Toyota Blog
Report: Toyota Tundra frame rust recall to go nationwideFiled under: Truck, Recalls, Safety, Toyota 
Last November, the Toyota Tundra recall to address premature rusting frames was expanded to include trucks from the 2000-2003 model years. That recall, though, only applied to 20 states and Washington, D.C. - those areas where cold weather and road treatments could cause expedited corrosion.
Today, however, The Associated Press reports that the recall has been further expanded to include Tundras from those model years in all 50 states. Toyota apparently hasn't said how many trucks that means it is recalling, but if you have one of those Tundras, you might wish to give your dealer a call.
[Source: The Associated Press via Google]Report: Toyota Tundra frame rust recall to go nationwide originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsReport: Another Prius accelerates unintentionally in New York and crashesFiled under: Hybrid, Recalls, Hatchback, Toyota 
Not one day after a high-profile incident involving a Prius taking off on its owner in Southern California, we're hearing reports that another one of Toyota's popular hybrids has suffered unintended acceleration in New York. This time, instead of the car eventually succumbing to the will of its braking system, it crashed into a stone wall. Fortunately the owner was reportedly just pulling out of her driveway in Harrison, NY and the car only accelerated across the street, though the collision allegedly sent "some pretty big boulders" flying, said one police chief.
The 56-year-old driver reportedly suffered non-life threatening injuries, and like the incident in Southern California a day earlier, a floor mat trapping the accelerator pedal has been ruled out as a cause. The 2005 model year Prius' driver side floor mat was reportedly tied to the seat base with plastic ties.
The 2004-2009 Prius is included in an earlier Toyota recall for floor mats that may entrap the accelerator pedal, but the Japanese automaker does not have a fix ready for the cars, which may include reshaping their pedals, replacing floor mats and altering the shape of the floor. These cars are not, however, included in Toyota's other major recall involving drive-by-wire accelerator pedal assemblies that could stick due to wear and other environmental conditions. That leaves no obvious explanation as to why these two Prius models took off on their owners. Toyota has stated it will join California and the U.S. government in investigating the first vehicle, though hasn't commented on whether it will investigate the vehicle in New York yet.
[Source: The Detroit Free Press]Report: Another Prius accelerates unintentionally in New York and crashes originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsToyota dealer group peeved over tax dollar use for GM incentives targeted at Toyota ownersFiled under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, GM, Toyota 
Recently, General Motors has been offering special buying incentives specifically tailored to steer people away from Toyota and Lexus dealerships, and even get current Toyota owners out of their cars. And while most people look at this as just a clever marketing technique to promote other automakers in the wake of Toyota's recall wound, a group of dealers are none too happy about the marketing campaign. What's more, because the U.S. government currently owns a 60 percent stake in GM, Toyota dealers have made accusations that American taxpayer dollars are being used to fund these incentives.
The Toyota National Dealer Council, which represents approximately 1,250 Toyota dealers across the United States, claims that using taxpayer dollars for this purpose is "reckless, unfair and detrimental to the entire auto industry." And while we believe it's a potentially rational argument for the TNDC to make, we must remember that no specific evidence has been presented to completely prove their point. GM may be mostly owned by the U.S. government, but it's still an autonomous company, and no one can say for sure if its marketing decisions are, in any way, influenced by the officials in Washington, D.C. Hit the jump to read the entire TNDC press release.
[Source: Toyota National Dealer Council | Image: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images]Continue reading Toyota dealer group peeved over tax dollar use for GM incentives targeted at Toyota owners Toyota dealer group peeved over tax dollar use for GM incentives targeted at Toyota owners originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsIIHS releases latest round of safety scores for Infiniti M, Lexus HS and Toyota 4RunnerFiled under: Hybrid, Sedan, SUV, Safety, Infiniti, Lexus, Toyota, Luxury, Off-Road 
First the Oscars and now this! The envelope please! The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released a bevy of scores for the Infiniti M, Lexus HS 250h and Toyota 4Runner and it was nothing but "Good" all around. The Infiniti and Toyota were tested for frontal offset and side impacts, with their "Good" score maintaining the scores of their predecessors. The Lexus scored a first-time Good" in the frontal offset test. You can get all the details on the most recent round of crash-testing here and scan the IIHS archives to see how the competition stacks up.
