Toyota Recalls and Class Action Lawsuits

So is buying a used hybrid like buying a pig in a poke?

The weak link in an aging hybrid seems to be the battery system that drives the electric motor.

Prius batteries will last well beyond 200,000 miles or they will need to be replaced almost as soon as the hybrid passes through 110,000 miles, depending who you talk to and who you choose to believe.

All of the evidence on the life span of a Prius appears to be anecdotal without any substantial statistical significance.

So does buying a used Prius make sense? Selling a used Prius certainly makes sense. The hybrids enjoy a good resale value. Even with 100,000 miles on the odometer, a Prius in excellent condition might sell for $11,885 according to the Kelley Blue Book.

That is exactly what Zachery in Homeland, Calif., decided to do three years ago -- buy a used Prius.

Giving into all the hype, when I went looking for a new car. I decided to go with the money-saving, eco-friendly Prius, he told ConsumerAffairs.com.

It had 72,000 miles on it and ran great, for the first year that is. When it came time for the 100,000 mile tune-up it cost me nearly $700. Six months later the computer system failed along with a transmission leak and fuel pump replacement costing me another $2,600, he wrote.

Ten months after the 100,000-mile problems Zachery received the bad news about his hybrid battery system. I take it down and get it diagnosed, which turned out to be the main hybrid battery. Another $4,800 to get the system replaced, he wrote.

Unable to afford the cost of that last repair, I now own a 2001 Prius that runs for about 2 miles before the warning light and computer system stop the car.

Needless to say, Zachery no longer considers his decision to buy a used Prius to be a wise expenditure.

I'm unable to afford the $4,800 repair bill, thus leaving me without a reliable form of transportation. On top of that, I still owe roughly $5,000 on the car itself. Of course all this happens the day I quit my job and start back to school, he wrote.

Similar Problem

A Texas Prius owner reported a similar problem. "My 2001 Toyota Prius lasted five years and 113,000 miles. Then the batteries seemed to die. My dealer estimated the replacement cost at $7,000. They recommended scrapping the car for parts."

Consumers in the market for a used Prius also need to watch out for problem other than the main hybrid battery system.

Debora owns a 2001 Prius in North Hills, Calif.

My 2001 Toyota Prius has been stalling intermittently for 3 years. The dealer has replaced the hybrid battery which was on warranty (thank goodness!) and now says they need to replace the accelerator pedal position sensor which is not on warranty and the part will cost $435 plus tax and 3 hours of labor, she told us.

Mark in Fairmont, West Virginia, owns a 2003 Prius. My Prius has a steering problem. The dealer informed me that my rack and pinion gear will need replaced at a cost of $1,800.00, he wrote.

Mark added that he read on the Internet that other Prius cars have steering problems covered by a recall but his was not included.

I have 85,000 miles on the car, he said. I have already replaced the gas tank, and electronic control module. This steering repair is just too much money, he said.

A reader in Collinsville, Ill., told us he when he starts his 2002, the engine warning lights come on with their exclamation points and check engine signs, but there is nothing wrong.

The repair will be expensive. I was told that I need a new fuel pump, gas tank, and engine control module, at a cost of $2,300, he wrote ConsumerAffairs.com.

In Colorado Springs, Patrick found his 2005 Prius dead and unable to start. He bought the Prius in 2005 when the car had 19,000 miles on the odometer.

I looked for any accessories that might have been left on, but found none, Patrick told us.

I pulled out the manual and diagnosed a dead 12-volt battery. I proceeded to follow the jump start procedures in the manual. The jump was unsuccessful, so I called a tow truck recommended by the dealer and had it towed there.

The dealer told Patrick that his Prius was jumped with the cables crossed and the repair will be about $5,000 in parts and labor.

The repair bill will not be covered under the vehicle's 3-year and 36,000-mile warranty.

In Stoughton, Wis., Jim has the other side of the story. Just to relate my experience with my 2002 Prius. Yes there have been a few items repaired under warranty but what car doesn't get some of those?

Jim describes his Prius as the best car I have ever owned.. It's a delight to drive, and my average mpg around 48 in warm weather and 40-42 during wintertime.

Jim said he loves his Prius but then he is the original owner and his hybrid has only 48,000 miles on the odometer.

