Lexus fuel leak took almost 2 years from diagnosis to recall, Toyota says

Toyota took almost two years to submit Wednesday's U.S. recall of Lexus models after the automaker's initial investigation of a potential gasoline leak failed to find defects in the cars' fuel-line components. The recall includes more than 10,000 Lexus models sold in Europe which are part of Toyota's global 1.... Read More »

Toyota recalls 1.7 million cars globally, including 245,000 Lexus sedans in U.S.

Toyota today recalled nearly 1.7 million vehicles for a variety of fuel system related problems, including 245,000 Lexus IS and Lexus GS sedans in the United States. The North American vehicles are being called back to inspect for possibly faulty installation of fuel pressure sensors.... Read More »

Toyota loses bid to dismiss acceleration class-action lawsuits

Toyota must face class-action lawsuits filed by car owners claiming economic losses, a U.S. judge ruled. The lawsuits claim Toyota drove down the value of vehicles by failing to fix or disclose defects that triggered unintended acceleration.... Read More »

Toyota investigates cause of fatal Utah Camry crash

Toyota Motor Corp. says it is investigating possible causes of an accident in which a Toyota Camry crashed into a rock wall in Utah, killing the driver and a passenger. Police said statements by survivors indicate that the accelerator pedal may have been stuck, causing the sedan to speed out of control in the Nov.... Read More »

So far, Toyota electronics are passing muster

Federal regulators studying reports of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles said last week that a preliminary review of crash-data recordings has found no evidence of electronic causes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said drivers didn't apply brakes in at least 35 of 58 crashes blamed on a loss of speed control.... Read More »

Phone frenzy

On Jan. 28, the phones began ringing off the hook at Toyota's U.S. sales headquarters in Torrance, Calif. The company was suddenly engulfed in scandal after suspending sales of eight models linked to allegations of unintended acceleration.... Read More »

Toyota's U.S. execs: Japan didn't share info

Toyota officials in the United States have testified that they would have questioned company headquarters about its 2004 decision to recall vehicles for steering defects in Japan -- but not the United States -- if they had known then what they know now.... Read More »

Toyota says tests show no problems with electronics

Toyota Motor Corp. has reviewed 3,000 complaints of unintended acceleration since March and says the results back its long-held stance: There have been no electronic glitches. The company has forwarded its findings to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which says its investigation is continuing and no conclusions have been reached.... Read More »

Toyota has fix for minivans recalled for spare-tire corrosion

Toyota Motor Corp. said it has a repair about 600,000 Sienna minivans recalled in the U.S. three months ago for possible corrosion in a cable that holds the spare tire. The company will remove and repair any corroded sections and will apply anti-rust agents to all cables in each of the vehicles, according to a July 12 letter to the U.S.... Read More »

Academic panel expanded as it probes unintended acceleration

The National Academy of Sciences plans to expand its panel probing unintended acceleration in Toyotas and other vehicles after consumer advocates complained that the investigators lacked electronics expertise. The proposed 12-member panel, which was formed at the request of U.S.... Read More »

Toyota adds engineers to quality staff in U.S. field offices

Toyota plans to expand its quality effort in the United States and Canada by staffing seven field offices with technology and engineering specialists who will investigate customer complaints, the automaker said here today.... Read More »

Toyota received complaints about Lexus engine defect in 2007

Automaker moved to address the problem in August 2008 by altering the design of the valve spring and making it thicker, but the company didn't feel that a recall was necessary given the rarity of the problem at the time, a spokesman said.... Read More »

Toyota repairs more than 4 million vehicles and will recall more

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. has repaired more than 4 million vehicles affected by recalls linked to unintended acceleration. Toyota Division General Manager Bob Carter said 78 percent of 2.3 million vehicles falling under the "sticky pedal" recall have been repaired.... Read More »

