The glitch in the software is a different problem from the problem floor mats and stuck accelerator pedals which led to the recall and production freeze of millions of Toyota cars across the globe. About 133,000 units of the 2010 Prius and 14,500 HS 250h were affected and had to be recalled for a software upgrade.

The ABS normally functions when the control system of the car needs to react to slipping wheel on the road so the ABS disengages and engages rapidly. Consumers have reported that they have been encountering problems when they apply brakes on slick or rough roads when the ABS is activated.

The recall covers the 2010 Prius that was produced since May 2009. All Lexus HS 250h are being recalled. Older Prius generations used a different version of the ABS software.

Owners of the vehicles being recalled will be getting a mail from the Japanese carmaker to inform them that they need to bring their car to their local Toyota dealership.

About 7,300 units of the Camry is also being recalled for a possible problem with a power steering hose that is rubbing against a brake fluid hose. In the long run, this may cause a brake fluid leak which will lead to a series of other braking problems. Owners of this Camrys will also be mailed.

Rigorously Tested Reinforced Pedals Will Eliminate the Excess Friction that Caused Sticking

Toyota Will Make Concerted Effort to Repair Recalled Vehicles as Quickly and Conveniently as Possible

TORRANCE, Calif., February 1, 2010 – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A., Inc., today announced it will begin fixing accelerator pedals in recalled Toyota Division vehicles this week. Toyota’s engineers have developed and rigorously tested a solution that involves reinforcing the pedal assembly in a manner that eliminates the excess friction that has caused the pedals to stick in rare instances. In addition, Toyota has developed an effective solution for vehicles in production.

Parts to reinforce the pedals are already being shipped for use by dealers, and dealer training is under way. Many Toyota dealers will work extended hours to complete the recall campaign as quickly and conveniently as possible, some even staying open 24 hours a day. The company has also taken the unprecedented action of stopping production of affected vehicles for the week of February 1.

“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.”

Lentz added: “We are focused on making this recall as simple and trouble-free as possible, and will work day and night with our dealers to fix recalled vehicles quickly. We want to demonstrate that our commitment to safety is as high as ever and that our commitment to our customers is unwavering.”

On January 21, Toyota announced its intention to recall approximately 2.3 million select Toyota Division vehicles equipped with a specific pedal assembly and suspended sales of the eight models involved in the recall on January 26.

Toyota vehicles affected by the recall include:
• 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

No Lexus Division or Scion vehicles are affected by these actions. Also not affected are Toyota Prius, Tacoma, Sienna, Venza, Solara, Yaris, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Highlander hybrids and certain Camry models, including Camry hybrids, all of which remain for sale.

Further, Camry, RAV4, Corolla and Highlander vehicles with Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) that begin with “J” are not affected by the accelerator pedal recall.

In the event that a driver experiences an accelerator pedal that sticks in a partial open throttle position or returns slowly to idle position, the vehicle can be controlled with firm and steady application of the brakes. The brakes should not be pumped repeatedly because it could deplete vacuum assist, requiring stronger brake pedal pressure. The vehicle should be driven to the nearest safe location, the engine shut off and a Toyota dealer contacted for assistance.

Detailed information and answers to questions about issues related to this recall are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and at the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

How Toyota Will Fix Recalled Vehicles

Toyota has pinpointed the issue that could, on rare occasions, cause accelerator pedals in recalled vehicles to stick in a partially open position. The issue involves a friction device in the pedal designed to provide the proper “feel” by adding resistance and making the pedal steady and stable. 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 some cases, friction could increase to a point that the pedal is slow to return to the idle position or, in rare cases, the pedal sticks, leaving the throttle partially open.

Toyota’s solution for current owners is both effective and simple. A precision-cut steel reinforcement bar will be installed into the assembly that will reduce the surface tension between the friction shoe and the adjoining surface. With this reinforcement in place, the excess friction that can cause the pedal to stick is eliminated. The company has confirmed the effectiveness of the newly reinforced pedals through rigorous testing on pedal assemblies that had previously shown a tendency to stick.

