NTHSA Probes Corolla Models;

The NTHSA has continued to probe Toyota Corolla models of up to 1.2 million which have been indicated as stalling. 1,101 complaints have been filed against the Toyota Corolla model, although Chevy models which can be repaired at a FL Chevy Service have not been affected. The Toyota Corolla is a popular subcompact vehicle model and it is similar to many vehicle models that are sold during VW Specials.

Also be sure to check out Hartford Chrysler Jeep Dealers for information on the latest vehicle models that are subcompacts as well as other models. So far there have been many complaints that the 2005-2007 Toyota Corolla may stall at any speed. The engine will stall without warning and then it will not restart. The investigation was opened last November, and Toyota has already recalled over 11.2 million vehicles since last November.

Toyota made a statement saying that the defect does not create an "unreasonable risk" to safety. So far there have been 6 crashes reportedly related to the defect with no injuries or deaths so far. Toyota has approved over 4,000 warranty claims for replacement of the electronic control unit of the vehicle.

The first problem with the Corolla occurred in 2005 and the company began an investigation in 2006. The vehicle's control module was improved in 2007 however there is still potentially a fault with the control module as many thousands of owners have expressed complaints. The problem may be due to two potential causes: cracks in the joints of the control unit's circuit boards or cracks in the glass coating of a resister that is used to protect circuits against excess voltage.

Toyota said that the supplier of the resister has changed its material making it more likely to crack. The NHTSA has also received complaints of a similar problem in the Pontiac Vibe vehicle model.

Toyota to Add Investigative Vehicle Offices;

Toyota made recent announcements about extending its development process, and now the automaker is putting more engineers in U.S. quality offices. Used Toyota models such as the Camry can be found at a Cincinnati used car dealer. Toyota's German competitor, Volkswagen, has models that can be purchased during VW Specials. The move is Toyota's latest in an attempt to increase quality control, remove manufacturing defects, and prevent further recalls and reputation damage.

Ford vehicles can be purchased at a Ford Lincoln Mercury Birmingham dealer and Ford has not had major recall issues lately. There will be at least seven Toyota offices in the United States that will be staffed with engineers and specialists. These employees will be part of an investigations unit that will look into any customer complaints about Toyota models. Each of the offices will have a specialization in a particular issue, and each office will employee three to five staff members. Toyota also has several other quality control programs commencing at the moment. The offices will be implemented over a period of one year.

The Swift Market Analysis and Response Teams (SMART) were set up by Toyota to investigate the acceleration problems that have made headlines since 2009. This team is a separate entity from the new quality control offices that Toyota is establishing. The latest move for the U.S. field offices are a response by Toyota's United States branch that has sought more autonomy in vehicle quality control and other areas.

Toyota has issued nearly 11 million recalls since late last year. The company will continue to make major moves in order to reduce liability and improve automobile design to eliminate the chance of a recall in the near future. The new task forces are designed to look at all areas of customer complaints including but not limited to: warranty claims, customer complaints, online blogs, social media, e-mails, NHTSA filings, lawsuits and legal claims, and essentially any discussion of Toyota news or defects.

Toyota Lexus Defects Reported in 2007;

Toyota's latest recalls have dealt with its Lexus brand. Toyota has issued recalls that have dealt with a fire hazard in certain Lexus models as well as a more recent engine stalling problem with other models. Nissan, a major Toyota competitor also based out of Japan has not had any major recall issues as of late. Nissan models can be test-driven at a local Sacramento Nissan dealer. Also, Volkswagen, whose models can be purchased at a Peoria VW dealer, and Ford, whose models can be purchased at a Cincinnati Ford Dealer have stayed relatively clear of recall and car defect news over the past few years.

Reports have come out that Toyota had complaints about its recent engine stalling problems in 2007. A report called the "Toyota Defect Information Report" showed information from field technical reports from the period of March 2007 to August 2008, and the reports showed that there were broken valve springs with engine noise. The current engine stalling problems are said to have problems with the engine valve springs and noise.

At the time there were no reports of accidents, however in October of 2009 there were reports of engines stalling and valve springs continuing to break. These reports are what has lead to the latest recall by Toyota that has affected nearly 140,000 vehicles in the United States alone and up to 270,000 vehicles throughout the world.

Although Toyota was aware of the problem as early as 2008, the company decided to not issue a recall as they felt the severity of the problem was minimal. However, with increasing reports of engine stalling, Toyota decided to issue the recall for the affected models. Toyota is attempting to maintain its image as a high quality automaker, but the latest Lexus recall has not helped the company at all.

Toyota Issues Recall on Lexus HS 250h Models

Toyota has announced a recall of up to 17,000 Lexus HS 250h models for a potential fuel leak hazard. The hazard was discovered during rear impact crash tests. GM whose models can be purchased at a Cincinnati Chevrolet Dealer recently announced a massive recall of nearly 1.5 million vehicles over a fire hazard concern. Ford, whose popular F-150 model can be browsed at a local Ford F-150 Inventory has not had to deal with many recall concerns lately.

The recall news is the latest Toyota manufacturing problem in a series of problems that began in 2009. Toyota has recalled over 10 million vehicles since only late 2009 and the latest news of a hazard with the Lexus HS 250h model is not much of a help to the automaker. Toyota's recalls have included numerous problems such as braking, steering, acceleration, and others. Dealers have halted sales of the model until the problem has been fixed.

Toyota found out about the fuel hazard during a vehicle crash test. When the Lexus was struck from the rear at 50 mph, there was a leak that exceeded governmental regulations. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that a fuel leak of the magnitude that was reported on the Lexux HS 250h could lead to fires.

Lexus had this to say in a statement, “Lexus is currently working to identify the reason for the different test results and the cause of this noncompliance.” The Lexus HS 250h is a hybrid vehicle that is capable of 35 miles per gallon and has numerous luxury features and more space than the Prius.

Toyota is still a leading automaker in the world, however other automakers such as Ford have taken recent strides in market share gain and hope to continue to improve their market share both domestically and abroad.