camrys
*2009-10 Corollas
*2009-10 RAV4s
*2009-10 Matrixes
*2005-10 Avalons
*2010 Highlanders
*2007-10 Tundras
*2008-10 Sequoias
*Another 2.3 Million Toyota, Lexus Models Recalled
*Toyota Recalls Camry, Avalon, Prius, Tacoma, Tundra, Lexus Models to Fix *Runaway Acceleration
*Toyota Recalling 110,000 Tundra Pickups
*Toyota Camry, Avalon, Prius, Tacoma, Tundra
*2008-2009 Toyota Scion XD
*2009-2010 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Pontiac Vibe
*2006-2007 Toyota Yaris
*2004 Toyota Sienna
*Toyota Siennas Recalled to Fix Liftgate
*Toyota Highlander, Highlander Hybrids
*Feds Probe Unintended Acceleration in Toyota Sienna Minivan
*Toyota Matrix & Corolla
*Toyota Recalls Some 2007 Tundra Pickups
*Toyota Extends Sienna Liftgate Warranty
*Toyota Recalls Camry, Lexus Floor Mats, NHTSA Warns Prius Owners
*Toyota, NHTSA Investigate 360,000 Sienna Vans
*Airbag Danger Prompts Scion TC Recall
*Toyota Recalls 533,000 Trucks for Failed Ball Joints
*Toyota Recalls Near 800,000 for July
*Toyota Tundra Recalled to Disable Front Passenger Airbag Switch
*Toyota Recalls Highlander, Lexus RX SUVs
*Toyota Scion tC Moonroof Failures Probed
*NHTSA Probes 600,000 Toyota Trucks and Vans
*Toyota FJ Cruiser Recalled For Tire Flaw
*Massive Toyota Recall Affects Nearly One Million
*Toyota Recalls Prius for Steering Defect


.....yet, with just as impressive a list as Fords', Toyota still had a stellar quality reputation. Here in the US that was due, I believe, to the lack of equivalent media coverage on defects by Japanese auto makers. What happened to Toyota this time is that there was a recording of people on the phone that were actually killed in a Toyota product, and we all know THAT is good television and ratings.


Steve

[Sprint XR8]

In California, a Rebuke to Toyota

By MALIA WOLLAN Published: February 4, 2010

Wary of the expanded Toyota recall and still stinging from a recent decision by the Japanese automaker to close a major manufacturing plant in California, the State Assembly turned patriotic on Thursday, adopting a “Buy American” policy for all future vehicles bought for its fleet.

The decision, by the Assembly Rules Committee, came at the urging of Assemblyman Ted Lieu, who represents the Southern California district that includes Torrance, home of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., its North American sales division. “I used to be one of Toyota’s strongest supporters,” said Mr. Lieu, the committee chairman. “It took a lot to turn me into one of their strongest critics. What broke the camel’s back on this is the safety issue. I saw this pattern of denial at Toyota. They were not truthful with Americans.”

Mr. Lieu said he intended to encourage other state agencies to follow suit, buying only vehicles that are at least 50 percent manufactured in the United States.

Even before the most recent accounts of stuck accelerators and anti-lock braking system problems on Toyota models, emotions were raw in California after the automaker announced it would close a manufacturing factory in Fremont in April. The plant employs some 5,440 workers.

In an e-mail message, a Toyota spokeswoman said that the company would not comment on the new rule until it had seen the language, but “that most of the vehicles Toyota sells in the U.S. are manufactured here.”

The “Buy American” policy had been in place for all State Assembly vehicle purchases before 2003, when lawmakers dropped it so they could buy more environmentally friendly foreign-made hybrids.

“Now, in 2010,” Mr. Lieu said, “many American manufacturers make hybrids. There’s no reason to buy Toyotas.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/us/05calif.html

[vztrt]

http://www.theage.com.au/world/toyot...0207-nkev.html

Toyota recalls Prius hybrid
February 7, 2010 - 2:10PM

Japan's crisis-hit Toyota Motor is set to announce a recall of the latest model of its top-selling Prius hybrid in Japan and the United States due to brake design flaws.

"The company has notified its dealers in Japan that it would recall all the (new model Prius) vehicles sold in the country," the mass-circulation Yomiuri Shimbun daily said on Sunday without naming its sources.

The report also said the company would make an official announcement of the recall early this week.

The recall, which would repair a software program for the anti-lock braking system designed to prevent skidding, is expected to affect some 270,000 vehicles in Japan and the United States alone.

Toyota has sold more than 300,000 of the latest Prius in 60 countries and territories since the new model rolled out in May last year.

Toyota, already reeling from massive worldwide recalls due to sticky accelerator pedals, has come under fresh fire after it said it had fixed the Prius brake system in January without warning drivers who already own the model about the possibility of brake failure.

The Japanese transport ministry has reportedly received about 80 complaints this month about malfunctions in the brake system, while Toyota has separately received more than 100 complaints since the crisis broke.

Five cases reported to the government relate to crashes in which, according to the drivers, the brakes malfunctioned, local media said.

The company was not immediately available to confirm the reports.

AFP

[XR Martin]

Yet Toyota are refusing to recall the Prius here.