Toyota says 4 million recalled vehicles fixed; no electronic defects found

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. has repaired more than 4 million vehicles affected by recalls linked to unintended acceleration. Toyota Division general manager Bob Carter said that 78 percent of 2.3 million vehicles falling under the “sticky pedal” recall have been repaired.... Read More »

Toyota acceleration cases need fuller review, NHTSA chief says

Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles involved in reports of unintended acceleration must be probed for all possible causes, the top U.S. auto-safety regulator said today.... Read More »

Toyota must submit information on braking system, lawmakers say

Toyota Motor Corp. must turn over information about brake-override technology in its older model vehicles and describe the role a consulting firm plays in the investigation of unintended acceleration, two lawmakers said Tuesday.... Read More »

U.S. House committee passes auto-safety bill in wake of Toyota recalls

A U.S. House committee today passed a sweeping auto-safety bill with a number of changes in the original legislation that had been sought by the auto industry and Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich.... Read More »

Toyota distributors recall vehicles for tire labels

Distributors for Toyota Motor Corp., the world's largest automaker, recalled more than 424,000 vehicles because labels detailing the load-carrying capacity of tires were missing or less accurate than required. The recalls by Gulf States Toyota Inc. of Houston and Southeast Toyota Distributors of Deerfield Beach, Fla.... Read More »

Toyota lawsuits in California might be coordinated

Lawsuits in California state court against Toyota Motor Corp. related to unintended acceleration of its vehicles should be coordinated so they can be handled more efficiently, a judge said.... Read More »

Toyota unintended acceleration may be tied to 89 deaths, U.S. says

Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles in unintended acceleration crashes may be linked to 89 deaths since 2000, up from 52 reported in March, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.... Read More »

Lawmakers: Is Toyota study a class-action prep?

Lawmakers are losing hope of getting prompt and credible answers to whether electronic defects contributed to Toyota's problem with sudden accelerations. For months, Toyota executives had assured Congress that they had hired the well-known Exponent engineering firm to do an independent investigation.... Read More »

Toyota’s president considers record recalls a 'good lesson'

Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda said scrutiny from inside and outside the company has been a “good lesson” and expects the carmaker to emerge stronger after recalling millions of vehicles worldwide.... Read More »

Toyota should do more brake override retrofits, lawmakers say

Toyota Motor Corp. is retrofitting brake override systems on about half the U.S. vehicles that have been recalled for unintended acceleration -- drawing bipartisan criticism from lawmakers that the company is not going far enough.... Read More »

Toyota accused of putting its own defense ahead of safety

Toyota Motor Corp. has failed to conduct impartial investigations of possible electronic defects in its vehicles because it is more interested in defending against lawsuits than in identifying the causes of unintended acceleration, a senior lawmaker said. Rep.... Read More »

Toyota's Lentz spells out flaws, fixes

Toyota has taken several steps to improve its flawed quality control procedures, the company's U.S. sales chief told Congress today. But Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. President Jim Lentz said the company has found no evidence that its electronic throttle-control technology caused unintended acceleration of vehicles.... Read More »

Toyota prepares to recall 11,500 Lexus cars globally

Toyota is preparing to recall four Lexus models worldwide for problems related to steering. The company plans to recall 7,000 vehicles overseas, including 3,800 in the U.S., and 4,500 units in Japan. Separately, Toyota said last month it will recall the Lexus GX 460 sport-utility vehicle after a magazine rated it a “safety risk.”... Read More »

Toyota's problems have roots going back years, Toyoda says

Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda traces today's quality and financial woes to 2003, when the company began an unbridled global expansion, and says winning over new customers in the wake of the crisis will be a challenge.... Read More »

Toyota plaintiffs' lawyers appointed; long legal battles expected

A federal judge on Friday drew upon a group of experienced attorneys who have handled some of the largest product liability cases in the U.S. to represent hundreds of consumers suing Toyota over unintended acceleration problems with its vehicles. U.S.... Read More »

