1.3M Fords, Toyotas, Hondas under investigation

Paul A. Eisenstein , The Detroit Bureau – 5 days

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a series of safety investigations targeting nearly 1.3 million Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. vehicles.

Federal regulators caution that they have not decided whether recalls are necessary but automotive observers note that, having come under fire for getting too cozy with the industry in recent years, NHTSA is getting more aggressive when it comes to ordering manufacturers to resolve safety-related problems.

Toyota’s popular Prius – the nation’s best-selling gas-electric vehicle – is the target of one of the new investigations. A total of 561,000 of the high-mileage hybrids are involved, NHTSA probing reports that the vehicles’ steering shafts were improperly assembled.

The investigation focuses on Prius hybrids built between 2004 and 2009. Many of them were already the target of a previous Toyota recall involving steering shaft defects. That previous recall, announced last November covered 669,000 Prius hybrids also sold during the 2004 to 2009 model-years. According to the government, parts connected to the steering assembly could deform if a driver makes frequent, aggressive turns at low speeds.

The Prius was involved in an earlier steering-related recall that could cause loss of vehicle control. That service action covered 170,000 of the hybrids produced between 2004 and 2006.

If NHTSA orders a recall of the Prius it would prove a double black eye for the maker. The hybrid is the brand’s halo car, essential to its claims of being the “greenest” manufacturer in the industry. But it would also mark another major recall for a brand that has traditional been viewed as a quality benchmark.

In 2012, Toyota had the most vehicles recalled of any brand in the U.S. market, the third time it achieved that dubious distinction in four years. And it has already had 1 million vehicles recalled since the beginning of 2013.

NHTSA has separately launched an investigation of 724,000 Ford Escape, Fusion and Mercury Mariner and Milan models, triggered by 123 reports that the vehicles have experienced unexpected losses of power or completed stalled.

The problem could be the result of several issues including contaminated printed circuit boards and faulty throttle body assemblies. Vehicles produced between 2009 and 2011 are involved in the investigation.

The size of the investigation could also prove embarrassing to Ford which has been struggling to maintain a reputation for quality after seeing its scores drop in recent years in such key owner surveys as the 2012 J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey.

The investigation was triggered by a formal complaint filed by the North Carolina Consumers Council. That group has been actively involved in automotive safety issues in recent years, and has triggered several recalls and investigations.

The smallest of the three new NHTSA investigations targets 87,000 Honda Pilots produced for the 2005 model-year. The government agency has received 205 reports of unexpectedly severe braking that could be caused by a faulty sensor in the crossover-utility vehicle’s Vehicle Stability Assist system.

Copyright © 2009-2013, The Detroit Bureau

Read More

1 Million Toyotas recalled for windshield wiper, airbag problems

Paul A. Eisenstein, the Detroit Bureau - 2 days

Toyota says it is remembered more than 1 million vehicles, including some late model luxury cars, due to some security issues related to faulty airbags and faulty windshield wipers.

The announcement comes in the same week that the manufacturer certifies that it 2012 world's best-selling automaker regained the title as that. But Toyota had recalled more vehicles than other automakers, who work in the United States last year--the third time the dubious distinction of conquered it in four years.

The new recall covers about 752.000 Corolla and Corolla matrix cars that sold in 2003 and 2004. According to Toyota, a control module is vulnerable for short. When that happens, their airbags and front seat pre-tensioners may occur accidentally deployment.

The second recall involves an estimated 270,000 Lexus IS models, which sold between 2006 and early 2012. The manufacturer says, "the windshield wiper arm nut could be insufficient sealing. "When movement is restricted the windshield wipers by external loads, such as an accumulation of heavy snow on the windshield, which can either or both the wipers become ineffective."

The twin callbacks service actions that have threatened to tarnish Toyota's pound sterling reputation for quality, reliability and dependability, traditionally or QRD are seen at the latest in an ongoing series of large-scale security industry.

Just in last October 7.4 million were reminded, worldwide due to the potential risk vehicles of fire vehicle in connection with faulty power switch window. A third of these vehicles had been sold in the States. In November, Toyota recalls another 2.8 million vehicles due to problems with hybrid systems.