[Source: IIHS]IIHS releases latest round of safety scores for Infiniti M, Lexus HS and Toyota 4Runner originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsAutoblog Podcast #169: Wagons and SuperDuty and NASCAR, Oh My!Filed under: Motorsports, New York Auto Show, Podcasts, Safety, Acura, Cadillac, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Rumormill 
Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!
Episode #169 of the Autoblog Podcast has arrived, and it's Chris, Sam, Alex, and Dan again this week. As usual, the Autoblog Garage starts us off, this time with a couple Suzuki Kizashis, a Ford Transit Connect, and the Cadillac SRX. The first topic for discussion are the latest developments in the ongoing Toyota Recall issue. The Cadillac CTS-V Wagon catches our fancy next, and we stay on the wagon tip to talk about the Acura TSX Wagon, which will debut at the New York International Auto Show. Honda's CR-Z is next, before we go big and talk about the 2011 Ford SuperDuty. Wrapping up on a sporting note, we offer totally uninformed commentary on the Carl Edwards NASCAR wreck before taking a few listener questions and calling this turkey done. Thanks for listening!
Direct fanmail to Podcast at Autoblog dot com, review the show in iTunes, fill out our survey or even leave us a voicemail on our Google Voice line 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763). Until next week, hit up Joystiq and Engadget when podcast loneliness sets in. Thanks for listening!Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #169: Wagons and SuperDuty and NASCAR, Oh My! Autoblog Podcast #169: Wagons and SuperDuty and NASCAR, Oh My! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsReport: Toyota continues to work on floormat fix for 2004-09 PriusFiled under: Hybrid, Recalls, Safety, Hatchback, Toyota 
In the wake of yesterday's "runaway Prius" in San Diego, Toyota says it's still working on a fix for the thousands of hybrids included in the 4.36 million vehicles recalled last November. The source of the unintended acceleration on these affected Prius models is the same as the other vehicles involved in the recall: A floor mat that gets jammed up against the throttle. Unfortunately for Toyota, the owner of yesterday's "runaway Prius" claims the floormat wasn't his car's problem.
Regardless, Toyota says that new, smaller pedals and redesigned floor mats are in the works for these vehicles, but modifications haven't begun because the automaker is still working on a more specific solution. Yeah, we're a bit confused as well.
Contrary to a report by the Wall Street Journal, a new recall isn't in the cards for the last-gen Prius and Toyota spokesperson Brian Lyons told The Detroit News that while he can't disclose exactly when this floormat fix will happen for affected Prius models or how the correction will be implemented, the changes will take place "sometime this year." Here's hoping it's sooner rather than later.
Tired of Toyota recall news? Try out the recall-free version of Autoblog.
[Sources: Detroit News, Wall Street Journal - Sub. Req.]Report: Toyota continues to work on floormat fix for 2004-09 Prius originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: San Diego 'runaway Prius' has media buzzingFiled under: Hybrid, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Videos, Hatchback, Toyota 
Runaway Prius in San Diego - Click above to watch the video after the jump
Both the second- and third-generation Prius are part of Toyota's massive recall - the former for floormat problems, the latter for braking issues - but a new incident from California has the automaker looking into more potential issues with the second-generation car.
As CNN tells it, Jim Sikes was driving his Prius on Interstate 8 in San Diego County when he pushed the gas pedal to pass a slow-moving car, but then, as Sikes says, "[the pedal] did something kind of funny ... it jumped and it just stuck there." Sikes called 911 for assistance, but a California Highway Patrol officer caught up to the car, and the officer used a loudspeaker to give Sikes instructions on how to safely stop the vehicle with the emergency brake. "As it was going, I was trying the brakes... it wasn't stopping," Sikes recounts. The highway patrol officer said that Sikes had reached speeds of over 90 miles per hour.
Neither Sikes or any other drivers were hurt during this alleged unintended acceleration incident. In a statement issued Monday night, Toyota says that it has dispatched a field technical specialist to investigate the case. Click through the jump to watch the CNN video and you can read more about it in Los Angeles Times link below. Thanks to everyone for the tips!
