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Toyota recalls 2007-11 Tundra for faulty tire pressure monitors

Filed under: Truck, Recalls, Toyota

2011 toyota tundra

2011 Toyota Tundra – Click above for high-res image gallery

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

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

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Toyota recalls 2007-11 Tundra for faulty tire pressure monitors originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 May 2011 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: 2012 Toyota Prius V still on track for U.S. launch this fall

Filed under: Hybrid, Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Crossover, Toyota

Toyota Prius V

2012 Toyota Prius V – Click above for high-res image gallery

False alarm, Prius fans. According to Toyota, the Prius V MPV is on track to hit the market as scheduled. Reports recently began circulating indicating that the Japanese automaker was delaying the vehicle’s launch due to the lingering impact of this year’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters. Word was that a battery shortfall was causing the hold-up, though the manufacturer has now confirmed that the large hybrid will debut this fall as originally scheduled.

Unfortunately, the arrival of the Japanese-market Prius Alpha is still slated to experience a delay of indeterminate length. Hit the jump for the brief press release.

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2012 Toyota Prius V still on track for U.S. launch this fall originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 19:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Quake fallout may delay Toyota Prius V sales by up to a year

Filed under: Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Japan, Hatchback, Toyota

prius v wagon

2012 Toyota Prius V – Click above for the high-res image gallery

In March, we heard that, because of production delays as a result of the March 11 earthquake in Japan, Toyota was looking at delays for the new Prius V and Prius + models set to go on sale in North America and Europe, respectively. The Detroit News is reporting that those delays could last as long as a year for some buyers due to battery pack shortages.

Despite the production problems, Toyota still launched the the larger Prius variant in Tokyo. But the lack of batteries means that the automaker can only build 1,000 of the three-row models with the lithium ion battery pack per month, and another 2,000 models with the nickel-metal hydride battery pack. That doesn’t quite jive with the automaker’s 18,000 orders for the nickel-metal hydride-equipped five-seater or the 7,000 orders for the pricier three-row model. And that’s just the orders for the up-sized Prius in Japan. The automaker intends to sell about 2,000 units per month each in North America and Europe as well.

In the big picture, Toyota has at least launched the new Prius, and new models should begin trickling in over the next few months. The Prius + won’t be offered in Europe until mid-2012, and it won’t be available in the U.S. at all.

Quake fallout may delay Toyota Prius V sales by up to a year originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra earn IIHS Top Safety Pick Awards

Filed under: Truck, Safety, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Nissan, Toyota

2011 Ford F-150 IIHS Full-Size Pickup Rollover Crash Test

IIHS Full-Size Pickup Rollover Crash Testing – Click above for high-res image gallery

Like their body-on-frame SUV cousins, full-size pickup trucks are more prone to roll over than a standard passenger car. That’s exactly why it’s so important to have a vehicle that earns good marks in roof-strength tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just released the data on its recent volley of tests on full-size pickup trucks, and both the 2011 Ford F-150 and 2011 Toyota Tundra earned the coveted Top Safety Pick designation. The vehicles earned the highest possible rating of ‘good’ in the institutes crush test, where a large steel plate is pressed against one corner of the roof to calculate a strength-to-weight ratio.

Meanwhile, the 2011 Nissan Titan took home an acceptable rating in the rollover evaluation while the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado, 2011 GMC Sierra and 2011 Ram 1500 netted marginal scores.

IIHS says that the roof on the Toyota Tundra stood up to 4.5 times the truck’s weight while the F-150 handled 4.7 times the pressure. A vehicle must withstand 4 times its weight before five-inches of crush is detected before being awarded a Good rating. Hit the jump for the full press release.

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Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra earn IIHS Top Safety Pick Awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 May 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Q4 profits fall 77% due to quake

Filed under: Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

Toyota has announced profits of $314 million for the first three months of 2011, down 77 percent versus the automaker’s fiscal fourth quarter a year earlier. Toyota still managed a profit in spite of the March 11 earthquake that shuttered most Japanese plants, yet the $314 million is only a fourth of what analysts were expecting Toyota to make. Toyota’s sales were predictably low for the quarter, and revenue was hurt as a result.