Lawyers jockey for lead slots in Toyota lawsuits

Dozens of lawyers today jockeyed to take a lead position battling Toyota Motor Corp. in the hundreds of lawsuits involving its vehicles' unintended acceleration problems. More than 70 lawyers were expected to try and dazzle U.S.... Read More »

Toyota waited months to issue '05 steering recall, AP reports

Toyota waited nearly a year in 2005 to recall trucks and SUVs in the United States with defective steering rods, despite issuing a similar recall in Japan and receiving dozens of reports from American motorists about rods that snapped without warning, an Associated Press investigation has found. The lengthy gap between the Japanese and U.S.... Read More »

Toyota faces skeptics as incentive luster fades

Buyers were willing to overlook Toyota's safety troubles the last few months thanks to zero-percent financing and other deals, but as the lure of incentives fades, Toyota has a tough job: Winning over consumers who no longer trust the brand. Toyota Motor Corp. hasn't had to face the music yet.... Read More »

Consumer Reports lifts ‘don't buy' label on Lexus SUV

Consumer Reports magazine lifted its “safety risk” designation from the 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV and said updated software developed by Toyota Motor Corp. fixed stability failures.... Read More »

Toyota wonders whether owners are misreading acceleration

Toyota's chief quality officer for North America thinks that some of the automaker's recall troubles come from doing a poor job of teaching customers about its cars at the dealership. Steve St.... Read More »

Toyota quality panel won't be ‘window dressing,' Slater says

Toyota Motor Corp.'s head of outside advisers on quality said the panel will have autonomy to examine U.S. operations and won't be “window dressing” as the automaker copes with record recalls.... Read More »

Toyota resumes sales of Lexus SUV labeled 'safety risk'

Toyota Motor Corp. said it is resuming sales of its Lexus GX 460 SUV that were halted for two weeks because of stability concerns.... Read More »

Toyota to recall Sequoia SUVs to repair stability control units

Toyota Motor Corp., which recalled Lexus GX sport-utility vehicles this month because stability controls failed to engage fast enough, is recalling Sequoia SUVs to adjust a control system that drivers say is too aggressive.... Read More »

After Toyota, lawmakers plan tougher safety measures

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman said they will work together on legislation to improve automobile safety in the wake of Toyota Motor Corp.'s problems. Rockefeller, D-W.Va.... Read More »

Expert: Inspection of Toyota in fatal Minn. crash showed cruise-control problems

An inspection of a 1996 Camry that was involved in a St. Paul crash that killed three people has yielded possible indications of a problem with the cruise control. Last week an expert mechanic retained by attorneys for Koua Fong Lee, the man driving the car in the June 10, 2006.... Read More »

Toyota credit rating cut by Moody's on weak profit outlook

Toyota Motor Corp.'s credit rating was cut today by Moody's Investors Service, and Fitch Ratings said it may also downgrade the world's biggest carmaker as recalls of more than 8 million vehicles ravage profit.... Read More »

Toyota U.S. lobbying expenses fell as recalls, probes mounted

Toyota Motor Corp. cut its U.S. lobbying expenses by almost a third in the first quarter as the carmaker faced recalls and investigations into unexplained acceleration of its Camry and Prius vehicles. Toyota, the world's largest automaker, spent $880,000 for lobbying from January through March, down 32 percent from $1.... Read More »

Toyota adds another executive VP to better tackle quality

Toyota Motor Corp. has added a sixth executive vice president to its top tier of management to help cope with the company’s ongoing quality and recall crisis. Satoshi Ozawa has been promoted and given a board position, effective May 1. He will be in charge of Europe, human resources and accounting, the company said in a release.... Read More »

Toyota says it will recall Lexus SUV rated ‘safety risk'

Toyota Motor Corp. said today it will recall the Lexus SUV that Consumer Reports magazine rated a “safety risk.” About 9,400 vehicles will be included in the recall of the 2010 Lexus GX 460, Toyota said.... Read More »