[vztrt]

Toyota chief finally apologises for world’s biggest recall

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2576C30083013A

Akio Toyoda says sorry for sticky throttle recall but insists Toyota cars are safe

8 February 2010

By MARTON PETTENDY

AKIO Toyoda capped off a tumultuous week for the company that bears his name by formally apologising for the world’s largest automotive safety recall for the first time at 9pm in Japan on Friday night.

Breaking his near-total silence on the “crisis” at Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) headquarters in Nagoya, the grandson of Toyota’s founder insisted his company’s vehicles were still safe and said Toyota had yet to decide whether to issue a separate recall for the third-generation Prius hybrid, which is the subject of an internal investigation into braking “issues”.

“I'm deeply sorry about the inconvenience and concern we have caused customers but, believe me, Toyota cars are safe,” said the TMC president in his first major public speech since the world’s biggest car-maker recalled almost seven million vehicles globally last month.

“I, Akio Toyoda, deeply regret the inconvenience and concern caused to our customers and others by our recent recalls of multiple vehicle models across multiple regions.”

Mr Toyoda also admitted that the unprecedented recalls had left Toyota, which has staked its reputation on quality and reliability, “in crisis”.

“Today, as so many people have expressed their sense of unease, I realised the necessity of asking you all here on short notice to share with you the following,” he said.

Toyota’s recall to fix sticky accelerator pedals was last week extended from the US – where eight of its most popular models were suspended from sale – to Europe, China and elsewhere.

Including a separate recall to fix the floor mats of 5.3 million vehicles in North America in October, a total of 6.6 million vehicles are now affected.

Although Toyota vehicles sold and produced in Australia remain unaffected, Toyota says it will advise owners of current-generation Prius models as soon as possible as to how it will apply to their vehicles the same “improvement” made to Prius vehicles on the production line in late January.

“As Toyota revealed yesterday (February 4), new Prius now in showrooms include an improvement,” said Mr Toyoda. “For Prius in the hands of customers, I have instructed that consideration be made as soon as possible regarding the way to address such units. Once a decision is made we will inform the public.

“As for the accelerator pedal recall in the United States, Europe, China and other countries and regions, repair-work preparations are being made at our dealers. As soon as these preparations are complete, once again, we will inform you.”

While the sticky throttle problem has been linked to 19 crash deaths in the US over the past decade, Toyota’s investigation into the Prius braking problem, which Toyota insists is not safety related, was instigated after Japan’s Transportation Ministry last Wednesday ordered it to look into reports of inconsistent braking feel on irregular road surfaces in the 2010 model.

Japanese reports suggest Toyota will soon recall or voluntarily fix all affected examples of the Prius, which was Japan’s top-selling model last year following the launch of the new model there in May.

Since then, Toyota has sold 311,000 MkIII Prius vehicles, including around 200,000 in Japan, 103,000 in the US and 2000 in Australia, bringing the total number of Priuses sold to more than 1.6 million.

Toyota has received two complaints related to braking issues with the third-generation Prius in Australia, while the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has received 124 complaints, with four crashes alleged to have been caused by the problem.

The question marks over the latest Prius, which has become an icon for the global hybrid movement since the original version appeared in Japan in 1997, continue to linger as Toyota this week launches the first Australian-built petrol-electric model, the Camry Hybrid – more than 175,000 of which have been sold globally.

It also follows a $35 billion – or 20 per cent – slump in the value of Toyota shares since the January 21 recall related to faulty accelerator pedals.

Apart from the cost of repairing the recalled vehicles and law suits that could result in claims valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, the US Transportation department can impose federal fines of up to $US16.4 million ($A18.9m) for car-makers that fail to recall defective vehicles in a timely manner.

Adding to Toyota’s woes, Volkswagen last week announced it aims to increase its group vehicles sales by almost 60 per cent and improve profit margins by 2018 in its bid to oust the Japanese giant as the world’s largest car-maker.

The world’s third-largest car-maker has targeted a mid-term sales forecast of eight million vehicles, followed by more than 10 million in 2018.

While VW Group sales increased by 1.1 per cent to 6.3 million vehicles in 2009, when it commanded an 11.4 per cent share of the global automotive market, Toyota sales fell 13 per cent to 7.81 million in the same period. Toyota has targeted 8.27 million sales in 2010 – more than a million short of the 9.37 million vehicles it sold in 2007.

Toyota shares lifted from a 10-month low in Tokyo on Friday after the company reported better-than-expected quarterly financial results and raised its fiscal outlook despite the recall issues.

Meantime, Ford shares closed five per cent lower in the US on Thursday following a similar issue with the braking performance of its Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrid models. Both Toyota and Ford said they had developed software upgrades to fix problems related to the regenerative braking systems of both brands’ hybrid models.

Toyota applied a fix on the Prius production line in January – a step it did not reveal until last Thursday – while Ford notified its dealers of the problem in October but did not advise the public because, like Toyota, it does not believe the problem represents a failure of the brakes.

Toyota said it was not aware of any incidents related to the Prius braking issue, while Ford said it was aware of only one minor related accident.