Toyota’s profits for its fiscal fourth quarter may be disappointing, but the automaker is likely to release still worse numbers for the period through June. The automaker is still struggling through supply issues, with many plants running at only 50-percent capacity if they’re running at all. Further, the automaker says that dealers in the U.S. and China are likely to see less product in the coming months, which could lead to much lower revenue.

On a brighter note, Toyota now says that production should ramp up to 70 percent of capacity by June, up from previous estimates of July or August. That should help get Toyota back on its feet faster, which is good for everyone.

For the year, Toyota earned $5.9 billion, or nearly three times the profit of fiscal year 2009. Revenue was also up by .2 percent to $237 billion on sales of 7.3 million vehicles, up by 71,000 units compared to 2009. Sales in the U.S. were down by 67,000 units.

Hit the jump to read over the Toyota press release, which includes volume and revenue breakdowns by region.

Continue reading Toyota Q4 profits fall 77% due to quake

Toyota Q4 profits fall 77% due to quake originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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R.L. Polk: Toyota top brand considered among African-Americans

Filed under: Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Toyota

African-Americans purchased 641,090 new vehicles in 2010, accounting for 7.4 percent of all new vehicle sales. That’s a significant portion of overall sales, and a population segment that Toyota appears to be winning over.

R.L. Polk released a study showing that Toyota accounted for 15 percent of all new car sales to African-American car buyers last year. Ford came in second at 11.7 percent, followed by Chevrolet, Honda and Nissan. The top five automakers accounted for nearly 60 percent off all new vehicle sales to African-Americans.

The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that the African-American population will grow by 25 percent by the year 2030. In 2010 alone, auto sales among African Americans rose by 11.5 percent versus 2009. That’s 68.6 percent faster than the non-ethnic market increase of 6.8 percent, meaning that automakers would do well to reach out to this burgeoning customer segment.

“With the U.S. population growing faster in the African-American segment than others, there’s a significant opportunity for automotive manufacturers and dealers to begin to align marketing initiatives toward this specific audience,” said Marc Bland, product strategist at Polk. “Those companies that are ahead of the curve, like Toyota, are already reaping the rewards.”

While it appears that Toyota has already gotten the message that African-Americans represent a fast-growing market segment, others are beginning to get the picture. Buick sales, for example, are up 72 percent, while Hyundai and Kia area second and third at 53 percent and 34.2 percent, respectively.

On the other end of the spectrum, R.L. Polk says that Acura, Land Rover, Mercedes and BMW are not making inroads with African-American buyers. Hit the jump to read over the R.L. Polk press release.

[Source: R.L. Polk]

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R.L. Polk: Toyota top brand considered among African-Americans originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 01 May 2011 14:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog checks out Toyota Entune inside the 2012 Prius V

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, Videos, Toyota

Toyota Entune

Toyota Entune inside the 2012 Prius V – Click above to watch the video after the jump

Toyota will be launching its new Entune infotainment system later this year – a product that pairs with a customer’s Internet- and Bluetooth-equipped smartphone to bring a host of applications right into the car’s navigation screen. Entune is the Japanese automaker’s answer to Ford’s SYNC system, and we recently had the chance to get a first-hand look at Toyota’s latest creation inside of the upcoming 2012 Prius V.

Entune made its official debut at CES back in January, combining functional apps like Bing search and real-time XM information (traffic, weather, fuel prices, sports and stocks) with entertainment features like Pandora and iHeartRadio. What’s more, Entune adds restaurant booking capability via OpenTable and allows you to research movie times through MovieTickets.com. Of course, there’s a slate of safety features like collision notification and roadside assistance, similar to those found in Lexus’ Enform system.

We sat down inside the 2012 Prius V with Toyota’s corporate manager for advanced technology, Jim Pisz, to see exactly how Entune works. Pisz tells us that the Prius V will be the first Toyota vehicle to feature Entune, but that we will likely see it spread to higher-volume models like the Camry and Tacoma by the end of the year.