Toyota agrees to pay $16.4 million U.S. fine, denies wrongdoing

Toyota Motor Corp. today agreed to pay a record $16.4 million U.S. fine for failing to promptly report flaws with vehicle accelerator pedals as it denied breaking safety rules.... Read More »

Lexus acts fast to quell SUV crisis

When Toyota executives learned Wednesday, April 7, that Consumer Reports was about to declare the new Lexus GX 460 unsafe to drive, they moved fast. There was little choice.... Read More »

Judge sets first Toyota hearing for May 13

The federal judge overseeing lawsuits against Toyota Motor Corp. related to unintended acceleration ordered lawyers in the cases to an initial conference in his Santa Ana, Calif., courtroom May 13.... Read More »

Toyota seeks fix for Lexus SUV as engineers replicate magazine's 'slide'

Toyota Motor Corp. said it's seeking a fix for the Lexus SUV identified as a “safety risk” by Consumer Reports as a U.S. congressional committee set a new hearing to examine unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles.... Read More »

Toyota to recall 870,000 Sienna minivans for rusty spare-tire cables

Toyota Motor Corp said it would recall 870,000 Sienna minivans sold in the United States and Canada since the 1998 model year because of a risk that the spare tire could drop onto the road. The recalls cover minivans sold in 20 cold-weather U.S.... Read More »

U.S. House committee seeks information from Toyota

A congressional committee today asked Toyota Motor Corp. and its Exponent Inc. consultant to produce any findings about possible electronic causes of unintended acceleration in advance of a May 6 hearing.... Read More »

Toyota temporarily halts production of Lexus GX 460

Toyota Motor Corp. today temporarily halted production of the Lexus GX 460 while U.S. regulators and Japanese engineers run tests on the SUV to root out possible safety problems.... Read More »

Toyota quality woes may keep discounts in place for months

Toyota Motor Corp. may maintain elevated U.S. discounts for months to draw buyers as the automaker battles to recover its reputation for quality, according to industry analysts who track pricing and incentives.... Read More »

Toyota will test stability of all SUVs to allay owners' concerns

Toyota Motor Corp. said it would conduct further safety tests on all its SUVs after suspending sales of the Lexus GX 460 model following a report of a risk of rollover accidents.... Read More »

Toyota judge in unintended acceleration lawsuits sets first hearing

The judge overseeing lawsuits against Toyota Motor Corp. related to unintended acceleration ordered lawyers in the cases to an initial conference in his Santa Ana, Calif., courtroom on May 13.... Read More »

Toyota's Lexus GX SUV called ‘safety risk'

Toyota Motor Corp.'s new Lexus GX SUV was labeled a “safety risk” by a magazine, complicating efforts by the world's largest automaker to repair its image after record recalls. The 2010 GX 460 received the designation because of handling in emergency driving tests, Consumer Reports said today.... Read More »

Experts: Price of Toyota's troubles will soar

For now, the flurry of recalls has stopped. But the costs confronting Toyota Motor Corp. as a result of its quality crisis will keep climbing, analysts say. By Toyota's own count, the string of worldwide recalls will cost the company $2 billion.... Read More »

Inside Toyota's 'Books of Knowledge'

Over the years, Toyota has settled a lot of product liability lawsuits, in part so it wouldn't have to produce proprietary internal documents to the plaintiffs.... Read More »

Exec urged: 'Come clean' on sticky pedals

Critics who say Toyota has hidden information about safety defects got unexpected support last week when news media reported Toyota's top U.S. public relations executive had warned the company to "come clean'' about safety problems with sticking accelerators prior to Toyota's recall announcement.... Read More »

Toyota may get second U.S. fine for delay in reporting pedal flaw

Toyota Motor Corp. may be fined a second time for failing to alert federal regulators that gas pedals might stick and cause unintended acceleration. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a record $16.4 million civil penalty against Toyota on April 5 for failing to disclose the defect. Pedals supplied to Toyota by CTS Corp.... Read More »