But while most hybrid owners at least claim to be happy with their pricey acquisitions, some Prius buyers are troubled by nagging indications that Toyota's gas mileage claims for the hybrid may have a little fiction mixed in with all of the facts.

Toyota, of course, insists that all of its mileage claims are based upon standardized Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tests.

But for Sandra C. of Bloomington, Indiana, the figures just don't add up. In fact, she says she was told the onboard computer in her car is programmed to provide high mileage numbers that may exceed the miles per gallon the car actually achieves.

Sandra bought her new Prius in the spring of 2005. I've been watching my gas mileage and have consistently gotten around 34 miles per gallon, she wrote to ConsumerAffairs.com. That is far below the sticker information and hype.

The Toyota Prius advertises on its sticker that the EPA has determined through testing that the car achieves an average of 60 mpg in city driving and 51 mpg on the highway.

Sandra took her Prius into the dealer for a check-up and was initially told that she was getting 46 miles to a gallon, which is less than the amount claimed by Toyota for city driving but still a pretty enviable figure. The service technician turned on the gas mileage icon of the onboard computer for her to prove his point.

The computer did say 46 miles per gallon, Sandra wrote. I asked them why it is that when I divide the miles from fill-up to fill-up by the gallons I put in, I get 34 or 33 miles a gallon?

The service technician admonished Sandra that she probably had her math wrong. I said no and I wanted an answer, she said.

Finally the service department manager told Sandra, Yes, you are right, you probably are getting 34 miles to a gallon.

When Sandra asked why the computer spit out the higher inaccurate, number the service manager told her, That is a number Toyota has programmed into the car which accounts for wind resistance and other factors, she said.

Voodoo Math

Susan did not buy the service managers story which she says is nothing more than voodoo math.

I said to him that is fuzzy math and dishonest. His reply was every car dealer does this, Sandra said.

Needless to say, Sandra is disappointed and unhappy with Toyota.

I've been screwed by Toyota. I don't actually blame my local dealership because this isn't their problem. Toyota has pulled this over on the public to sell their car. This must be happening to everyone else too.

Sandras mileage problems with her new Prius continue.

I filled it up after using half of my last tank of gas on the interstate and half in town. This time I got 47 mpg. So this looks like I am getting better mileage on highway than in city! That is the opposite of what Toyota advertises.

Other Complaints

Sandra is far from alone. Prius owners around the country are questioning the Toyota/EPA mileage claims.

• Winternet.com displays the site owner's Prius fuel consumption records dating back to 2002. The lifetime average as of Nov. 20, 2005 is 43.2 mpg, a bit worse than Sandra's experience.

• On another site, randyrathbun.org, a person we'll assume is Randy Rathbun displays his log dating back to March 31, 2002. His lifetime average: 47.332 mpg.

• On the Seattle Electric Vehicle Association Website, a consumer identified as RJF has posted his Prius log, starting July 14, 2005. His lifetime average to date: 49.221 mpg.

This comes as no surprise to automotive experts. Data from Consumer Reports indicates that hybrid cars get less than 60 percent of EPA estimates while navigating city streets. In Consumer Reports' real-world driving test, the Civic Hybrid averaged 26 mpg in the city, while the Toyota Prius averaged 35 mpg, much less than their respective EPA estimates of 47 and 60 mpg. Hybrid cars performed much closer to EPA estimates in Consumer Reports'

Consumer Reports' senior auto test engineer Gabriel Shenhar says that while the EPA test is a lab simulation, Consumer Reports puts the cars on the streets and measures the fuel consumed to more accurately reflect gas mileage.

Denials All Around

But back to the other half of Sandra's complaint. Does the Prius onboard Computer fudge the mileage numbers?

Asked if the Prius onboard computer is programmed to take anything into account when calculating mileage other than distance traveled and gallons consumed, a spokesman for Toyota said, I have never head of anything like that.

Toyota environmental engineer Dave Hermance says the EPA city test for the Prius includes 19 stops of at least a few seconds, which take up a "non-trivial" amount of the test and could cause hybrid cars to rate even higher than conventional cars because of their reliance on electric motors, which provide the biggest mileage boost in stop-and-go driving.