As part of Friday’s media address by Mr Toyoda, 53, Toyota released a number of new details related to both the accelerator pedal safety recall and Prius braking problem, including:

* Toyota says it first became aware of “isolated” reports of sticking accelerator pedals in North America in late October 2009

* Toyota announced on January 21 that it would recall specific vehicles in North America to correct sticking accelerator pedals

* Toyota says it has received no reports of accidents caused by sticking throttle pedals in Europe, but says it identified 26 reports linked to the issue in Europe, dating back to November 2009

* Toyota announced on January 28 that it would implement a recall of eight Toyota models in Europe (seven in the UK), following a “thorough investigation”

* “Quality refinement” measures to rectify the accelerator pedal problem, which was formally announced in late January but “did not represent any risk or safety concern”, were first put in place on the production line as early as August 2009

* “The change introduced in August 2009 was a quality refinement,” said Toyota. “However, since the implementation of this change, Toyota became aware of new, different, but related cases of the pedal sticking. This led to further investigations and as a consequence, a safety recall has been implemented.”

* Toyota did not stop production of affected models in Europe, as it did in the US, because of the model-by-model running change in production

* Seven models are affected by the throttle pedal recall in the UK, including petrol and diesel models, totalling 180,865 vehicles

* Models recalled in Europe, where the total will be up to 1.8 million vehicles, include automatic versions of the Aygo built between February 2005 and August 2009, iQ models built between November 2008 and November 2009, Yaris models built between November 2005 and September 2009, Auris models between October 2006 and January 5, 2010, Corolla models between October 2006 and December 2009, Verso models between February 2009 and January 5, 2010 and Avensis models built between November 2008 and December 2009

* Toyota says priority will be given to older vehicles among those recalled for sticking accelerators, reflecting its claim that the problem is caused by wear and does not occur suddenly

* Priority will also be given to those vehicles that have been the subject of specific customer complaints, “although these are very few in number”

* Toyota said its US dealers had started fixing accelerator pedals and notifying affected owners on Friday, while recall work in the UK will start immediately after the arrival of the required parts on Wednesday (February 10)

* Toyota is now sending letters to owners of vehicles affected by the throttle pedal recall, and will follow up with a second letter

* Accelerator pedal replacement will take “about 30 minutes” to complete at no cost to the owner and the vehicle’s warranty will not be affected

* No Lexus models are part of the accelerator pedal recall, although Toyota’s Prius brake issue investigation will extend to other hybrids including Lexus models

* Manual Aygo and all RAV4 models are the only Toyotas not affected by the throttle pedal recall in the UK

Toyota says MkIII Prius customers have reported that under certain braking conditions, such as when hitting a bump, pothole or driving on a low-grip surface, they notice a change in the brake feel.

“This change in brake feel is due to the specific set-up of the anti-lock braking system (ABS). Prius’s braking ability is not compromised and Toyota does not believe this is a safety issue,” the company said in Friday’s statement.

“However, to deal with the customer comments about the change in brake feel, an update in the software in the brake control system was made on Prius production from late January 2010. This change was made to give the driver a more consistent feel when applying the brakes.”

It is believed the problem effects braking feel when the ABS system engages, as the system switches from regenerative mode.

Appearing on Friday alongside executive vice-president Shinichi Sasaki, Mr Toyoda said he would personally head a new global quality taskforce to improve quality, and that Toyota would strive to regain the trust of its customers as soon as possible.

“From Toyota’s beginning, ‘contributing to society through the manufacture of automobiles’ has been its key principle,” he said.

“To that end, since taking office in June last year, I have endeavoured, based on our ‘customer first’ and ‘genchi genbutsu’ fundamentals, to thoroughly establish a product-focused management.

“However, we, the ones supposed to relay to people the attractiveness of automobiles, have, instead, imparted on them worry. I regret this more than anything.

“Under the banner ‘Let’s build better cars’, we will go back to the basics of ‘customer first’ and ‘genchi genbutsu’ and once more, deeply, consider what ‘customer first’ really means. All our employees around the world, all of our dealers and all of our suppliers will unify in their utmost efforts to regain the trust of our customers as soon as possible.

“Let me just say that I will take the lead toward improving quality around the world, by establishing a global quality special task force that will conduct regional quality improvement activities.

“The committee headed by the president will conduct various improvement initiatives. The key initiatives are:

“First, while verifying the causes that led to the recalls, Toyota will once again inspect every process – quality in design, quality in production, quality in sales and quality in service.

“Second, Toyota will enhance the customer information research offices to improve regional information collection and genchi-genbutsu activities.

“Third, to develop quality-management professionals, Toyota will establish an ‘Automotive Centre of Quality Excellence’ in key regions.

“Fourth, Toyota will seek confirmation and evaluation from outside experts – in line with industry's best practices – of its newly improved quality-control management, based on the above improvements.

“In addition, Toyota will work to increase the frequency of communication between itself and regional authorities.

“To provide customers with satisfying products in each and every region, Toyota has long promoted the autonomy of its regional subsidiaries. From now on, we intend to further this autonomy, listen carefully to each and every customer and improve quality,” said Mr Toyoda.

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...0209-npgt.html

Toyota recalls Prius
RICHARD BLACKBURN
February 9, 2010

Embattled car maker Toyota has recalled its Prius hybrid car due to a brake problem.

The recall, which affects about 2400 vehicles in Australia and roughly 300,000 worldwide, is a further blow to the reputation of the world’s biggest car maker, which has been hammered by a global recall of 8 million vehicles for sticking accelerator pedals.

