As many Toyota owners know, several Toyota vehicles have been put on a recall list, because of rare but serious unintended acceleration. In a press release on Monday, Toyota announced they had found the exact issue that was causing the sudden loss of control.

 “Nothing is more important to us than the safety and reliability of the vehicles our customers drive,” said Jim Lentz, president and Chief Operating Officer, TMS. “We deeply regret the concern that our recalls have caused for our customers and we are doing everything we can – as fast as we can – to make things right. Stopping production is never an easy decision, but we are 100% confident it was the right decision. We know what’s causing the sticking accelerator pedals, and we know what we have to do to fix it. We also know it is most important to fix this problem in the cars on the road.”

What has basically been happening is inside the recalled pedal, there was a piece designed to create a stable and solid feel. In the press release, they reported “The device includes a shoe that rubs against an adjoining surface during normal pedal operation. Due to the materials used, wear and environmental conditions, these surfaces may, over time, begin to stick and release instead of operating smoothly.” In layman’s terms, the piece was produced a fraction of a degree too small, and the resulting friction would cause the accelerator pedal to “stick”. As you can imagine, this kind of issue has been greeted by seriousness and very swift actions on Toyota’s parts.

Toyota vehicles included in the recall are:

• Certain 2009-2010 RAV4
• Certain 2009-2010 Corolla
• 2009-2010 Matrix
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• Certain 2007-2010 Camry
• Certain 2010 Highlander
• 2007-2010 Tundra
• 2008-2010 Sequoia

Also at the Press conference, Toyota announced they would cease production of the recalled automobiles starting this week. This will ensure that no more defective vehicles get on the road, and ensure less hassle for their loyal customers. This extremely rare action is usually reserved for the most important issues where speed and effectiveness is extremely necessary.

Yesterday, on Feb. 2, 2010, parts began to arrive at dealerships that would fix the acceleration problems several vehicles have been experiencing. The repair is estimated to take an hour and a half, so in that short time, your Toyota vehicle will have the defective part removed and replaced with quality, Genuine Toyota parts. During repair, dealerships will install a small, reinforcement bar that will stop the unnecessary friction in the pedal.

If you experience this rare happenstance, you are advised to pull over to safe area, and then, when possible, relocate your vehicle to your Kansas City Toyota Dealer where they will fix the issue quickly. If you are already aware of a problem, because of the many repairs needed, it would probably be smart to make an appointment for the repair.

To see a full copy of the press release, head on over to the Toyota Pressroom!

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As most automakers know, a spot on electric-hybrid vehicle needs two things: a great design, for example the wonder we know as the Prius, and an effective and long lasting battery. For years, the standard for electric vehicle batteries has been nickel-metal-based. The next step, the future of batteries, makes use of lithium, a metal found in the earth, which is becoming more and more valuable because of its chemical properties. Lithium has already proved itself as being viable for batteries; laptops and other small appliances run on them. But, because of recent technological advances, auto engineers are now able to integrate the highly reactive and light metal in car batteries. Because of its potential use, Toyota is acquiring more and more lithium that will allow them to engineer cleaner and more efficient vehicles.Also, with the more advanced battery technology, more Toyota Parts could be running off the Lithium Batteries.

One way successful companies like Toyota receive lithium is through sister companies like Toyota Tsusho Corp. This week, Tsusho formed a partnership with Australian mining company Orocobre Inc. to set up a very extensive mining operation in Argentina. The program, estimated at costing $100 million, will bring in large amounts of lithium available for battery production. This will make newer plug-in models like the 2012 Prius not only possible but effective.

With Toyota’s already huge stake in the Hybrid industry, the lithium battery innovations and mining projects will open hundreds of doors for advancements. Toyota has already stated they plan on doubling their hybrid output by the end of each year. This means your Kansas City Toyota Dealer will have New Toyota options for more people.

When the huge mining project begins in 2012, Toyota expects the mine to produce 15,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate per year. Most of the lithium in the world comes from South America, so they know there is large potential there. There are already huge deposits in Chile and Brazil.