All in all recalls 5.3 million cars, trucks, and transitions in the U.S. market involved Toyota alone in 2012, significantly higher than the second place Honda, 3.9 million vehicles recalled. GM recalled 1.5 million vehicles, landing the Detroit makers third on the entire list in the past year.

But Toyota's recall problems really started in 2009, when it ordered the first in a growing number of measures in connection with problems of unintended acceleration. The first involved vehicles, which carpets the accelerator could absorb, pedal, a problem if you have highlighted a California Highway Patrol officer and several family members in a fiery accident killed.

Early in 2010, pedals to light came a second problem with sticky accelerator. The forced not only Toyota recall millions more vehicles but to just stop production at many of its U.S. Assembly lines.

During these two years alone, more than 8 million vehicles by unintended acceleration problems were recalled. The manufacturer was grilled by Congress and hammered through a series of record illegal to delay fines for safety-related recalls. But Toyota was last year again by another record by further delay related to so called carpet fine hit entrapment on its Lexus RX crossovers.

Despite its current problems, industry analysts have little evidence of any impact on Toyota image or sales the manufacturer handily outperformed the US car market overall increase in 13.5% in 2012 seen.

Global sales, meanwhile soared to 9.75 million last year significantly higher than the second place GM 9,29 million vehicles sold.

Toyota says that it will be notified soon, affected owners of his two recent recalls. Owner companies in the www.toyota.com/recall and the Toyota customer experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or www.lexus.com/recall and Lexus customer satisfaction (1 800-255-3987) attain also.

Copyright 2013 the Detroit Bureau

Read More

Toyota's new concept: 'Smartphone on 4 wheels'

Yoshikazu Tsuno / AFP - Getty Images

Akio Toyoda calls the Fun-Vii 'a smartphone on four wheels.'

By The Associated Press

Toyota's president unveiled a futuristic concept car resembling a giant smartphone to demonstrate how Japan's top automaker is trying to take the lead in technology at the upcoming Tokyo auto show.

Toyota Motor Corp. will also be showing an electric vehicle, set for launch next year, and a tiny version of the hit Prius gas-electric hybrid at the Tokyo Motor Show, which opens to the public this weekend.

But the automaker's president, Akio Toyoda, chose to focus on the experimental Fun-Vii, which he called "a smartphone on four wheels" at Monday's preview of what Toyota is displaying at the show.

The car works like a personal computer and allows drivers to connect with dealers and others with a tap of a touch-panel door.

"A car must appeal to our emotions," Toyoda said, using the Japanese term "waku waku doki doki," referring to a heart aflutter with anticipation.

Toyota's booth will be a major attraction at the biannual Tokyo exhibition for the auto industry. Toyota said the Fun Vii was an example of what might be in the works in "20XX," giving no dates.

The Tokyo show has been scaled back in recent years as U.S. and European automakers increasingly look to China and other places where growth potential is greater. U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co. isn't even taking part in the show.

Toyota's electric vehicle FT-EV III, still a concept or test model, doesn't have a price yet, but is designed for short trips such as grocery shopping and work commutes, running 105 kilometers (65 miles) on one full charge.

The new small hybrid will be named Aqua in Japan, where it goes on sale next month. Overseas dates are undecided. Outside Japan it will be sold as a Prius.

Read More

Toyota’s profit hit by floods, strong yen

Toyota said Tuesday its quarterly profit tumbled 18.5 percent on plunging sales caused by parts shortages from the tsunami disaster that hit northeastern Japan earlier this year.

Japan’s top automaker said that vehicle sales plunged in the key markets of Japan and North America, but it also said it was making up for some of the losses by strong sales in countries such as India and Indonesia.

Toyota also warned that it faces a new challenge from flooding in Thailand, declining to give a forecast for the full financial year ending March 2012, citing uncertainties stemming from the recent Thai floods which have disrupted supplies of parts and prompted it to cut some car production.

All the Japanese automakers are suffering after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan that damaged the operations of their key parts suppliers. That meant they made and sold fewer cars than normal.