[Sources: CNN, Los Angeles Times]Continue reading Video: San Diego 'runaway Prius' has media buzzing Video: San Diego 'runaway Prius' has media buzzing originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsAlliance of Automobile Manufacturers in peril over Toyota recalls?Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota 
After Dave Chappelle threw himself overboard the USS Hollywood, he did an interview in which he said, "When a person tells you something's... just business, that means some ice-cold [stuff] might be about" to happen. We can imagine that Toyota, doing everything it can to make its case better in the eyes of the American government and public, called its fellow members of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers to let them know "Don't take what we're about to do personally..."
What Toyota did was send a graph of recent recalls and safety complaints to certain Congressional reps on important committees. That graph showed that the Detroit Three have led the way when it comes to recalls and safety issues, posting three times the number of issues seen at Toyota. The problem: Toyota is being questioned about its transparency and commitment, not about how many cars have been recalled and how that might compare to other automakers.
And that is said to have Ford, General Motors and Chrysler in black moods, since they see the graph as a disingenuous move to make Toyota look a little better at their expense. One Detroiter is said to have claimed "It's tearing the whole industry apart." That might be a bit much, but at the very least it could do some serious damage to the Auto Alliance, whose membership consists of Toyota, the Detroit Three, and the German automakers. But hey, it's just business...
Tired of Toyota recall news? Try out the recall-free version of Autoblog.
[Source: Detroit Free Press]Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers in peril over Toyota recalls? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsToyota hits back at David Gilbert's "no fault code" demonstrationFiled under: Safety, Toyota 
Mechanism used to "force unintended acceleration - Click above for high-res image gallery
In a video webcast for the media that concluded a just a few moments ago, Toyota hit back at the "simulated unintended acceleration" demonstration that was shown by ABC News late last month. When we saw the original report, we postulated that the condition Gilbert produced may not be representative of a scenario that can actually happen in the real world, and judging by Toyota's findings, we were right.
As reported on Friday, Toyota went to an independent testing firm called Exponent to attempt to replicate the results from the Gilbert study. Dr. Shukri J. Souri of Exponent acknowledged that Gilbert did indeed create a scenario that produced what looked like a valid accelerator pedal signal to the electronic engine management system. But before demonstrating how the test was performed, Souri explained how the pedal sensor wiring works and showed how the connector is constructed. As we expected, Gilbert's testing methods and ABC News' report are very much in question. Make the jump for our full breakdown.
[Source: Toyota]
Tired of Toyota recall news? Try out the recall-free version of Autoblog.Continue reading Toyota hits back at David Gilbert's "no fault code" demonstration Toyota hits back at David Gilbert's "no fault code" demonstration originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsToyota prices redesigned Avalon, Sienna minivan w/Auto Access Seat [w/video]Filed under: Car Buying, Minivan/Van, Sedan, Toyota, Specialty, Luxury 
2011 Toyota Avalon - Click above for high-res image gallery
Toyota has officially announced pricing for the updated 2011 Avalon which made its public debut at this year's Chicago Auto Show. Additionally, pricing has been released for the Sienna with Auto Access Seat, which is the first factory-installed power access seat available in a minivan.
The Avalon, which goes on sale later this month, starts at $32,245, which is the same starting MSRP as the outgoing 2010 model. Higher-grade Limited models start at $35,485, which represents an increase of $200 over the 2010 model. All Avalons use Toyota's 3.5-liter V6 with VVT-i dual variable valve timing, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Aside from the slightly revised styling (look very closely), 2011 Avalons feature plusher interior amenities, as well as more up-to-date technological features.
 Toyota's 2011 Sienna is just now starting to hit dealerships, but customers with special passenger needs can now option for the Auto Access Seat model, which incorporates a power second-row captain's chair making it easier for folks with mobility issues to enter and exit the van. The seat rotates 90 degrees and can be lowered up to 19 inches to make ingress and egress substantially easier for passengers, and the seat's operation is controlled by either seat-mounted controls or a wireless remote. The Auto Access Seat is available on LE and XLE V6 Siennas for $35,135 and $39,445, respectively. Hit the jump to see a video of the Auto Access Seat in action.
Pricing for both models does not include destination charges - $750 for the Avalon and $800 for the Sienna. Follow the jump to read the full information in Toyota's press release.
