Toyota to Recall Approximately 300,000 Crossovers for Air Bag Malfunction

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced that it intends to conduct a voluntary Safety Recall involving certain 2007 through 2008 model year RAV4 and certain 2008 Highlander and Highlander HV vehicles sold in the United States to replace the airbag sensor assembly. There are approximately 214,000 RAV4 vehicles and approximately 94,000 Highlander and Highlander HV vehicles covered by this Safety Recall.

In the roll sensing curtain shield airbag system of the subject vehicles, there are two sensors in the airbag sensor assembly which are designed to detect vehicle roll angle. If one of these sensors malfunctions, the airbag warning light (malfunction indicator light) will illuminate and the roll detection system will be suspended; however, the airbag remains available in the event of a side collision. If both sensors fail nearly simultaneously after initial airbag system check, the seat belt pretensioner and the curtain shield airbag could be inadvertently activated.

No other Lexus or Toyota vehicles are involved in this recall and this condition involves only vehicles sold in the North American market; vehicles sold in other markets are not equipped with this roll sensing curtain shield airbag system.

Owners of the involved vehicles will receive an interim notification letter advising them of this recall by first class mail in May 2011. Toyota will also post this information on its website. Toyota dealers will replace the roll sensing sensor assembly with a new one at no cost to the customer.

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.

(UPDATED) Toyota Is Under Scrutiny Again; This Time Its Their Luxury Brand

Toyota just can't get a break. After thoroughly conducting two independent tests on the 2010 redesigned LX GX 460, Consumer Reports, a consumer advocacy organization, is warning that the luxury SUV could possibly spin out of control and flip over in case of severe driving conditions. As you know, since most SUVs are top-heavy, unlike a car, the driver has to adjust their driving patterns, when rounding curves at a high rate of speed or making quick stops - since these vehicles are more prone to flip.

To view Consumer Reports explanation, click here. Ironically, the the 2010 Toyota 4Runner was redesigned this model year, too, which is also based off the same platform as the Lexus. We're wondering why this vehicle hasn't been placed in the spotlight.

Earlier this year, we reviewed the redesigned Lexus GX 460, check out our review.  So far here's the response from Lexus headquarters, regarding the results from Consumer Reports. We expect the officials from Toyota will have more to say about this potential safety risk. The question we need to ask: Is how often will we have to push the vehicle to the limits to potentially cause the vehicle to spin out of control? Or is this same as asking: Will the airbags be available to inflate in your personal vehicle just in case its needed in the event of an emergency?

UPDATE: Lexus Agrees to voluntarily recall the 2010 Lexus GX460.

An Inside Exclusive with Toyota: Talking Recalls, Reputation, Reliability and More

Like Tiger Woods, almost daily Toyota has been the front page story of most print, television, radio and Internet outlets. Just like Woods, this time the press isn't focusing on their once stellar reputation. Ironically, both Woods and Toyota are fighting to regain confidence with the public.

      

To  To get a first hand account on what Toyota has to say about the barrage of negative press they've garnered over the safety of their vehicles, we finally caught up with Jim Colon, the vice president of sales for the Toyota division (and the former vice president of sales for Lexus) to ask a few questions. Colon, who is a Toyota lifer, rose through the ranks at the automaker, becoming the first and only African American to oversee the sales division of any foreign automaker in the history of the auto industry.

 

JeffCars: Jim, several weeks ago Ray LaHood, the transportation secretary, was quoted as saying, “My advice is if anybody owns one of these (recalled) vehicles, stop driving it, and take it to a Toyota dealer.” Hours later LaHood retracted the statement. Also in the eighties, as you know, Audi became the poster child for sudden acceleration, sales slid into the gutter and it nearly drove the company out of business. It took the German automaker nearly two decades to turn the company around. What specifically is Toyota doing to make sure that they don’t travel down the same path as Audi? And, when a prominent figure like LaHood make such a statement, how does Toyota reassure their customer base (and future Toyota buyers) who have basically lost confidence with the company and are strongly considering purchasing another brand?

Jim Colon: Let me answer these two questions together, since I think they’re related. As our President Akio Toyoda told Congress, we have taken decisive steps to restore the trust of the tens of millions of Americans who purchase and drive our vehicles. By far, the most important thing current and potential Toyota drivers need to know is that nothing is more important to us than the safety and reliability of the vehicles they drive. Toyota engineers have developed effective and durable solutions for the vehicles we have recalled, and dealers continue to make extraordinary efforts to complete these recalls quickly and conveniently for our customers.