The Thai floods, which began in July and now threaten central Bangkok, are compounding the production damage. The country is the Southeast Asian base for several automakers. Toyota said production cuts in Japan, which began last month, will continue through Nov. 18.

Also battering Toyota, which makes the Prius hybrid, Camry sedan and Lexus luxury models, is the surging value of the yen.

The automaker’s President Akio Toyoda said earlier this week that the strong yen has reached levels “far beyond what is tolerable,” threatening to make it necessary to move production out of Japan.

He asked the government to do more to prop up the dollar, stressing that manufacturing in Japan could be “destroyed.” Toyota said the unfavorable exchange rate erased 80 billion yen ($1 billion) from its latest quarterly net income.

Toyota was the world’s biggest automaker in annual vehicle sales last year, but it sank to No. 3 in the first half of this year, trailing U.S. rival General Motors and Volkswagen AG of Germany.

Toyota had shown tremendous ability to bounce back after the March disaster, reaching pre-tsunami levels of global production in September, faster than its initial expectation of recovering by the end of this year.

But then the floods in Thailand struck and are expected to cost Toyota tens of thousands of vehicles in lost production.

For the first half spanning April 1 through Sept. 30, Toyota’s profit nose-dived nearly 72 percent to 81.6 billion yen ($1 billion). It had eked out a tiny profit in the April-June first quarter. First-half sales fell 17 percent to 8.01 trillion yen ($103 billion).

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read More

Toyota's profit plunges amid recall concerns

TOKYO - Toyota reported a 39 percent slide in quarterly profit but raises its full-year forecasts for earnings and sales, citing one global auto recovery.

The results show a mixed picture for the world's largest automaker enjoy booming sales in high-growth markets in Asia, Africa and South America, while overlooking continued concern for quality lapses in the important US market.

Chrysler Motor City buzz create Sunday's Super Bowl game saw a powerful ad air for the U.S. automaker a company that had written many dead. Watch, rate the ads of Super Bowl XLV the worst celebrity of Super Bowl ad ConsumerMan moments: video late fees 'fraud' spreads

The only area where Toyota was stumbling, is the USA where there was market share due to concern the quality of the car loses to the massive recalls has started 2009.

Video: Toyota recalls 1.7 M cars (on this page)

The callbacks that have risen more than 12 million vehicles around the world in a balloon, include sticky gas pedals, faulty floor mats, brakes, software glitches and other defects.

Toyota Motor Corp. reported Tuesday a year in the third quarter profit 93.63 billion yen ($ 1.1 billion), down from 153 billion yen in the October-December quarter of 2009.

$57 Billion sales
Quarterly sales in the Japanese automaker fell 11.7 percent 4.673 trillion yen ($ 57 billion).

Manufacturer of Lexus luxury model, Camry sedan and the Prius hybrid expected now 7.48 million vehicles around the world in the year to March 31, up from the previous forecast for 7.1 million vehicles for sale.

Toyota raised its annual profit forecast to 490 billion yen ($ 6 billion) of 350 billion yen ($ 4.3 billion).

Senior Managing Director Takehiko Ijichi dismissed the threat of a strong yen which undermines the value of overseas income of Japanese exporters.

He said the strong demand from emerging markets grew up in "one of the pillars supporting our results."

Honda and Nissan are also Seensuffering a reduction in profits in the third quarter due to the stronger yen and declining demand in Japan, but the decline in Toyota set the deepest given its heavy exposure to unprofitable exports from Japan.

Toyota, the ago General Motors co as the world's largest automaker by a thin border last year built 3.28 million vehicles in Japan remained in the past year, compared with 992,000 for Honda and 1.13 million for Nissan.

Story: Toyota acceleration problem not caused by electronic failure

Toyota shares rose 18 percent in the past three months versus 13 percent in Tokyo's wide TOPIX index gain. Honda won 22% and Nissan rose 13 percent.

Before the results were known on Tuesday that Toyota ended yen, trading, unchanged from the previous day sound enthusiasm for invention while the TOPIX gained 0.4 percent.

The associated press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Read More