Toyota Australia’s senior executive director of sales and marketing, David Buttner, sent a personal email confirming the recall to members of the motoring media who had just attended the launch of a new Australian-built hybrid version of the Camry.

“TMC has undertaken a thorough investigation and we are taking the appropriate course of action in the interests of our customers,” the note said.

The recall is a public relations disaster for Toyota Australia, which began selling the Australian hybrid this week.

Toyota says the Camry Hybrid uses a similar braking system to the Prius, but there is no suggestion at this stage that the recall will extend to the Camry.

Buttner maintained at the Camry launch that the braking problem did not affect how the Prius’s brakes worked, but more how the pedal felt when it was pressed.

“The brakes work in every instance,” he said yesterday. “My understanding is that this issue is to do with the feel of the brakes.”

Toyota Australia says it has only received two complaints of inconsistent brake pedal feel since the launch of the car, and there had been no reported crashes or injuries.

The Prius uses a new regenerative braking system that uses the electric motor to help slow the car. The motor also acts as a generator and recharges the car’s batteries with kinetic energy recovered from the brakes. The system saves fuel, but the brake pedal can feel a little wooden to a driver used to a conventional system.

The recall comes at the end of a horror fortnight for Toyota, in which it has been heavily criticised by the US government for its slow response to the safety issues.

The drama has severely dented Toyota’s reputation for quality and reliability, which is the cornerstone of its dramatic rise to the world’s number one car maker in recent years.

In the United States, the brand is facing potential litigation for crashes, while complaints about the Prius brakes have reportedly jumped sharply since US safety authorities announced an investigation into the issue last week.

The car maker’s President Akio Toyoda has been criticised for not acting quickly enough in the crisis. The company has denied reports that the vehicle was to be recalled since last Thursday.

Toyota will hold a press conference in Japan later today to address the Prius recall.

[vztrt]

Toyota stands by Camry Hybrid

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2576C40076810D

Camry Hybrid brakes "completely different" to Prius, says Toyota Australia

9 February 2010

By JAMES STANFORD

TOYOTA Australia says it has absolute confidence in the Altona-made Camry Hybrid despite a local investigation into braking issues with the Prius hybrid and overseas recalls of other Toyota vehicles.

The company launched Australia’s first locally made hybrid in Melbourne yesterday as reports from Japan suggested the Prius would soon face a massive recall over braking issues with the hybrid model - the latest in a series of public quality failures to beset the brand.

Toyota Australia sales and marketing director, David Buttner, confirmed the company was looking into two customer complaints regarding the regenerative braking system of the Prius, but insisted there was nothing wrong with the Camry Hybrid, which also generates energy under braking.

“The braking system in the current-generation Prius and the Camry Hybrid is completely different,” Mr Buttner said.

He said Toyota Australia has not been informed of any recall regarding the Prius.

“There is no impending recall that I know of,” he said.

“Both globally and in Australia there are currently investigations under way. I certainly like to think that in the next few days there is a formal announcement globally.”

He conceded the question mark over the Prius and mass overseas recalls including a deadly floor matt fault and sticking throttle could hurt the reputation of Toyota in Australia, even though no local cars have been affected.

“I couldn’t stand before you and pretend for the moment that the global situation, which has achieved very widespread coverage in Australia, will not have some kind of effect on the brand,” Mr Buttner said.

“The reputation is something that you are well aware we take very seriously and the reputation and brand image in any market place in the world is driven one customer at a time and the experience they have with the product and the experience they have interacting with the dealer.”

GoAuto asked Mr Buttner whether Toyota Australia considered delaying the launch of the Camry Hybrid given the current negative media coverage of the brand.

“We didn’t at any juncture have any discussion about delaying this launch,” he said.

“We start to wholesale this car on the 15th. We need to get this car to market.

“We have absolute confidence in the vehicle and we are quite happy to stand in front of it and launch the car.”

Mr Buttner said Toyota Australia was lucky not to have not been included in any of the recent recalls.

“The recall that has been announced for the accelerator pedal doesn’t affect any vehicle brought into Australia or designed here,” he said.

“The design of the accelerator pedal of the vehicles that have been recalled in Europe, the US and China is completely different and is a totally different supplier, so we have been very fortunate not to have those issues. The floor mat issue is not an issue in Australia.”

Mr Buttner said that only time would tell whether the fallout from the overseas recall would affect Australian sales, but said traffic in dealerships appears to be holding up.

“We monitor the traffic each weekend and the level of activity. Naturally I have been interested in those results from the weekend and Sydney’s was up around a mark that we were satisfied with - it was up on last weekend,” he said.

Mr Buttner said two Prius customers had complained about the brake performance of their Prius models in the last fortnight and that the claims are being investigated thoroughly.

“Like with any report from the customer we get the car, we inspect the vehicle, we go through it with a fine-tooth comb, we talk to the customer,” he said.

Asked what the customers complained of, Mr Buttner said: “It is just with the inconsistency in feel of the brake, once the ABS comes on and they hit a pothole or a ripple,” he said.

“There have been no accidents. The brakes work in every instance.”

If the braking issue was to lead to a recall, Mr Buttner does not believe it would take long to fix.