We are also making fundamental changes in the way our company operates in order to ensure that Toyota sets an even higher standard for vehicle safety and reliability, responsiveness to customers and transparency with regulators. These include changes at the global, regional, and customer level, including efforts to make Toyota more responsive to consumer concerns and more aggressive in investigating customer complaints. In addition, we are taking the significant step of making Toyota one of the first full-line automakers to have brake override systems as standard on all new models sold in North America. 
 

 

JeffCars: And to those critics who say Toyota has lost their reputation for building reliable vehicles and grew too fast, what is your response?

(UPDATED) Toyota Wants Buyers to Hold Off on Purchasing Recalled Models

In an unprecedented move, as a result of Toyota's most recent recall, related to the sticking gas pedal issue, the automaker had announced late Monday that they were suspending sales of eight of their new models -- until they can come up with a resolution. However, as a result of ongoing internal investigations with NHTSA, on late Wednesday evening, Toyota added several more vehicles to its recall list. (They're highlighted in red below). In addition to the affected new vehicles cited in Toyota's press release, we also recommend -- if you're in the market to purchase a used Toyota -- to hold out on buying any of the affected models and years noted below, too:

The affected vehicles include:

2007-10 Camrys (hybrid not included)

2009-10 Corollas

2009-10 RAV4s

2009-10 Matrixes

2005-10 Avalons

2008- 2010-Highlanders (hybrid not included)

2007-10 Tundras

2008-10 Sequoias

2009- 2010 Venzas

2009- 2010 Matrixs (and Pontiac Vibes), which were joint produced vehicles

Toyota owners, who have questions or concerns about this latest recall, should contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or speak with your local Toyota dealer.
And in case you experience sudden acceleration, click here to view this video. Toyota's website also recommends the following step be taken in case you're unable to view the video:

What if you experience a sticking accelerator pedal while driving?

Each circumstance may vary, and drivers must use their best judgment, but Toyota recommends taking one of the following actions:

• If you need to stop immediately, the vehicle can be controlled by stepping on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for the power brake assist.

• Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine.

• If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.

• If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button.

• If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.

(The updated vehicles added to the recall are highlighted in red.)

Toyota Recalls Another 1.7 Million Vehicles

Toyota is back in the news again for gas pedals sticking and possible sudden acceleration. About 1.7 million vehicles are subject to the new recall and the ongoing one, according to Automotive News. To check out the previous posting related to Toyota's sudden acceleration issue, click here.

The latest recall involves the following Toyotas:
2007-10 Camrys
2009-10 Corollas
2009-10 RAV4s
2009-10 Matrixes
2005-10 Avalons
2010-Highlanders
2007-10 Tundras
2008-10 Sequoias

Additional recall vehicles added as of Wednesday, January 27, 2009:

2008- 2010-Highlanders

2009- 2010 Venzas

2009- 2010 Matrixs (and Pontiac Vibes), which were joint produced vehicles


Toyota owners, who have questions or concerns about this latest recall, should contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or speak with your local Toyota dealer.

Video: How to Stop a Car When It Accelerates By Itself

Toyota Has Fix for Sudden Acceleration Problem

Several weeks ago Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. announced its largest recall ever, after numerous consumer complaints were filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, regarding select Toyota and Lexus models experiencing sudden acceleration.

The recall affects 3.8 million vehicles: 2007-10 model year Camry, 2005-10 Avalon, 2004-09 Prius cars and 2005-10 Tacoma and 2007-10 Tundra trucks. It is also recalling 2007-10 Lexus ES 350, 2006-10 IS 250 and 2006-10 IS 350 models. At the time the recall was announced, Toyota's answer to the issue was to remove your floormats, until they were able to determine the root cause.

Ironically, ABC News did their on internal investigation, realizing that floormats weren't the issue, but possibly a computer glitch was the causing the issue. Since ABC's investigation, Toyota believes they finally have the answer. Beginning in January, Toyota will begin repairing a number of vehicles affected by this issue.

To fix the problem, NHTSA said dealers will shorten the length of the accelerator pedal on the recalled vehicles and in some cases remove foam from beneath the carpeting near the pedal. Owners of the ES350, Camry and Avalon would be the first to receive notification since officials believe the vehicles cited have the highest risk for malfunctioning gas pedals.

Toyota plans to install a brake override system on the Camry, Avalon and Lexus ES350, IS350 and IS250 models as an "extra measure of confidence," NHTSA said. The brake override system, commonly called a "smart brake," will ensure the vehicle will stop if both the brake and the accelerator pedals are applied simultaneously, according to the Detroit News.

In the meantime, while you're waiting on your vehicle to be recalled, take a moment to review the earlier posting regarding how to stop your vehicle in case your vehicle accelerates by itself.