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Highlight: According to fueleconomy.gov, the Toyota Prius
LE has a fuel driving range of 644 miles.
Test Vehicle's MSRP: $39,819 (Base Model – LE): $28,545
Seating Capacity: 5
Standard Safety
Features:air bags; ABS; a radar activate cruise control
system; a pre-collision system with pedestrian protection; a lane departure
alert system with steering wheel assist; a brake assist system; an electronic
blind spot monitor system with rear cross traffic alert; a hill start control
assist system; a heated power outside folding mirrors; a back up camera; and a
tire pressure monitoring system
Highlight: According to fueleconomy.gov, the Toyota Prius
LE has a fuel driving range of 644 miles.
Test Vehicle's MSRP: $37,445 (Base Model – LE): $28,545
Seating Capacity: 5
Standard Safety
Features:air bags; ABS; a radar-activated cruise control
system; a pre-collision system with pedestrian protection; a lane departure
alert system with steering wheel assist; a brake assist system; an electronic
blind spot monitor system with rear cross traffic alert; a hill start control
assist system; a heated power outside folding mirrors; a backup camera; and a
tire pressure monitoring system
Highlight: A Prius Plug-In hatchback and a crossover are
now available for short commutes.
Test vehicle’s MSRP: $26,868 (base model $24,025)
Seating Capacity: Five
Standard Safety Features:airbags; Daytime
Running Lights; rear spoiler with LED stop lamp; ABS; stability control;
electronic brake distribution; a brake assist system; a tire pressure monitoring system; and side impact beams Standard
Equipment (base model):15-inch wheels; 4-way adjustable cloth seats;
automatic climate control ventilation system; multi information display center;
push button keyless starter; a manual tilt/telescopic steering wheel; and power
mode indictors (electric, economy and power)
Upgraded
Standard Features On Test Model: 17-inch wheels; pseudo leather seats; a nav
system; a rear camera; a keyless entry system; and a steering wheel mounted
voice command controls
Optional
Features On Test Vehicle: special color exterior paint
Highlight:According to fueleconomy.gov, drivers
can expect to achieve a combined 95 miles per gallon of gasoline-equivalent in
the Prius Plug-In. Since the vehicle runs off of both gasoline and an electric
charge, the government measures the vehicle miles in terms of a gasoline-equivalent,
as well as the traditional miles per gallon.
Test Vehicle’s MSRP: $31,189 (base model starts
at $30,800)
Seating Capacity: 5
Standard Safety Features:airbags (driver, front passenger, seat mounted, knee;
and curtain); a collapsible steering wheel; Hill Start Assist (keeps the
vehicle from rolling back, when stopped briefly on a hill); LED on/off lights;
stability control system; electronic brake force distribution; a tire pressure
monitoring system; a tire repair system; and a vehicle proximity notification
system.
Standard Equipment:15-inch wheels; cloth manually adjusted front seats;
an automated climate control system with a dust and pollen filtration mode;
cargo area cover; 6.1-inch navigation screen; a keyless entry system; a manual
tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel; and a push-button keyless starter.
Report Receipt Date: JUN 04, 2013 NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V234000 Component(s): POWER TRAIN , STEERING Potential Number of Units Affected: 180,131
SUMMARY
Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Jeep Wrangler vehicles equipped with a 3.6L engine and an automatic transmission and manufactured January 23, 2011, through February 23, 2013. The power steering line may contact and wear a hole in the transmission oil cooler line resulting in a loss of transmission fluid.
Ready or not more automakers are following the steps of both Nissan with the LEAF and Chevy with the Volt by offering electric vehicles. Toyota who has been the leader in hybrid technology is ready to get into the electric vehicle game with the upcoming 2012 Prius. As we discussed in a previous posting, Toyota plans on releasing its first plug-in hybrid next spring. If you would like to be the first one in your neighborhood to get your hands on one before it becomes available to the general public, reservations must be submitted online by August 22, 2011. To get more details and to reserve yours today, click here.
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.
Detailed information and answers to questions are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
Toyota Division Group Vice President and General Manager Bob Carter will unveil the Prius family of vehicles at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit today. In addition to the current third-generation Prius and Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicle, the first all-new addition to the Prius family (the station wagon) will debut along with a Prius concept vehicle.
Toyota Motor Corporation announced it will repair 378,000 Prius vehicles in the United States from model years 2004-2007 to correct a possible water-pump condition that could cause coolant to overheat resulting in reduced power output.
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“The water pump is part of a system designed to cool the hybrid powertrain components and is separate from the engine cooling system,” said John Hanson, Toyota Motor Sales National Manager of Environmental, Quality and Safety Communications. “A fault in the water pump can cause air bubbles to build up and disrupt the flow of coolant, which can lead to overheating.”
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The heating of the components could trigger the check engine light “on” condition. If the temperature of the hybrid components becomes too high, the vehicle will enter “fail-safe mode” to prevent hybrid component damage.
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This customer support campaign is not a recall as Toyota has determined it is not a safety issue and the company has not received any reports of accidents or injuries related to this condition.
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Owners of the involved vehicles will be notified by first class mail beginning in early December 2010. Toyota dealers will replace the water pump with a newly designed one at no charge to the vehicle owner as long as the owner arranges for service before Nov. 30, 2013. Owners who have previously paid for repairs to address this specific condition should refer to the owner letter for instructions regarding reimbursement.
The third-generation Prius hybrid sedan, which hit the market in the spring of 2009 as a 2010 model, continues to push the envelope as it relates to green-technology and its bubble shape, space-age design. The 2010 Prius is significantly roomier, offers a solar roof panel, has a larger engine and it comes equipped with an advanced hybrid synergy system, which in turn provides improved fuel efficiency.
Must Have Goodies:
For now, the redesigned Prius is only available as a sedan. However, it’s rumored that Toyota has plans on spinning-off a variety of Prius models in the near future, including a plug-in variation. Currently, the redesigned hybrid is available as one model in five trim levels.
Depending on the trim-level, one can choose from a variety of high-tech features: a voice-activated navigational system, a radar cruise control system, a lane driving warning system, a next-generation parking assist system, a back up camera and Toyota’s version of GM’s OnStar concierge system, which is known as Safety Connect.
And for music lovers, the Prius is available with an upgraded eight-speaker JBL audio system, which includes a 4-disc CD changer, XM satellite radio and a DVD player. To get the upgraded audio system, one must also order the navigation system. Leather seats are also available on the 2010 Prius.
What Rocked:
Unlike Honda’s Prius-like knock-off, the Insight, this hybrid is capable of carrying tall adults comfortably in both the front and rear cabin. And not only is the exterior design futuristic, but so is the interior, with its joy-stick gear shift lever, push-button starter and free-flowing center instrument panel. The free-flowing center instrument panel also contains a location to store a small purse underneath. Furthermore, the free-flowing instrument panel is also connected to the sliding front-center armrest, making it convenient for height-challenged drivers to utilize, too.