[Source: Toyota]Continue reading Toyota prices redesigned Avalon, Sienna minivan w/Auto Access Seat [w/video] Toyota prices redesigned Avalon, Sienna minivan w/Auto Access Seat [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: Corrigan Brothers have The Knack for Toyota parodyFiled under: Etc., Videos, Toyota, Humor 
Corrigan Brothers' sing My Toyota - Click above to watch video after the jump
Doug Fieger, lead singer of The Knack, died earlier this year. He and My Sharona live on, though, and not just on '80s radio stations. Witness this rather timely and well-done parody, My Toyota by the Corrigan Brothers and Pete Creighton. If you think this whole Toyota recall/unintended acceleration thing will sound better in song, follow the jump to watch the video. We've even included the lyrics for you, since this is sure to be a karaoke classic.
[Source: YouTube]
Continue reading Video: Corrigan Brothers have The Knack for Toyota parody Video: Corrigan Brothers have The Knack for Toyota parody originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsReport: ABC News faked at least one part of runaway Toyota reportFiled under: Recalls, Safety, Toyota
Late last month we wrote a lengthy post about problems with an ABC News report that purported to show a Toyota Avalon racing out of control without setting a diagnostic fault code. While we primarily focused on the technical side and analyzed whether the problem was realistic, the crew at Gawker took a hard look at the video in question and noticed something fishy.
It appears that an editor or producer at ABC felt they could pull a fast one on the audience and used some B-roll in the report showing the tachometer needle sweeping rapidly from near idle to over 6,000 rpm. That clip was injected at the precise moment when David Gilbert triggered his simulated sudden acceleration. As you can see from the screen cap above, the shot of the tachometer clearly shows the warning lights for the parking brake on, the doors open and the transmission indicator in park. The camera operator shot this segment separately so it could be used to illustrate a point in the report, and ABC claims that getting a steady shot during the test would've been both difficult and dangerous.
The B-roll shot doesn't indicate anything conclusive one way or the other about the validity of the test and certainly doesn't stand as proof of anything being rigged. However, the lack of transparency by ABC and Mr. Gilbert regarding the specific procedure doesn't add to the credibility of either the claims or the report, and the lack of clarity by Toyota in its response to Gilbert's assertions doesn't do the automaker any favors, either.
[Source: Gawker]
Tired of Toyota recall news? Try out the recall-free version of Autoblog.Report: ABC News faked at least one part of runaway Toyota report originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsToyota gets dishonorable mention in Oscars openingFiled under: Government/Legal, Safety, Videos, Toyota
And here we thought all that Toyota bashing was happening just in Washington, D.C., in Midwest bars and on late night talk shows. It appears Toyota can't even escape the negative press that has come as a result of the company's recent recall woes at the 82 annual Academy Awards, either. During host Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin's opening monologue, the two delivered a shot below Toyota's collective belt in reference to the Japanese automaker's unwanted acceleration issues.
The joke wasn't all that funny and there were even a few boos from the star-studded audience, but the bigger issue for Toyota is that the company's quality woes has officially hit critical mass. After all, we're sure Toyota is elated that many stars are driving around Hollywood in a fully loaded Prius just like Apple was no doubt thrilled when Steven Colbert busted out an iPad on stage at this year's Emmys (Apple actually collaborated with Colbert on that one). But when Steve Martin correlates taking a hit out on someone with giving them a free Toyota... not good. And the headline sponsor of the mother of all awards shows? Hyundai and the 2011 Sonata. Hit the jump to watch the opening of the Oscars, and jog forward to about 6:15 to see the Toyota comment.
[Source: YouTube]Continue reading Toyota gets dishonorable mention in Oscars opening Toyota gets dishonorable mention in Oscars opening originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsToyota rebuts Professor Gilbert, reports nothing found wrong with remedied vehiclesFiled under: Recalls, Toyota 
During the first round of Congressional hearings last month, Toyota was blindsided by one Professor David Gilbert who was added to the witness list at the last minute to talk about an experiment in which he induced sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) in a late model Toyota Avalon. His test was reproduced in a shoddy ABC News report with Brian Ross behind the wheel and referenced often in the Congressional hearings by politicians trying to understand the complicated method by which Gilbert got the Avalon to take off running.
