Toyota, One Year Later Report from Kelley Blue Book

One year later from what you didn't ask did you? Well maybe, but essentially this is a report discussing Toyota's woes over the past year with respect to the mass recalls it endured. You can view the in depth report here (it is a downloadable file on the site).

Despite Toyota's recall woes of 2010, the brand's used-car values held strong throughout the year so they probably don't really need to look for a sie operation selling the best weight loss supplements or anything. Among the best-performing used Toyotas were 2007-2009 model-years Camry, RAV4, Highlander, Sienna and Yaris, primarily due to their offering of solid fuel economy in an affordable package. Meanwhile, used vehicles from Toyota's luxury sister brand Lexus underperformed the market throughout 2010 along with all luxury brands, primarily due to the economic concerns of used-car shoppers. more

Toyota Recalls Continue To Hurt Sales

Obviously, we all expected Toyota to have a bit of a decline on their sales after the highly publicized recalls last year. According to the most recent Cars.com Consumer Lead Index, Toyota's recalls continue to have a negative impact on sales activity. Leads for Toyota vehicles overall declined close to 5 percent year over year on Cars.com, and interest in the brand's vehicles continues to slip month over month. The Toyota RAV4 topped the list of vehicles experiencing the largest month over month irvingia type decline in leads, followed closely by the Camry.

"While the Toyota trend is somewhat expected, what's more interesting is the fact that Honda has seen a significant decline as well," said Cars.com Editor in Chief Patrick Olsen. "Honda execs mentioned that they felt there might be some consumer backlash towards Japanese manufacturers as a result of the Toyota recalls and that certainly could be at play here."

Toyota Bounces Back From Recalls With Increased Sales

The recall fiasco for Toyota didn't seem to hurt their sales in March, as American Honda Motor Co., Inc., posted March sales of 108,262 vehicles, an increase of 17.8 percent based on the daily selling rate, the company announced today. American Honda year-to-date sales of 256,412 represent an increase of 12.5 percent based on the daily selling rate.

Sales also went up 16.9% over the 2009 sales for the same month.

So...it looks like they are back in the swing of things, and drivers aren't worried about having to wear protective clothing when they get behind the wheel. I assume that Toyota has done a good job at offering a lot of deals the last couple months as well.

"Our truck models are seeing the biggest gains compared to last year," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. "Across the lineup, people are seeking long-term value and are placing a high priority on making smart purchase decisions."

LAtest Official Toyota and Lexus Recalls List

Here we go. The list of all the Toyotas and Lexus' vehicles that are apparently under recall. This is the latest list as of Friday, February 19, 2010. In addition to the recall lists for the two brands, Toyota also released a video on Emergency Stopping Procedures due to a sticky pedal. Man...that is some heavy stuff to release this kind of thing isn't it?

To find out if your vehicle has been recalled check Official Toyota Recall Site. It lists all the versions of their cars that are currently under recall, as well as more information about what they are going to do about it, as well as what you need to do. Vehicles not involved may also be viewed as well as a search function that allows you to check you car based on your VIN Number. The VIN Number Search page can be located here.

Here is a quick list of the Toyotas that are being recalled as of now:

* 2005-2010 Avalon
* 2010 Prius
* 2007-2010 Camry
* 2009-2010 RAV4
* 2009-2010 Corolla
* 2008-2010 Sequoia
* 2008-2010 Highlander
* 2005-2010 Tacoma
* 2009-2010 Matrix
* 2007-2010 Tundra
* 2004-2009 Prius
* 2009-2010 VENZA

Looks like a good time for you to find the
most successful home based business you can since you can't drive anywhere doesn't it..lol

The Lexus page is far less involved, but this is the Official Lexus Recall Info site. The only vehicle on the front page there is the Lexus 2010 HS 250h, which is a voluntary recall, but it is encouraged that you do it as it involves reports of inconsistent breaking in their vehicles.