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Today in Abu Dhabi, the Toyota 2010 Prius was awarded the Zayed Future Energy Award for its innovative energy system. While everyone knew about its amazing fuel efficiency, this is one of the first big awards the 3rd Generation Prius has received. Almost 300 entries were considered, and the Prius came out on top. There were many reasons the Prius won. Over the lifetime of the Prius brand, Toyota has saved approximately seven million tons of CO2, keeping the environment clean.

The company received the grand prize of $1.5 million, and the two runners up received $350,000. Basically anyone can run for the award, just as long as they showed groundbreaking leadership and innovation. The award has been around for 2 years now, and it has been making a big difference in the motivation of companies like Toyota. As you can imagine, 1.5 million dollars can make a big difference, and while Toyota is a multinational company, every cent counts in today’s economy.

According to http://www.khaleejtimes.com/ on receiving the Prize, Kazuo Okamoto, Vice Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, said: “Winning this award is true recognition of the years of hard work that went into making the Toyota Prius a reality and I am honored to receive it on behalf of Toyota Motor Corporation. I am confident that this will further increase awareness of hybrid vehicles and their environment-friendly features, thereby contributing to a sustainable future in the long run.”

As the years go by, we can only expect the contestants in the award to get better and better. Who knows? Maybe next year there will be a completely new generation of vehicles, featuring Genuine Toyota Parts, which put out virtually no global warming causing exhaust? Only time will tell.

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This week at the Detroit auto show, Toyota has revealed the FT-CH (Future-Toyota-Compact-Hybrid), and with it’s release they told the world their plan for the Prius name.

We already knew the vehicle would be revealed this week at the show, but no one expected the plans that would acompany the new hybrid concept. Toyota announced that they would turn the Prius brand into something of a sub-brand, and the cars under it would carry both the Toyota and Prius titles. This business plan is becoming more popular in today’s thriving economy because it is very effective. Toyota plans to release several different vehicles, all under the sub-brand of “Prius“, thus spreading highly efficient and dependable vehicles to very different consumers.

To better understand what a sub-group really consists of, we can look at Apple Inc. When one thinks of the word “iPod”, they think of iPod classics, iPod shuffles, iPod touches, and iPhones. This is largely what Toyota is aiming to do. Going down this road will lead to the brand “Prius” becoming even more of a household name than it already is, allowing different options for different people.

The FT-CH revealed at the convention was very intriguing in itself. It featured a look similar to that of the third-generation Prius, but it was much more sleek, smooth, and dynamic. The concept was definently aimed toward the younger generation, instead of toward the trendy family of four. While few specs of the inside are available at this time, we can expect to see something extremely similar to this concept in several years.

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When you think of boosting auto sales, you usually think of new models in already developed countries, and huge promotional programs, right? Well, today’s automotive companies are taking a different approach, focusing a huge amount of resources on the Indian market. India has a population of approximately 1.1 billion People and the growing economic status of the country has birthed a budding automotive industry that produced over 2.3 million units in 2008. This past year, the Indian economy grew to Asia’s 4th largest exporter of automobiles.

Large car companies, like Toyota, see great sales potential in India. Recently, Delhi, hosted a car expo, in which many major players brought their A-game. One of the biggest hits at the expo was the Toyota Etios, a family sized sedan. As you can imagine, travel in India relies
largely on reliability, but comfort is as important if not more. So, in order to meet demand, the Etios is fairly small and easy to maintain while containing few unnecessary luxuries. This allows the Etios to sell for very low prices; it will probably run a price well below $10,000.

The Etios was revealed with two versions, a Sedan version and a hatchback. The Sedan, which would seat 5, runs a newly developed 1.5 liter gasoline engine, while the hatchback runs a 1.2 liter. Both editions of the vehicle will have excellent fuel economy, as most Toyota vehicles do. Just because it is designed to be cheap does not stop it from featuring all the Genuine Toyota parts that you know and love!