Well, Toyota and its independent consulting firm Exponent (they're funded by Toyota but produce results reportedly not influenced by their client) have studied Gilbert's experiment and been able to reproduce the results themselves. In Toyota's words:
The analysis of Professor's Gilbert's demonstration establishes that he has reengineered and rewired the signals from the accelerator pedal. This rewired circuit is highly unlikely to occur naturally and can only be contrived in a laboratory. There is no evidence to suggest that this highly unlikely scenario has ever occurred in the real world. As shown in the Exponent and Toyota evaluations, with such artificial modifications, similar results can be obtained in other vehicles.
Likewise, a small portion of owners with vehicles that have already received the fix for Toyota's sticky pedal recall have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the fix didn't work. These owners have reportedly experienced SUA after having their vehicles fixed. Toyota has moved quickly to evaluate these complaints and submit its results to NHTSA. Again, Toyota in its own words:
The evaluations have found no evidence of a failure of the vehicle electronic throttle control system, the recent recall remedies or the brake override system.
What these two moves by Toyota tell us is that the embattled Japanese automaker is finally sticking up for itself in the face of media pundits and politicians who have used this unfortunate situation to score points with their audiences and constituents.
[Source: Toyota]Continue reading Toyota rebuts Professor Gilbert, reports nothing found wrong with remedied vehicles Toyota rebuts Professor Gilbert, reports nothing found wrong with remedied vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsFinal three World Car of the Year finalists announcedFiled under: New York Auto Show, Hybrid, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Chevrolet, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen, Ferrari, Diesel  The votes from 59 international journalists have been counted and the finalists for World Car of the Year have been named. The Detroit News is reporting that the Toyota Prius, Volkswagen Polo and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class have made the final cut, and the three vehicles will go toe-to-toe on April 1st (no foolin') at the start of the New York Auto Show, which is where the World COTY award is announced.
On the performance vehicle front, the Audi R8 V10, Porsche 911 GT3 and Ferrari California are jockeying for the big prize. We feel sorry for the judges who have to choose from among these three junkers, but we're sure they'll somehow make it fun for themselves.
Design finalists are the Citroen C3 Picasso, Kia Soul and Chevrolet Camaro, and from the green category we have the previously mentioned Prius, the Honda Insight and Volkswagen's BlueMotion diesel offerings. Check back on these pages to see the winners of the individual categories when they are announced in New York on April Fool's Day.
[Source: The Detroit News]Final three World Car of the Year finalists announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsReport: Toyota 'secretive' about black box dataFiled under: Recalls, Safety, Toyota 
Due to the ongoing NHTSA investigation and several lawsuits involving Toyota, the automaker's in-car "black box" data is coming into the spotlight. However, the Associated Press has conducted an investigation of its own, finding that Toyota has, for years, blocked access to event data recorder (EDR) information, and that the automaker has been inconsistent in revealing exactly what these devices do and do not record.
In this investigation, AP found that Toyota has frequently refused to provide information crucial to crash victims and survivors, and that in some lawsuits, the automaker has routinely provided printouts with key information missing. What's more (this much we knew already), AP reports that Toyota's EDRs use proprietary software (meaning it can only be read by Toyota), and that until just recently, there was only one computer in the entire United States that contained the software needed to rear EDR data.
In a statement to AP, Toyota outlined exactly what information its EDRs collect, including vehicle speed, gear shift position, angle of the driver's seat, whether the seat belt was used, and the accelerator and brake pedals' angles. In the coming months, we'd expect that Toyota starts to make more of this information readily available, especially with its committed cooperation to ongoing safety investigations.
[Source: The Associated Press via Yahoo | Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty]Report: Toyota 'secretive' about black box data originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsToyota FT-86 concept gets a family-style welcomeFiled under: Concept Cars, Classics, Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Toyota 
Toyota FT-86 Sports Concept - click above for high-res image gallery
Toyota Motor Co. president Akio Toyoda has stressed that his family's company must work to create more emotionally engaging products as part of its bid to reinvent its now-battered image. Central to that effort will be the production version of its well-received FT-86 Sports Concept, the two-door rear-driver that made its European debut at this week's Geneva Motor Show, where it drew quite a crowd.