Attorney Calls For More Toyota Recalls: 2002-2006 Camrys

Oh boy...Toyota is just in a disaster of a year aren't they? I can't turn on the news without hearing about hos Toyota is killing people with their cars. Good thing I don't own, or never have owned a Toyota I suppose at this rate. I can worry about more important things like acne treatment gel. AT first I thought it was a bit overblown, but it is really in overdrive in the media now. Everyday there is something new.

An addendum to the earlier Toyota Sudden Unintended Acceleration report shows that NHTSA allegedly excluded eight early reports of deaths linked to Toyota SUA from its official complaints, crash, injury and death counts.


The omission occurred during the first two years of the NHTSA's probe into the matter, which may have affected the recall remedy and scope of future recalls, downplaying the urgency and intensity of the situation. The new information would bring the official number of deaths related to Toyota SUA to 42.

"It is important to note that each of these eight deaths was reported to NHTSA and for whatever reason ignored," said Beasley Allen attorney Graham Esdale, who has taken the lead on these Toyota sudden unintended acceleration cases for the firm. Esdale believes the number of unreported deaths could be even higher. "It appears SRS only chose the most verifiable reports of death to include in its addendum, but Beasley Allen also is continuing to search for other deaths that are verifiable from sources other than NHTSA. Common sense would lead one to believe there are many more," he said.

"Another very important point about the eight deaths is that all involved 2002-2004 year model Camry vehicles," Esdale said. "This is important because the 2002-2006 year model Camrys have been completely ignored by Toyota in its recalls. A previously released Beasley Allen statistical analysis of NHTSA complaints shows these year model vehicles experience sudden unintended acceleration more frequently than do the recalled models. This is yet more evidence of Toyota not being forthcoming with consumers and NHTSA about the source of the problem with these vehicles," he said.

Honda Insight, the New Hybrid with the Old Name

Honda’s original Insight hybrid was introduced in 1999 but it was discontinued in 2006 after sluggish sales totaling a cumulative 17,000 worldwide. With the success of the Toyota Prius, Honda is looking to get back into the hybrid market after many hours of restful contemplation by the light of tea light candles

Tokyo-based Honda, Japan’s No. 2 automaker, will show a “concept model” of the Insight at the Paris Motor Show next month, Honda said in a statement Thursday.

It will be a five-door hatchback compact, whose design is based on the sleek FCX Clarity, Honda’s fuel cell vehicle, according to Honda.

“The name Insight was chosen to denote Honda’s ’insight’ into a new era in which hybrid vehicles come within reach of most car buyers,” the company said.

Toyota Surpassed GM as Top Carmaker in 2006

This news is based on 2006, but released today and isn't really unexpected. Well...I guess how it was achieved was according to the article below. While looking at articles on California mortgage refinance I saw this and decided to post it as it is sort of an interesting development in the automaker industry.

Reuters reported that the milestone that the global auto industry has been holding its collective breath for -- Toyota Motor Corp.'s unseating General Motors Corp. as the world's biggest carmaker -- came last year instead of in 2007 as many had expected, according to a leading industry journal.

Detroit-based weekly Automotive News, whose data centre publishes a widely quoted ranking of the world's automakers around this time every year, said Japan's top carmaker outsold GM by about 128,000 units last year based on a technicality that excludes sales of vehicles at minority-held subsidiaries.

"A little-known Chinese microvan played a role in Toyota's victory," the magazine, published by Crain Communications, said on its website. link

How Toyota became a juggernaut

Out of small beginnings.

Toyota cracked the Big 3 in U.S. auto sales in 2006, passing DaimlerChrysler and closing in on both Ford and General Motors.

But a half-century ago, America was still a gleam in the eye of a few optimistic Toyota executives in Japan. Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. set up shop Oct. 31, 1957, in a former Rambler dealership in Hollywood.

Sales began in 1958. That year's total: 288 vehicles - 287 Toyopet Crowns and a Land Cruiser. Last year in the United States, the company surpassed 2.5 million sales of Toyota, Lexus and Scion models. Toyota also built 1.6 million vehicles and 1.4 million engines in North America in 2006.

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