Toyota lawsuits combined in California federal court

Lawsuits against Toyota Motor Corp. related to unintended acceleration will be consolidated in a federal court in Santa Ana, Calif., a panel of judges said.... Read More »

Toyota documents show it knew of pedal flaws in '06

Toyota Motor Corp. knew about flaws that could cause unintended acceleration more than 3 1/2 years before it recalled cars and trucks to fix the defects, according to company timelines. Toyota learned that floor mats could entrap accelerator pedals as early as Feb.... Read More »

Toyota executive Irv Miller urged company to ‘come clean'

A Toyota Motor Corp. executive urged the Japanese automaker to “come clean” in January about mechanical failures in accelerator pedals for some vehicles, after other officials suggested a more cautious approach. Irv Miller, then a vice president for Toyota's U.S. sales unit, told other officials in an e-mail on Jan.... Read More »

Toyota forms ‘rapid response' teams for unintended acceleration

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., reacting to record recalls, is creating “rapid response” teams of engineers and technicians to evaluate customer reports of unintended acceleration. The Swift Market Analysis Response Teams will try to get in touch with customers involved in such incidents within 24 hours of a complaint.... Read More »

Toyota widens free maintenance, extends 0% loan offer

Toyota Motor Corp. is extending no- interest loans and discount leases for another month on some U.S. models and expanding an offer of two years of free maintenance to hold onto sales gains after record recalls. The incentives include zero-percent financing for as long as five years.... Read More »

Toyota legal foes cheer U.S. fine, say lawsuits will benefit

Toyota Motor Corp. may have a tough time defending itself in U.S. lawsuits filed for flaws in its vehicles after U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recommended the company be fined, saying it “knowingly hid a dangerous defect.”... Read More »

Toyota recalls 13,000 cars in South Korea for floor mats

Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 12,984 cars in South Korea because of floor mats that can cause pedals to stick, the latest in a series of recalls covering more than 8.5 million vehicles globally for acceleration and braking issues.... Read More »

Toyota hid defect in violation of law, U.S. says

Toyota Motor Corp. “knowingly hid a dangerous defect” that caused its vehicles to accelerate unexpectedly, the U.S. said, for the first time accusing the world's largest automaker of breaking the law.Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposed a record civil penalty of $16.4 million, the most the government can impose.... Read More »

Toyota tries to find its Way

Steve St. Angelo says restoring Toyota's shattered quality reputation in the United States won't be easy -- if only because there are so many Toyota Way rules that American workers "just don't understand." The ex-General Motors executive is the U.S. point man for Toyota's quality control effort.... Read More »

Lentz: Toyota sales up 30 percent in March; worst may be over

Perhaps seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, Toyota expects March sales to be up 30 to 35 percent over year-ago figures, outpacing industry gains, its top U.S. executive said today. Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.... Read More »

Seminar turns to rally; lawyers fire at Toyota

At first, the 150 lawyers who gathered here last week to talk about how to sue the pants off Toyota quietly listened to a lecture on legal strategy. The topic: "Preserving and Deciphering the Toyota Litigation Evidence -- Black Box Software/Hardware Issues."... Read More »

Toyota legal battleground begins to take shape

Lawyers suing Toyota across the United States over cars alleged to have raced out of control lobbied a special judicial panel to merge the scores of cases and assign them to one or two courthouses for pretrial proceedings. Consolidating cases is the first major step for the U.S.... Read More »

Toyota creates team for U.S. quality and recalls

Toyota's North America production and engineering company said today it has formed a Quality Task Force to help restore Toyota's quality reputation. A key part of it: asserting U.S. consumer interests on future safety recall issues. The U.S. group will be headed up by Steve St.... Read More »

Turn the pages of the latest issue of Automotive News on your computer