In all, Entune looks to be a pretty slick system. The touch-screen display is easy to navigate, though it isn’t as visually appealing as the Blue Oval’s MyFord Touch. See a full walk-through of Entune for yourself in the video after the jump. As an added bonus, click here to see an Entune hands-on from our friends at Engadget, as well.

Editor’s Note: Because Entune pairs to a smartphone, if there’s a lengthy loss of signal at any time, that will cause Entune to become temporarily unresponsive. This happened during our preview outside of New York’s Plaza Hotel, and thus, the video begins after Pisz restarted the system.

Gallery: Toyota Entune

[Lead image: Steven J. Ewing/AOL]

Continue reading Autoblog checks out Toyota Entune inside the 2012 Prius V

Autoblog checks out Toyota Entune inside the 2012 Prius V originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota recalls 51,000 Tundra pickups over possible driveshaft fault

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Recalls, Safety, Toyota

2011 Toyota Tundra

2011 Toyota Tundra – Click above for high-res image gallery

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

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

Gallery: 2011 Toyota Tundra

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota recalls 51,000 Tundra pickups over possible driveshaft fault

Toyota recalls 51,000 Tundra pickups over possible driveshaft fault originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota recalls 308,000 RAV4 and Highlander models over airbag sensor

Filed under: SUV, Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Toyota

Toyota has announced that it’s recalling 214,000 RAV4 models and 94,000 Highlander and Highlander HV models for side curtain airbag issues. The voluntary recall covers certain 2007 and 2008 models, all of which will need a new Curtain Shield Airbag Sensor Assembly.

The roll-sensing curtain shield airbag system contains two sensors that detects roll angle. In the event that one of the sensors malfunctions, the airbag warning light illuminates. That means the side-curtain airbags won’t work in a roll-over, though the airbags would still be available in the event of a side collision. If both sensors fail “near simultaneously,” however, the seat belt pretensioner and, more importantly, the curtain shield airbag could inadvertantly be activated.

Owners of affected vehicles will be notified by mail in the next month. Once customers have been notified, they will be able to take their RAV4 or Highlander to the nearest Toyota dealer for a free repair. Follow the jump to read Toyota’s official announcement.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota recalls 308,000 RAV4 and Highlander models over airbag sensor

Toyota recalls 308,000 RAV4 and Highlander models over airbag sensor originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 16:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Lotus to phase out Toyota-powered Elise and Exige with special Final Editions

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Lotus, Specialty

2009 Lotus Exige S260

2009 Lotus Exige S260 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Lotus’s supply of Toyota 2ZZ-GE engines has finally run out, meaning production of the company’s highly popular Exige and Elise will come to an abrupt halt in July. To commemorate its track-day superstars’ success, Lotus will send the cars off with an extremely limited number of Final Editions. With Lotus up to its axles in financial uncertainty, this may represent your last chance to get your hands on a new Lotus Elise or Exige.

There are two trim levels planned for the Exige’s parting-shot model. Lotus says it will build 30 examples of the Exige S260 Final Edition for North America, with Lotus’ Track Pack, Tour Pack and LSD as standard. If that’s not special enough for you, Lotus is offering 25 customers the chance to have their S260 painted matte black. Price for the “standard” S260 is $67,500, with the matte-black version ringing the register at $69,900.

American and Canadian fans of the Elise have fewer options, with only 15 examples of the 2011 Lotus Elise SC Final Edition planned. Lotus says the car will get the buyer’s choice of four color schemes based on the Europe-only Elise Club Racer. To sweeten the deal, the Elise SC Final Edition will come loaded to the gunnels with options. Price for the last Elise is $57,500. If you’re hoping to get your hands on a Final Edition, get in line now.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Lotus Exige S 260

Gallery: Geneva 2010: 2011 Lotus Elise

[Source: GGLotus]

Report: Lotus to phase out Toyota-powered Elise and Exige with special Final Editions originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 16 Apr 2011 15:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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