“From what I believe it would be a software change,” he said.

Toyota Australia has sold 13,000 hybrids locally since the first generation Prius went on sale in 2001, with up to 2000 examples of the current third-generation model sold since July 2009.

[Jason[98.EL]]

Toyota Australia recalling Prius

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1010241

Toyota Australia is recalling hybrid Prius models as part of a worldwide program to fix faulty brakes.

The recall by the world's largest automaker affects 2378 third generation Prius models sold in Australia since July 2009.

Globally, 400,000 Prius models are being recalled in Japan, the United States and Europe.

Toyota says 111 cases of inconsistent brake feel have been reported across the world, including two in Australia.

The recall affects Prius cars built between April 7, 2009 and January 27, 2010.

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by CoupeXB

In California, a Rebuke to Toyota

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/us/05calif.html

http://www.time.com/time/business/ar...919395,00.html

Well, NUMMI closed because GM pulled out first. So, are they going to stop buying GM vehicles too? No, just Toyota's.

[phillyc]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Toyota stands by Camry Hybrid

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2576C40076810D

Not a great time to launch the local hybrid. It's pretty much been hidden behind the Toyota behemoth mess.

[Joe5619]

OMG Toyota is getting hammered in the media at the moment.. And about the one thing that is its best seller. Reliability!! Could this just be the turning point here in Australia for either Ford or Holden (or both) to start making big in roads into that massive market share lead Toyota has??

Time will tell I guess

[Ohio XB]

Originally Posted by phillyc

http://www.time.com/time/business/ar...919395,00.html

Well, NUMMI closed because GM pulled out first. So, are they going to stop buying GM vehicles too? No, just Toyota's.

GM only pulled out because the Federal Government required them to get rid of several brands and one of them was Pontiac. The Pontiac Vibe (same car as the Toyota Matrix) was the only vehicle GM was building there. It was not a GM decision to just pull out of that plant. The brand wasn't going to exist anymore.

Also, the plant has been there 24 years. The workers have a UAW contract. That means that the workers could retire at 30 years. Well, toyota won't have that. They only have 371 retirees in the US. The NUMMI plant was Toyota's first plant in the US. That's compared to GM and Ford who have been building cars in the US for over 100 years. Toyota will have as few retirees as it can muster.


Steve

[yetchh]

Originally Posted by phillyc

Not a great time to launch the local hybrid. It's pretty much been hidden behind the Toyota behemoth mess.

better than never i reckon.. if its good than it'll pave the way for the return in toyota's credibility.. in aus and nz anyway

[vztrt]

Corolla may be recalled due to steering problems.

Corolla could embarrass Toyota next

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2576C7000C34A5

World's top-selling small car could be subject of next Toyota recall in Australia

11 February 2010

By MARTON PETTENDY

AUSTRALIA’S most popular small car could become the latest model to be embroiled in Toyota’s widening global recall crisis.

According to Automotive News in the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering an official investigation into alleged steering-related problems with 2009 and 2010 versions of Toyota’s Corolla, the world’s best-selling car.

This week’s embarrassing recall of the Japanese giant’s iconic Prius hybrid following brake feel problems is so far the only worldwide safety debacle to affect Toyota owners in Australia, following the recall of some 8.1 million vehicles globally by the world’s largest car-maker.

Neither the recall to fix faulty floor mats in millions of US vehicles, nor the subsequent global recall of millions more (including the Corolla) to replace sticking accelerator pedals in the US, Europe and China, includes Australia.

But the fact that Corollas imported here employ the same electric power steering system as those sold in the US means it is likely Australia’s Corolla – more than 39,000 examples of which were sold here last year alone – will be involved if an NHTSA inquest leads to a global recall.

Toyota Australia did not respond to a request for comment at the time of writing.

Automotive News quoted NHTSA spokeswoman Karen Aldana as saying the safety agency was looking into US complaints, now numbering 83 since April 2008, related to the Corolla’s steering – 76 of which claim the vehicle unexpectedly veers to the left or right at about 65km/h.

According to AN, complainants have compared the movement to being buffeted by strong winds, sliding on black ice, or hydroplaning. They said that after trying to straighten the car, it can overcorrect, requiring the driver to use “a tight, persistent, two-handed grip on the wheel to travel in a straight line”.

Reports to the NHTSA have cited six US accidents resulting in 10 injuries related to the problem.

Toyota’s current-generation Corolla, released in Australia in May 2007, was the first to switch from a conventional hydraulic power steering system to a now-commonplace drive-by-wire electric system.

[Swordsman88]

Bugger....this is going to hurt them big time. Reliability rep is something toyota trades off enormously not just with the general public but fleet buyers etc.

Bit of an error in that Goauto report though. It is an EPAS (electrical power assist steering), not truly a fly by wire (like the throttle cables for instance). The steering is still mechanical just the power steering assistance is not from an engine driven hydrualic pump but an electrically driven pump (this is my understand....someone please correct me if i'm wrong) Either way it is not fly by wire (e.g. a sony plastation wheel).

[cosmo20btt]

Originally Posted by Swordsman88

Bugger....this is going to hurt them big time. Reliability rep is something toyota trades off enormously not just with the general public but fleet buyers etc.

