Showing posts with label toyota news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label toyota news. Show all posts

Sunday, April 24, 2011

At least 6 months before regular production for Toyota;

Toyota will see at least 6 months before the company returns to regular vehicle production, says a Toyota spokesperson. Models sold at Maryland Scion may end up being affected in terms of inventory due to this production delay, however at the moment it is unclear which particular dealerships would be affected by the slowdown. Toyota said that it will take until at least November for production to return back to normal and be on pace with production for models sold at Auburn Hyundai Dealership. Factory suspensions have bottomed out at the moment and output will begin rebounding this summer to help the company return to similar levels of output as Hyundai and other competitors, and the latest Hyundai models can be purchased from a Hyundai Dealer Lancaster.

This announcement is the first time that Toyota has made a public declaration of the timeframe it expects to take for the company to return to full production. This timeframe may give an idea of how long it will take other Japanese automakers like Honda and Nissan to also recover from the earthquakes, as these companies have also struggled with logistical problems stemming from the earthquakes and tsunami. The timeframe is long range and not very specific but it will help dealerships with their planning to avoid inventory shortages and other potential problems that could stem from the delays.


The president of Toyota said that the purpose of the timeframe announcement was to help dealers in their conversations with customers. At the moment salespeople couldn't talk in specifics because there were not specifics available but with the timeframe announcement they now can talk to their customers with an idea in mind about delivery timing. By November or December, output level is expected to be back to where it was before the earthquake and resulting tsunami that destroyed many villages and facilities in northeast Japan.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Canadian helps Toyota rebound;

After Toyota suffered a series of recalls that hurt the company's reputation for reliability, the company hired a French Canadian chairman of operations to help draft a plan to maintain quality standards at the company. The latest models which have improved with these new quality standards can be purchased from Golden Valley Toyota dealerships. There was an issue at Toyota where some employees felt as if they were not connecting with the overall mission statement and the company as a whole. The Canadian who was hired to help alleviate this problem is named Real Tanguay and he felt that Toyota's employees needed a stronger sense of mission and empowerment. Toyota heeded his advice and began implementing his plan which so far has resulted in success for him. The latest Toyota models that have benefited from higher quality stnadards can be purchased from a Toyota Dealership Salina.

Also check out local BMW Dealer California businesses for high quality BMW import models which have not been affected by similar recalls lately. Toyota asked Tanguay to redesign the Toyota Global Vision business plan and this plan was shown last Wednesday in Tokyo. The plan includes goals and mission statements as well as more specific ideas for improving quality standards. One idea was to move the authority for the company further from headquarters and closer to the various global markets in which the company operates in.




Recalls were not the only issue that Tanguay had to wrestle with, as the company was experiencing fewer sales due to the global recession. The bad timing of the recalls along with the poor economic climate made developing a new plan challenging. Toyota which historically has not gone outside of Japan for advice was desperate for some new direction and hired Tanguay for the development of the new plan. The the new plan has reduced the total number of board members to 11, and the new plan involves several risk aversion techniques in order to avoid future recalls.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Trucks Tougher Than Yours!


When you think about the luxury vehicles from BMW CA, you likely think of a shiny silver sedan that is dripping with ultra-luxe features.  That vision is spot-on, and Americans have come to appreciate the import luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz Salisbury for the specialized vehicles that they bring to our country.  Domestic auto brands are known for making vehicles that are bargains that can easily be upgraded.  However, when you stop by Alexandria Mercedes-Benz to check out their current inventory, there are not many upgrades that you would really need or want to do.  However, import brands also have the ability to be tough and rugged when the time comes.  Some of the most rugged trucks in the world come from Toyota and Nissan, two Japanese auto brands that are known for producing high fuel efficiency vehicles. 

On the other end of the fuel efficiency spectrum are the Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Hilux, Nissan Patrol, and the Land Rover Defender.  These trucks have made a name for themselves with some of the most prominent international organizations in the world, and they are called upon for the toughest driving conditions.  You would never take your luxury compact through the Sahara Desert in Africa, but the Land Rover Defender thrives in that climate.  They feature a full time four-wheel drive system and are frequent inhabitants of some of the un-friendliest terrains known to man.  The Red Cross would not be as successful in their operations without them. 

Toyota brings the Land Cruiser and the Hilux to needy organizations.  The United Nations as well as the International Red Cross have several in their fleet despite the $70,000 price tag for the Land Cruiser.  You see the white Toyota Hilux frequently under the operation of a Red Cross or United Nations worker as well, and they rely on the fact that Toyota calls the Hilux “unbreakable.”




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Friday, September 17, 2010

Toyota's Plans For the Fast Lane!