Separately from the recall for sticking accelerator pedals, Toyota is in the process of recalling vehicles to address rare instances in which floor mats have trapped the accelerator pedal in certain Toyota and Lexus models (announced November 25, 2009), and is already notifying customers about how it will fix this issue. In the case of vehicles covered by both recalls, it is Toyota’s intention to remedy both at the same time.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Toyota Motor Sales, Corporate Communications
(310) 468-5297
(310) 468-7359

Media Web site: http://www.toyotanewsroom.com
Public Web site: http://www.toyota.com

The first of the additional styling that we might see on the Prius is the 2-door coupe that will target to topple the 2011 hybrid Honda CR-Z sports coupe.

The future member of the Prius line is expected to sport the same 4-cylinder 1.8L engine and Hybrid Synergy Drive set up of the current release of the Prius. The package though might come with better aerodynamics than the 5-door version which already boasts of a 0.25 drag coefficient– among the best for production cars today. The Prius coupe will also be a lot lighter than the family variant.

The Prius vehicles will see other new members like a small minivan that may rival the 2010 Mazda5 in terms of size and capacity. The Mazda5 is one class smaller than the current Toyota Sienna which is considered as one of the top choices for minivans in the United States.

The new members of the Prius line up will face off against hybrid models that will roll off the factories of Honda which is pushing harder to make their line up greener than it was originally planned.

The announcement may be a clear display of faith on the capabilities of the 2010 4Runner. The Baja 100 is a 672 mile of racing far from being a joke. It is no grounds for any amateur even with the fiercest guts. The race is considered by all experts as very suicidal as drivers zoom over broken paths night and day.

The 22-time winner of the Baja 1000, Ivan Stewart is confident though that the 5th Generation 4Runner can handle the stress. He has no doubts that the 4Runner can make it and has enough under its hood and body to survive the grueling ordeal of Baja. Hopefully, any defects on the ride will not show midway through the race or it will be a disaster.

Last year, a Ridgeline from Honda won the Stock Mini class besting an H3 and an FJ Cruiser. The Toyota FJ Cruiser failed to finish the race and crashed a few miles from the finish line.

The 2010 4Runner has a V-6 under its hood which is said to be 34 horsepower more aggressive that the older brother. The chassis was also structured to withstand the toughest of off-road conditions. There is press release yet if the attempt at Baja will lead to an upgrade package for the 2010 4Runner like what Ford did to the Raptor with XT and SVT variants.

The FT86 is still on the drawing boards but it will take the spotlight in a concept form at the Tokyo Auto show later this month. The lines of the FT86 will be very similar to the Lexus IS-F and will take shape as a 2+2 sports car.

Toyota has decided to use a four cylinder 2.0L engine from Subaru. The configuration of the powerplant will be for a rear drive vehicle instead of the usual Subaru all wheel drive configuration. The engine will be coupled with a six-speed transmission on manual.

The naturally aspirated power train was chosen for the concept to keep costs in control and manage the weight of the vehicle properly. The design will also focus on keeping the center of gravity balanced and low. According to some reliable sources, the FT86 will have a very good handling and smooth acceleration.

The concept vehicle is schedule to be on sale before the end of 2011 in Japan. The sticker price is forecasted to start at around $25,000. Between today and the production date, much of the styling and engine output will be changed drastically.

The FT86 might provide the spark in the Toyota line up as the sports car market misses rides like the Supra, MR2, and Celica.

A Japanese newspaper reports that Toyota will be producing between 20000 and 30000 units of plug-in hybrids come 2012. This will be two years after GM kicks off the production of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

A plug-in hybrid that was derived from the platform of the current Prius hybrid is expected to go to dealerships in Japan this month. This car will have a tag price starting at $47,800. The car will be able to travel for about 18.6 miles running on electric power alone. It depends on a pack of lithium ion batteries made by Panasonic EV Energy.

Toyota does not want to confirm any latest development with the plug-in hybrid cars they are producing.

A previous report verified that Toyota is fast tracking its global trials of about 500 units of plug-in hybrids by end of 2009. These cars will be ready for commercial and government fleets. Japan will keep about 200 vehicles for testing while 150 will go to Europe and the other 150 for the U.S. market.

The plug-in hybrid variant of the Prius returned a 30% improvement in terms of fuel mileage compared to the 2010 Prius which is already considered as the most fuel efficient in the U.S.

The company estimates that they will need about $1 billion to follow all the new industry rules from the federal government and California.