Bit of an error in that Goauto report though. It is an EPAS (electrical power assist steering), not truly a fly by wire (like the throttle cables for instance). The steering is still mechanical just the power steering assistance is not from an engine driven hydrualic pump but an electrically driven pump (this is my understand....someone please correct me if i'm wrong) Either way it is not fly by wire (e.g. a sony plastation wheel).

I think there are two versions, the one your writing about(electric to hydraulic) and the other is a type of electric motor driven steering column that still utilizes the column itself. The latter at the moment is only used in small cars ie: Mazda 2. Both will still steer with effort when power is shut off.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electri...ectric_systems

[Ohio XB]

Last year I read about a former Toyota lawyer that was suing Toyota for requiring him to perform illegal acts, such as repressing evidence in roll over cases that would prove Toyota liable in 300 roll over cases.

Today I learned he was recently on ABC News and telling more about Toyota. Toyota is suing him as well. For slander? No, for divulging privaledged information. It is odd, you would think if what he was saying was not true they would sue him for slander.......but evidently they can't.


Here's the info attached to the video.....

In an exclusive interview with ABC News, a former top lawyer for Toyota claims the automaker regularly hid evidence of safety defects from consumers and regulators, and fostered a culture of "hypocrisy and deceit."

"You have to understand that Toyota in Japan does not have any respect for our legal system," said Dimitrios Biller, who worked as managing counsel for Toyota's American operations from 2003 to 2007. "They did not have any respect for our laws."

Biller handled product liability suits while with the company. He claims that when Toyota received poor results in a vehicle rollover test, it ordered a new test in order to receive better results. According to Biller, the company also made a practice of concealing proof of safety problems, and did not disclose information it was obligated to produce

Here's the video....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_BVB4kqp7Y



If that is not damaging enough, here is an article about him in USA Today...

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/...ota11_ST_N.htm

Ex-Toyota lawyer points to electronic throttle control

By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — A former in-house lawyer for Toyota alleged Wednesday that the automaker's unintended acceleration issues are caused by electronics snafus in cars, not just floor-mat jams and sticky gas pedals.

"It's the electronic throttle control," said Dimitrios Biller, who worked for Toyota from 2003 to 2007 defending against rollover accident lawsuits, in an interview Wednesday with ABC News.

Biller is suing Toyota, alleging that it withheld data in civil lawsuits and from the government, and is being countersued by the automaker.

In his first interview since filing his lawsuit last year, he said he learned of the electronics glitches while he was a lawyer for Toyota and said his evidence for that would still be considered privileged.

Toyota has said it has no evidence that cars' electronics are the cause of the problem that is the subject of complaints to safety regulators alleging accidents, deaths and injuries.

Its two recalls covering more than 5 million vehicles — one to deal with floor mats that jam under accelerators, the other to fix sticky gas pedals — will fix the problem, Toyota contends.

Last month, it stopped selling eight models until they could be repaired.

As for Biller's latest allegation, Toyota said Biller "did not handle unwanted-acceleration cases" and "continues to make inaccurate and misleading allegations about Toyota's conduct that we strongly dispute."

Biller's attorney, Joseph Wohrle, confirmed that Biller handled at least one unintended acceleration case for Toyota in 2005.

At the Chicago Auto Show media preview Wednesday, Toyota was blanketed with questions about its recalls, overshadowing its unveiling of a new version of its full-size Avalon sedan.

"I can tell you for years we have exhaustively tested these systems," said Bob Carter, the vice president in charge of the Toyota brand in the U.S. "There is simply nothing there to say electronic controls are causing the problems. ... We have exhaustively tested every scenario."

Lingering doubts about Toyota safety are turning away customers. A study by Kelley Blue Book finds 27% who were considering a Toyota for their next vehicle purchase before the latest recall say they are no longer interested. Doubts are extending, too, to Toyota's Scion youth-oriented brand and the Lexus luxury label.

Biller, who left Toyota with a $3.9 million settlement, alleges in federal court filings here that the automaker didn't properly disclose data in 300 rollover lawsuits.

Toyota has countersued, alleging that Biller is violating attorney-client privilege and terms of his settlement.

Contributing: Sharon Silke Carty in Chicago

Steve

[burnz]

and it keep's comming, now being sued for excees depreciation.
by joe citizen who seem to think they baught an investment.
http://www.kentucky.com/latest_news/story/1132961.html

[Joe5619]

I've said the before, but I'll say it again..

I think we're seeing the turning point & have seen the peek from Toyota with regards to sales both O/S & here in Australia (for at least a few years to come anyway). This will really hurt them, especially if they add Corolla to the recall list. Who will step up first here in Australia to claim top spot, Ford or Holden? May not happen this year (as the gap is huge), but next year I think either Ford or Holden will be top seller.

[cosmo20btt]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

I've said the before, but I'll say it again..

I think we're seeing the turning point & have seen the peek from Toyota with regards to sales both O/S & here in Australia (for at least a few years to come anyway). This will really hurt them, especially if they add Corolla to the recall list. Who will step up first here in Australia to claim top spot, Ford or Holden? May not happen this year (as the gap is huge), but next year I think either Ford or Holden will be top seller.

Mazda 3 will become next top car, its already nearly been there a couple of times.