What are you to do when your heart is pulled in two directions?  People who love Los Angeles Honda vehicles but can't afford them should be able to sympathize with the President of Toyota Motor Corporation, Akio Toyoda.  While Toyota is known for producing reliable and fuel efficient vehicles, many of which you can find at Used Car lots, their fearless leader is a big fan of racing and sports cars.  People are always saying that you should do what you love in life and let the rest of it fall together on its own. Even if that means you find yourself at a Pittsburgh Mazda car lot!  Toyota has become somewhat of a master for eco-friendly cars, and if their President wants to spend a little time developing his passion, no one should tell them not to!

With all of the available technology in the world and how global the auto industry is these days, there are hardly any limitations on the scope of possibilities when it comes to car concepts.  The line up at Reading Chrysler Dodge has a little bit of everything to satisfy their consumers and draw some shoppers away from the competition.  The sports car market is typically a loyal fan base, and it might be difficult for Toyota to break into that market.  On the other hand, if they are able to produce a solid sports car that is reasonably priced, they may have stumbled on a great creation.

Toyota has already gotten their hands a little dirty with the $375,000 Lexus LFA sports car.  President Toyoda knows that this line will only churn a small profit, if any, but still wants to pursue the possibilities.  The affordable one that will be available mainstream is a joint endeavor with Subaru and Toyota.  It will be known as the FT-86, and will be available under both brand names.  Drivers can look for it to be on the lots towards the end of 2011.



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Monday, August 23, 2010

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.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Toyota says that Demonstrations are "Sporadic";



Toyota announced that the latest UAW demonstrations were merely "sporadic" and that the UAW did not have as much support for the protests as it has claimed. Ford dealerships such as Ford Kansas City dealers, are not being protested, and the popular Ford Escape can be found at these dealerships. The UAW's newly elected president, Bob King, called on members of the UAW to protest Toyota over issues dealing with the closure of a California plant. The UAW said that pickets were held at dealerships throughout California and in New York as well. It is not known whether any VW Dealer would be affected by the protests.

The UAW has received criticism by dealership organizations for protesting dealerships during a time in which the economy is hurting and sales are few and far between. The NUMMI plant in Fremont is the plant that has the UAW up in arms and 5 local dealerships in the NUMMI plant area recently announced that there were no issues with protests. There have been small groups of protests at various other dealerships that have occurred during peak business hours.

Other major dealerships in New York City also announced that there were no protests as well. The UAW does not consider the pickets actual protests but rather an education of Toyota's international business policies.

Dealerships are a major source of jobs and businesses for local workers and it may be seen by some as being in poor taste to target them. A Toyota spokeswoman said: “It is unfortunate that whomever they represent, they have elected to attempt to disrupt independent and impartial business operations supporting surrounding communities. Toyota dealers have made significant investments in their businesses and contribute significantly throughout their communities."

It is not known how the protests will affect dealership sales, but one can only imagine that the dealerships that are being protested are not going to do better with people protesting outside of them. Those protests that have occurred already have said to be "rather tame" with protesters choose to not be very vocal and attention drawing.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Toyota Supplier Expands in China;



Toyota, a leading Japanese car manufacturer whose models can be purchased at a Toyota Boston dealer, has announced that their largest parts supplier, Denso Corp., will be expanding its production over the next year. Denso is a Chinese parts supplier that has produced parts for Toyota. The move comes in the wake of several labor protests at other Toyota suppliers throughout China. Labor costs in China are though to be increasing and Denso made the move in order to respond to those concerns. GM and Volkswagen, whose models can be found at a Chevrolet Chicago dealer and a Volkswagen Peoria dealer, have not had to deal with the Chinese labor strikes.

There will be more units of capacity added to its production facilities in China. The units will be used to make air conditions for Toyota and other manufacturers. One of the company's plants was involved in a worker's strike last June, but that particular company was joint operated with another company. The workers held a four and half day strike that was later resolved, and the strike was over worker wages.

Chinese passenger car sales have risen over the past year and as a result there is more demand than ever for companies like Denso to produce vehicles. Toyota's models like the Corolla have increased in demand, while Honda's models have also been in popular demand in China. Toyota and Honda are now major rivals in the Chinese car market and both companies anticipate increased demand over the next few years.

There have been eight strikes throughout 2010 so far and the manufacturers affected include Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. All three manufacturers are based out of Japan and are major rivals. Honda brokered a deal with its workers at a plant in Guangdong to increase their wages over 24 percent.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

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.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

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.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Toyota Claims Acceleration Cases Need More Review.