California requires manufacturers that sell more than 60000 vehicles in a year to have 3% of the units as zero emissions. This puts automakers like Toyota, Ford, and Honda in a no choice position because of the state legislation.

Chrysler and General Motors will also have to follow the new rules but do not require as much budget considering that the other car makers share the bigger chunk of the market.

The needed $1 billion of funding can be broken down into production of components needed for building the electric vehicles, equipment, and service centers. They also have to consider things like training of the manpower, marketing, and coverage for the vehicle’s guarantees and warranties.

Bloomberg reports that based on the current sales figures of Toyota, 3% of it or around 15000 units should be zero-emission. In case the car manufacturer fails to meet the state requirement, California can ban Toyota from selling their products.

The car manufacturers are currently studying the most effective steps to meet the regulations. The hard part is convincing the public to purchase the electric vehicles that they will be pushing for.

Toyota motors entered in the racing motor sports in the Australia motor sport trial in 1957. The company later made its roots in a Formula 1 team in 1972. In 1972, Anderson’s motor sport team, in the Formula 1 race, used Toyota Celica. The team was later named as Toyota Team Europe, which later was bought by Toyota in 1993.

In 2002, Toyota debuted in the Formula 1 race with Toyota TF102 used by McNish and Salo. In 2002, the Toyota racing team invested a heavy budget for the development of the racing team and scored two points over the year.

In 2003, Toyota racing team made several points over the year and reached the fifth place in the motor sport rating in Germany. The company signed Cristiano da Matta for the racing team and moved to the fifth position in Germany.

In 2004, Toyota retained the same driver line up, but the team was disqualified in the Canadian Grand Prix due to the illegal parts. The team replaced Cristiano Da Matta with Ricardo Zonda and further changed to Jarno Trulli.

In 2007, Toyota was introduced to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and is still a proven race car manufacturer with the Sprint Cup series in 2008.

With the struggles in the racing industry over the years with changes in the driver line, the Toyota racing team scored top points in 2008 with the latest Toyota model, Toyota TF108 was introduced in the racing team in 2008. More F1 at Ferrari Blog!

It was a good bet for a production vehicle but Toyota executives point out that they have a lot of priorities at the moment and building the A-BAT is not on top of their list.

The A-BAT was close to reality when the Japanese car manufacturer asked for bids from potential suppliers for the hybrid version and four cylinder variant of the truck. The light never went green though for the bulky futuristic vehicle.

The decision of the company may have been influenced by the dismal performance of their two pickups which have suffered from the drop in housing and construction. Toyota only sold 18349 units of the Tundra which is a 55% drop in 1Q sales. The Tacoma was also a laggard performer in the market with first quarter sales dropping as much as 37% or translating to only 24937 units sold.

Toyota executives assure the public that they are committed to meet the demand for the Tundra although the sales are greatly dependent on the construction industry.

The A-BAT was first thought to be entering the market as a Scion but the market’s focus on acquiring smaller vehicles proved to be an emphatic contrast to the possibility.

The market’s demands have changed drastically in the last twelve months and Toyota aims to adapt and adjust their priorities to meet the needs of the consumers. For now, they do not see the A-BAT selling in these recessionary times.

The 2010 Toyota Prius and the Oscar’s might really be a good mix. With the whole world watching and hundreds of flashbulbs flickering, the event was a great publicity and promotion of the silver screen elites’ advocacy to be green.

All eyes are on them when actors and actresses come to the biggest award’s night of the year. A gas gulper limo can definitely have a negative effect on their image now that fans and the press look at how the stars are ecologically conscious.

The 2010 Toyota Prius got the attention of the world amid the stars of the night serving as shuttle of the Hollywood elites. The Prius may actually be considered as a tribrid as it can also maximize the sun’s powers as solar panels are mounted on its roof.

The presence of the green car at the Oscar’s was made possible by the team up of Toyota with Econation. The latter is a transportation company which has a fleet of limos, buses, taxis, and town cars that are all fuel efficient. The Japanese car maker partnered with Econation to offer the 2010 Prius to the Oscar attendees.

Toyota is very aggressive with its campaign to dominate the hybrid sector of the automotive market. New fuel efficient car models are slated for released soon to further entice the appreciation of the market.

Some of the big names gearing to get a hold of the new solar powered hybrids are Rosario Dawson, Leonardo Di Caprio, and Tom Hanks.