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by cosmo20btt

Mazda 3 will become next top car, its already nearly been there a couple of times.

I don’t mean an individual model, I meant as a manufacturer.

[cosmo20btt]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

I don’t mean an individual model, I meant as a manufacturer.

Oh right I see, well I still think it will be hard to topple Toyota on an overall basis, it would take an awful lot of negative press to do that, even though there has been a lot of bad press I don't think the typical Toyota buyer is going to change their mind soon.

[Ohio XB]

Originally Posted by burnz

and it keep's comming, now being sued for excees depreciation.
by joe citizen who seem to think they baught an investment.
http://www.kentucky.com/latest_news/story/1132961.html

This happened with Ford as a result of roll overs of the Ford Explorer. Some Explorer owners were involved in a class action lawsuit for lost resale value as a result of the bad publicity of the vehicles. The only persons that won though were the lawyers.


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=a_drIdIDGTGQ

Ford Accord Garners Less Than 1 Percent Participation

By Jef Feeley and Myron Levin

July 7 (Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co. won’t have to provide as much as $500 million in discounts on Explorer sport-utility vehicles under a class-action lawsuit settlement because fewer than 1 percent of consumers eligible for the price-cut coupons signed up for them, according to court filings.

The 2007 settlement, which resolved claims in four states that Explorer owners lost resale value in their vehicles as a result of publicity about rollovers involving the SUVs, provided certificates worth as much as $500 toward the lease or purchase of a new Ford vehicle. About 1 million Explorer owners were eligible to get the discounts, Ford officials acknowledged at the time the accord was announced.

Only 1,647 Explorer owners filed valid claims for the vouchers by the April 2008 deadline and only 75 of those owners have used the coupons as part of the purchase of a new Ford vehicle as of June, according to a filing last month in state court in California. The accord, which included $25 million in legal fees and expenses for consumers’ lawyers, resolved cases in Illinois, Texas, Connecticut and California.
“This settlement is an outrage” said Susan Koniak, a Boston University professor who specializes in class-action law. “The whole thing turned into a sweetheart deal for Ford and the plaintiffs’ lawyers.”

The low settlement participation rate may be good news for Ford, the only major U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy. The Dearborn, Michigan-based company has boosted domestic market share while slashing customer incentives by 30 percent.

Falling Explorer Sales

The second-largest U.S. automaker plans to add 25,000 more pickups, small cars and crossovers to its third-quarter North American output, for a 16 percent increase from a year earlier to 485,000 vehicles, company officials said June 29.

Sales of the Explorer, once the top-selling SUV in the U.S., fell 23.5 percent in the first six months of the year, Ford officials said last week.

The top-selling “midsized” SUV is the Honda Pilot, according to Autodata, a Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey-based automotive research firm. Through June, the Pilot outsold the Explorer 42,298 to 24,334, the company said.

Ford officials are glad to have resolved the economic-loss claims over the Explorer, Mark Truby, a company spokesman, said in an interview last week. “We’re pleased some of the vouchers were used to purchase new Explorers,” he added.

Rollover Lawsuits

Despite the economic-damages settlement, Ford still faces lawsuits across the U.S. from consumers injured in Explorer rollovers. In May, a Texas jury awarded $10.2 million to the family of a woman killed in a rollover accident when her Explorer flipped over after a tire failed.

Elizabeth Cabraser and Kevin Roddy, two lawyers who represented Explorer owners in the case, didn’t return phone calls for comment on the settlement’s participation rate. In 2007, Roddy valued the settlement as worth as much as $500 million.

The agreement resolved suits alleging Ford advertised Explorers as safe while concealing design and other defects that led to rollover accidents and deaths. Safety concerns about the Explorer after the August 2000 tire recall by Bridgestone Corp.’s Firestone unit eroded the vehicles’ resale value by at least $1,850, customers claimed.

Ford officials denied the economic-loss claims, saying the sport-utility vehicles were safe and experienced normal depreciation over time.

Entitled to Vouchers

Under the settlement, consumers who leased or bought Explorers in model years 1991 to 2001 were entitled to vouchers good toward the purchase of a new Explorer or another Ford- branded vehicle.

That meant about 1 million class members got the right to get a coupon worth $500 toward the purchase or lease of a new Explorer, or a $300 discount on another Ford, Lincoln or Mercury model, according to court filings.

Some Explorer owners objected to the accord, saying it provided lucrative fees to the lawyers who negotiated it and no real value to consumers.

Objectors’ lawyers told Sacramento County Superior Court Judge David De Alba, who approved the settlement, that they expected so few class members to request the coupons that the value of the settlement wouldn’t top $1 million.

Safety-Research Funds

To mollify objectors, consumers’ lawyers agreed to track the settlement’s participation rate and donated $950,000 to the Automotive Safety Research Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia. The money was slated for research into protecting passengers in rollover accidents.

Plaintiff lawyers filed their “Interim Report on Settlement Claims and Voucher Redemption” with De Alba on June 26.

According to the report, 2,267 claims were filed for the coupons, and 620 were rejected as ineligible. Of the 1,647 certificates issued, only 75 have been redeemed. The report said Ford will issue certificates to 27 people whose claims were initially rejected, and allow 19 others whose claims were denied to furnish additional documentation.