Toyota now appears to be pushing its brand's enthusiast heritage, something it hasn't truly done with fresh products in some time - at least not outside of its Lexus brand. In any case, the Japanese automaker has just released a series of new photos, including a family portrait of sorts that places the FT-86 in the context of the Corolla AE86 (its most obvious spiritual predecessor) as well as the Celica and Supra. Although the press release available after the jump pays lip service to the MR2, none is pictured.
While there is no substantive new information about a production timetable for the comely coupe, Toyota has released a series of images of the FT-86 that are certainly worth perusing. You can check them out below while you're waiting for more info about the car's future.
[Source: Toyota]Continue reading Toyota FT-86 concept gets a family-style welcome Toyota FT-86 concept gets a family-style welcome originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | CommentsToyota makes top 10 of World's Most Admired Companies listFiled under: Recalls, Safety, Toyota 
Historically, Toyota has been the automaker with the Midas touch... everything it did seemed to turn to gold. But, in light of Toyota's recent safety and recall woes, if you were compiling a short list of companies that you admire today - as in right now - would the Big Red T make the cut?
That's the question raised by Fortune's annual list of the World's Most Admired Companies. Toyota comes in at number seven on the list, ahead of such highly respected automakers as BMW, Honda and Volkswagen (in that order, for what it's worth). But that ranking comes with a caveat: voting ended and results were compiled before Toyota's recent round of gas pedal recalls, stop sales and Congressional hearings.
So, the question is, Where will Toyota land in the rankings in exactly one year's time? Well, we'll find out 12 months from now, but, deservedly or not, we'd certainly expect them to fall at least a few rungs down the ladder. Anyone care to disagree?
[Source: Fortune | Image: David McNew/Getty]Toyota makes top 10 of World's Most Admired Companies list originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsGarage door company latest to take advantage of Toyota in tasteless wayFiled under: Marketing/Advertising, Toyota 
Dansk Port Teknik garage door ad - Click above to enlarge
Talk about kicking Toyota when it's down. We've seen automakers like General Motors, Ford and Hyundai offering special incentives aimed at getting Toyota owners out of their cars and into different ones, but this latest bit of marketing from Danish garage door manufacturer Dansk Port Teknik takes things just a bit too far.
We understand that JWT, the agency behind this ad, is looking to get a laugh at Toyota's expense, but when that joke involves something as serious as a safety recall, it's not exactly the most appropriate way to earn DPT a few extra bucks. We can't say for sure what sort of circulation this ad spot is getting in print publications, but regardless, we're not laughing. Click the lead image to see a high-res shot of this ad.
[Source: Copyranter via The Car Connection]Garage door company latest to take advantage of Toyota in tasteless way originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsConsumer Reports says Toyota owner loyalty waningFiled under: Car Buying, Toyota 
The intense media spotlight has been focused directly on Toyota as its recalls of over 8 million vehicles for acceleration-related issues has begun hitting the Japanese automaker where it hurts most. Toyota sales were down year over year in January and a similar story unfolded for the month of February.
Automotive News is reporting that a recent Consumer Reports survey of Toyota owners shows that the embattled automaker should expect more customers to jump ship in the short-term. The Japanese automaker was leading the industry in consideration as recently as December, as CR data shows that 70 percent of Toyota owners were planning on purchasing a new Toyota when it came time for a new vehicle. Just two months later and the number has dipped to 60 percent, dropping Toyota below Honda in overall consideration.
The negative Toyota press is no doubt hurting the automaker, but the news isn't totally (and completely) bad. While Toyota dropped below Honda in owner loyalty, the Japanese automaker is still ahead of Chevrolet (52 percent loyalty) and Ford (51 percent loyalty). Toyota also fared better with customers 45 and over, as the demographic reportedly has remained loyal to the brand. Customers age 18 to 44, however, are more likely to switch to another brand.
While it looks like Toyota is doing a decent job of weathering the sales storm during its time in the media spotlight, consideration could possibly take another hit in March. CR surveyed Toyota customers prior to the three congressional hearings with the automaker.
[Source: Automotive News, sub. req. | Image: Philippe DeSmazes/AFP/Getty]Consumer Reports says Toyota owner loyalty waning originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
Toyota blog
Supra
Toyota timeline
Latest Toyota News
Modified Cars
At the wheels - my car blog
Used cars for sale online
Streetcars
The Auto Writer
Theft Proof: Lockable Tire Valve Caps
Official website
|