Toyota, whose pre-owned models can be found at a Johnston used cars lot, has made an announcement saying that the cases involve vehicle acceleration should be further investigated for every other possible cause. Competing manufacturers such as Nissan and Volkswagen did not have acceleration problems, even though Toyota claimed that every brand has supposedly had accelerator issues. Check out Nissan deals for low priced offerings from the brand, and a local Volkswagen dealer also may have deals on select models.

There are many claims from 2009 that Toyota vehicles had a "sticky accelerator" that would speed up the automobile by having the throttle stuck. Some even reported that the car could not be shut off even by braking. The problem affected several Toyota models including the Toyota RAV4, Corolla, Highlander, Tundra, and other recent models.

Toyota attributed the stuck accelerator problem to being related to a frictional device on the gas pedal that would sometimes stick on floor mats. The frictional covering was designed to make the surface easier to operate. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was at a meeting to investigate the accelerator problems. A National Academy of Sciences panel was present to review the discussion.

A Toyota spokesperson said that unintended acceleration has been reported for “every major automaker.” Toyota has issued over 10 million recalls over the past year for various problems including a fire hazard in Lexus models, brake problems, other problems. NASA has also been called to review the issue.

Toyota is attempting to keep its image as a safe auto manufacturer and hopes that the investigation will result in the problems not be related to an electric fault of the vehicle. Auto safety advocates have questioned whether or not the problem had to do with the computer system controlling the vehicle rather than a mechanical problem with the gas pedal.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Toyota Auris Hybrid To Become Next Big Green European Vehicle?

The Toyota Auris hybrid is one of Toyota's latest green models. Other new competing hybrid models include the Chevy Volt which can be found at Detroit GM dealers and the Nissan Leaf . The model can be test driven at a Nissan dealer with a Nissan Leaf Inventory or a Nissan Frontier Inventory. Volkswagen has talked about releasing a hybrid Golf, and other Volkswagen models can be browsed at a Volkswagen Peoria dealership.

The Auris hybrid is in competition with the Fiat for the greenest car in Europe. The Auris is made in the United Kingdom. Toyota's environment director told Automotive News of Europe that the company wants to become Europe's greenest automaker, and wants to be associated with environmental friendliness.

Manufacturing of the Auris hybrid begins in July. Toyota hopes to sell at least 14,000 Auris hybrid models in 2010 and double that number in 2011. The hybrid Auris is one of three Auris engine models, there is also a regular gasoline engine and a diesel model. The Auris is a compact vehicle that features excellent gas mileage with all models.

The Auris hybrid model is being produced in Europe alone currently and it was specifically designed for the European market. It remains to be seen whether or not the model will be released in North American or other markets.

In the annual ranking of CO2 emissions, Fiat has been leading Toyota in the lowest emissions per year. In 2009, Toyota cut its CO2 emissions to 130.1g/km from 144.9g/km in 2008. Fiat has held the number 1 spot for 3 years in a row and has reduced its CO2 emissions as well. Toyota hopes that the new Auris will further reduce its annual CO2 emissions and help the manufacturer take the top spot in Europe over the Fiat brand.

Friday, June 25, 2010

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.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Toyota and Honda Face More Strikes in China;

Both Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda continue to face battles with Chinese workers over wages in South China as more strikes continue to delay auto manufacturing and increase tensions for both automakers. Investors are worried about continued problems with the labor forces in China that manufacture Toyota car parts. Other domestic and foreign automakers such as Mazda, whose models can be test driven at a Florida Mazda dealer, and GM, who sells the Chevy Silverado, have been unaffected by the strikes.

The plants that are involved in the Chinese strikes produce auto parts for Toyota and Honda, who are both Japanese automakers. Chinese workers are dissatisfied with wages and working conditions. A local news agency reported one employee saying, "The salary is only 1,300 yuan ($191) a month, including meal subsidies, while my rent costs me 200 yuan a month."

The recent protests have caused the image and reputation of both Toyota and Honda to suffer, which is particularly bad for Toyota, a company that has faced several recent reputation problems due to car manufacturing faults.

The recent protests have come about through suggestions by labor experts in China. A major problem with Chinese auto plants is that the automobile industry in China is highly profitable, but wages have not increased in representation of this profitability.

Chinese workers have been growing dissatisfied in recent years and their wages have increased. China is a source of skilled and low cost labor for many multinational corporations, and it has been stereotyped as such by many. However, the recent protests threaten this image and may result in some businesses moving to other countries for cheaper labor.

The Chinese Communist Party, which is the ruling party of the government is involved in regulation of worker laws and conditions and there are also government controlled unions that can make regulations for Chinese workers.