Toyota is very optimistic about the Etios, stating that they expect to sell at least 70,000 units annually when it is released in the future years. The Etios, however, will most likely not be available to United States consumers.

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[TOKYO] The Tokyo Auto show is one of the few instances where Toyota has something of a “home field advantage”, and the company took full advantage of the show this year. With all their usual showings, Toyota also unveiled two new concept vehicles: the FT-86 and the FT-EV III, the next generation in EV’s.

While the FT-EV III is more of a compact, social, and very urban centralized car, the 86 is more along the current auto trends. It is bigger, bolder, and more luxurious than many of Toyota’s concept cars, and its striking red paint job it puts an essential sense of excitement into Toyota’s image. But it’s not all about looks.

The FT-86 is a very special concept because of the relationship between it, Toyota, and Subaru. In the past, the two companies, while distinct competitors, have had fairly good standings with each other, and this comes out in the automobile. While the car was designed and perfected in Toyota’s hands, Subaru actually manufactured the engine for the 86. Also, Subaru will create their own version of the vehicle, which will have minor differences from Toyota’s FT-86.

Because it is a concept car, Toyota has not disclosed many exact statistics about the performance of the vehicle, but it has been confirmed for production. According to autoblogs.com, the FT-86 is fairly close to mass production. We should see another version of the 86 in late 2011, more finalized, and the end product should have a price tag around $20,000.

The Toyota FT-86 will most likely sell by another name, which has yet to be released.

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It’s officially 2010, and a new year comes with a slew of new, efficient, and next generation vehicles. This year, the Third Generation Prius is one of the most anticipated Toyota vehicle, and for good reason. It features many options that cut fossil fuel emissions, which combines gasoline and electric engine schemes, which gives the Prius an impressive 50mpg and approximately 134 horsepower. Also new in the 2010 Prius: heated seats, a telescopic steering wheel, Intelligent Parking Assist, and much more.

But, it isn’t all good in the world of a 2010 Prius. New reports, now numbering at about 20 recurrences, are pointing to an issue in the Prius’ brake system. Most of the occurrences are similar, describing a brief but dangerous brake failure when experiencing turbulence on the road. As you can imagine, this kind of problem is extremely important to Toyota, and it effects the reputation of Genuine Toyota Parts.

The whole vehicle in itself is a hybrid; many things could cause the possible malfunction. The brakes, when slowing down the vehicle, convert the forward motion of the vehicle into electrical energy to recharge the nickel-metal hydride battery. One theory is that the sudden jarring when, for example, hitting a pot hole, the complex brake system is fooled into releasing the brake, which would cause the loss of control.

Because of the mounting complaints, both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation and Toyota itself are beginning their own investigations to find the exact cause of the issue. Toyota has stated that the most important thing for them in the investigation is the logicality scientific aspect of the examination. They are both cracking down on the hindrance as quickly as possible so consumers will have little to worry about.

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Now, when you think of Venezuela, many things come to mind, and one of them is President Hugo Chávez. Known for his strict economic policies, Mr. Chávez has nationalized many industries, such as its oil production, but could Venezuela’s international auto industry be next? This week, Mr. Chávez has made threats towards many automotive companies, including Toyota, which could lead to their nationalization.

One of Hugo Chávez’s main concerns is the sharing of new technology with the residents of Venezuela. Most residents of the South American nation live in rural areas, so their best mode of transportation would be all terrain vehicles. Mr. Chávez believes that many of the best vehicles that Toyota produces are not being produced in their Venezuelan factory, and this is an issue for Chávez. If he finds, after an extensive inspection, that the factory is not producing the newest technology available, Mr. Chávez is threatening to nationalize the factory and then sell it to a Chinese company.

If the Venezuelan Toyota branch is lost, the company in general will be little affected. In Venezuela, Toyota sells approximately 30,000 vehicles a year, and they are still at a lower price than the national average. Compared to the nine million vehicles sold in 2008, Venezuela is not what you would say a “hard hitter” for Toyota.