Based on the report’s numbers, Ford faces a total liability of as much as $846,500 on the vouchers if all are used to buy Explorers. So far, the company has provided as much as $37,500 in discounts under the coupon settlement, the report said.

‘Ridiculously Small’ Offer

Julie Webber, an Explorer owner who objected to the 2007 settlement, said she wasn’t surprised by the “ridiculously small” number of consumers who requested vouchers.

Ford’s offer “seemed so small as to be hardly worth the effort,” the Glendale, California-based resident said in an interview.

Such coupon settlements frequently draw criticism because they traditionally provide greater rewards to plaintiffs’ lawyers than their clients, Boston University’s Koniak says.

“In this case, if people are upset with Ford for not disclosing problems with the Explorer, why in the world would they want a coupon to buy another Explorer?” Koniak said. “The consumers feel they are left with nothing while the lawyers walk away with millions.”

The case is Coordination Proceeding Special Title, Ford Explorer Cases, JCCP No. 4266 & 4270, Sacramento County Superior Court (Sacramento).

[vztrt]

Australia's Corolla safe, says Toyota

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2576C7000C34A5

World's top-selling small car won't be recalled in Australia, says Toyota

12 February 2010

By MARTON PETTENDY

UPDATED 12/02/2010

AUSTRALIA’S most popular small car will not become the latest model to be embroiled in Toyota Motor Corporation’s widening global recall crisis, says its Australian subsidiary.

Responding to reports that the Japanese brand's Corolla, the world's most popular car, could be recalled globally following claimed steering problems in the US, Toyota Australia has advised its Corolla will not be affected.

"TMC has advised that the electric power-steering system used in Corolla models sold in Australia is different from that used for models sold in the United States," Toyota spokesman Mike Breen told GoAuto.

According to Automotive News in the US, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering an official investigation into alleged steering-related problems with 2009 and 2010 versions of Toyota’s Corolla.

This week’s embarrassing recall of the Japanese giant’s iconic Prius hybrid following brake feel problems is so far the only worldwide safety debacle to affect Toyota owners in Australia, following the recall of some 8.1 million vehicles globally by the world’s largest car-maker.

Neither the recall to fix faulty floor mats in millions of US vehicles, nor the subsequent global recall of millions more (including the Corolla) to replace sticking accelerator pedals in the US, Europe and China, includes Australia.

But the fact that Australia's Japanese-built Corolla – more than 39,000 examples of which were sold here last year alone – is closely related to models sold worldwide, including in the US, had led to concerns that local Corollas would be involved if an NHTSA inquest leads to a global recall.

Automotive News quoted NHTSA spokeswoman Karen Aldana as saying the safety agency was looking into US complaints, now numbering 83 since April 2008, related to the Corolla’s steering – 76 of which claim the vehicle unexpectedly veers to the left or right at about 65km/h.

According to AN, complainants have compared the movement to being buffeted by strong winds, sliding on black ice, or hydroplaning. They said that after trying to straighten the car, it can overcorrect, requiring the driver to use “a tight, persistent, two-handed grip on the wheel to travel in a straight line”.

Reports to the NHTSA have cited six US accidents resulting in 10 injuries related to the problem.

Toyota’s current tenth-generation Corolla, released in Australia in May 2007, was the first to switch from a conventional hydraulic power steering system to a now-commonplace drive-by-wire electric system.

First introduced in Japan in 1966, the Corolla - which when combined with the Auris, as it is known in some markets - became the world's top-selling automotive nameplate in 2007, with one example being sold every 40 seconds on average over the past 40 years.

Previously built in Victoria, the Corolla is now manufactured in Canada, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UK and Venezuela, with US production at the former General Motors plant at Fremont, California due to end next month.

[Jason[98.EL]]

Toyota says no problem with electronics

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1012286

Toyota has submitted a letter to the US Congress denying there is a fault with the electronics in millions of vehicles it has recalled due to problems with the accelerator, reports say.

In its letter submitted to the US House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is investigating the Toyota recalls, the carmaker says it "is convinced that there is no problem" with the electronics in its vehicles, the Japanese dailies Yomiuri and Nikkei reported on Sunday, without disclosing sources.

Toyota also referred to its plans to expand the number of vehicles equipped with computerised brake override systems designed to prevent unintended acceleration, stressing its drive to improve safety measures on its vehicles, the Yomiuri said.

The reports came as embattled Toyota president Akio Toyoda was reportedly prepared to testify at US congressional hearings if formally asked to do so, with the carmaker facing intense pressure in the United States over the rash of recalls.

The Japanese giant has recalled millions of vehicles worldwide in past months due to problems linked to accelerator and brake functions, sullying the company's safety reputation.

A separate report by the Wall Street Journal said that Toyota commissioned a study into the electronics in its vehicles that supports the carmaker's assertion that there is no evidence of problems in the electronics.

"Exponent has so far been unable to induce, through electrical disturbances to the system, either unintended acceleration or behaviour that might be a precursor to such an event, despite concerted efforts toward this goal," concludes the study being carried out by engineering research firm Exponent, the US business daily said online.

The preliminary study has been shared with US lawmakers planning hearings on Toyota's safety record, it said.

Officials of Toyota were not immediately available to comment on the reports.