Toyota is not the only car manufacturer who is having their production inspected. Others who are being threatened by the Venezuelan government are Chrysler Group LLC, and General Motors Co.

While Toyota is attempting to compromise with Mr. Chávez, there really isn’t enough business in Venezuela for them to invest transferring the newest technology. Realistically, even the most inexpensive vehicles are mostly too expensive for the everyday citizen in developing countries. That said, Toyota has mentioned beginning development of a “New Compact Car” aimed at developing countries such as Brazil and India, and is slated for release in 2010. It would be a basic car, without all the extras, that would make the NCC extremely inexpensive.

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This winter, the Kansas City Metro Area may have one of the first “White Christmas” it has had in a while, but snow on the ground can also cause unforseen dangers, primarily black ice. Virtually invisible to the eye when on pavement, it causes hundreds of wrecks each year, and it is very difficult to treat when the ice is forming as soon as crews can put down chemicals. So, for this holiday

storm, here are some important tips to follow while driving to the in-laws.

1. SLOW DOWN!! This is one of the easiest and most influential precautions to take while driving in winter conditions. If, when you start to slide, you

decide to speed up, your wheels will skid and just cause you and your passengers more strife.

2. Look Ahead. In many situations, trouble areas on the road can be seen ahead of time. If you see driver’s ahead of you who look like they are sliding on the ice, slow down, and avoid the area all together if possible. Also, be wary of the vehicles around you. You may be an expert winter driver, but the person ahead of you may make a simple mistake that could cost you time, money, and even end in injury.

3. While your Toyota Tacoma is one of the most solid vehicles on the road, don’t drive recklessly. All terrain vehicles are designed to assist you in your winter travels, but they don’t melt the ice. Even if you have the best snow tires in existence, just be careful and cautious while driving in less-than-perfect conditions.

4. Be Prepared! If you plan on doing a lot of driving during this winter season, you might want to consider upgrading your vehicle. Most Toyota Dealership carry many parts that can aid your journey, including higher preformance brakes, and your local hardware store can supply you with a snow plow that easily attaches to the front of your vehicle. Also, make sure your tires still have adequate tread. If not, carefully drive into your local Kansas City Toyota Dealerfor this fairly basic maintinence that can make all the difference.

All these precautions should ensure you have a safe travel experience this winter. Overall, if you are planning a trip, just be careful and stay alert of your surroundings. Any Toyota All Terrain vehicle should not have a problem, as long as they are adequately prepared for winter travel and are driven safely.

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FT-EV

At the beginning of this year, the Toyota FT-EV, an all electric commuter concept car, was revealed at the Detroit International Auto Show. According to Toyota, the car would run approximately 50 miles with one charge, and seat two passengers. When it was unveiled, it had a lot of similarities with the, also new, Scion iQ. The body style was slightly different, which gave it a smooth and more organic look, and appealed to many who found the iQ to “fierce”. Also, with it’s newly engineered battery, the FT-EV could reach a top speed of 70 mph.

On the website for the FT-EV, Toyota states they are “Maintaining [their] pace for developing advanced technologies and exploring many technology options for future mobility.” This may explain Toyota’s enthusiasm towards their concepts and the new Prius. With all the new electric/hybrid vehicles, they are aiming to sell aprox. one million hybrids a year by the next decade.

While it is only a concept car, Toyota did say it is possible something similar would come to market in 2012.

So, You might be wondering, why all the new electric and hybrid cars? Toyota has a fairly innovative ideaa on the future automotive industry. While they believe that the electric track is the way to go, the company does not believe that there is one singular solution to the problem at hand. They believe that the more options a consumer has, the more crowd they will attract, and that will lead more “green” automobiles to be sold.

What’s Next?

Nearly a year has passed, and it is once again time for the International Auto Show to occur in Detroit. At this years show, like the last, there is rumored to be another electric/hybrid compact car that will be revealed. We don’t know much, but there are several teaser’s that have been released by Toyota to bring some extra hype to the situation. Stay tuned for more information as the show gets in full swing…

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