Hermance says customers who drive less than seven miles per trip will get fewer miles per gallon, as will drivers who speed. There's a huge range of customer behavior and limited resources to collect data, so there's no perfect test, according to Hermance.

As it turns out, drivers of all kinds of vehicles dont often achieve the mileage EPA finds in its tests. Most drivers get between 75 to 87 percent of the EPA rated estimates with variations based on driving habits and traffic.

A generally accepted rule of thumb is that if a new car gets less than 75 percent of its EPA rating, then there is something amiss. Sandras Prius is just at the limit of the 75 percent rule.

If this is true, then the EPA needs to change the way they do business for hybrids and Toyota knows the figures are incorrect and are creating false advertising, Sandra said.

Indeed, Sandra is not alone in her assertions. Some independent test data suggests hybrid cars routinely get less than 60 percent of EPA estimates while navigating city streets.

The Prius has averaged only 35 mpg in some city driving tests, inidcating that there may be nothing out of the ordinary with Sandras Prius, suggesting instead that the EPA numbers and Toyota mileage claims based on them are in error.

About That Computer

While the test data can explain the actual mileage Sandra was able to obtain, the Toyota information does nothing to explain why the onboard computer in her Prius provided inaccurate information at her dealership.

Toyota spokesman Sam Butto flatly denies that his company programs any fuzzy math into the Prius onboard computer.

I can tell you that Toyota does nothing to have a preset fuel economy figure and does not take into any account the wind. The meter simply calculates the fuel level and the distance driven, Butto told ConsumerAffairs.com.

He once again pointed a finger at the car owner stating that it would be extremely difficult to have fuel economy figures that low on a Prius."

"I'm not saying it is impossible. Extremely aggressive driving habits can definitely contribute to lower fuel economy but 34 mpg would be really tough to achieve on Prius," he said.

Butto had another scenario for the low gasoline mileage. What we think may have occurred, is the customer could have possibly reset the fuel monitor before refilling.

Feelings run deep among people who have endured waiting lists and additional premiums, particularly those who feel they were sold a pig in a poke.

Deborah H. in Louisville, Kentucky is angry. "I feel there was false advertising by Toyota stating there was 50 miles per gallon on the highway and 60 miles per hour in the city driving my Toyota Prius hybrid," she wrote.

Deborah was one of thousands of Prius buyers who paid the dealer a "market adjustment" or extra money for her new hybrid.

"They jacked up the price $8,000 from sticker stating it was a car that was hard to come by and that was their price. They said I would actually save money on gas."

But Deborah writes that gas mileage results her Prius achieves continue to be disappointing: "After six months of tracking, the best mileage I ever got was 43 miles per gallon. Most often my mileage is between 30 and 36 miles per gallon."

The mileage, she complains, is "no better than cars I have had in the past. I am very disappointed in Toyota's advertising and the money I have shelled out."

A Toyota spokesman contacted by ConsumerAffairs.com insists that 30 to 36 miles to a gallon is not possible with a Prius unless driver error or a mechanical problem is involved.

Laurie K. in Folsom, California finally concluded her mileage problem must be driver error with her Prius. She solved the nagging mileage issue by paying close attention to the onboard computer in her hybrid.

"I have owned a Toyota Prius since 2004. I too was getting poor mileage," she wrote. "However, after many months I finally discovered the secret to getting higher mileage. I keep the computer screen on that shows how many miles per gallon I'm getting."

The computer tracks mileage every 15 to 30 minutes, Laurie said.

"I just watch the gauge and keep my foot lightly on the gas pedal. I have averaged 60 miles per gallon when I do this. However, if I am in a rush, I get lower gas mileage because I do not have time to gently take off from a stoplight or drive slower by easing up on the gas pedal."

Laurie says that if driven correctly, her Prius now averages 60 mpg.

"My husband and I finally figured it out, she wrote. "Now we have a goal to try and keep the average, but it takes practice and a visual of the computer screen to make sure you are driving appropriately."

Irene S. in Montebello, California, wrote that the mileage drop-off in her 2005 Prius was almost immediate.

"When I started driving the car, I got 44 mpg on the street. Presently, I am still driving the car on the street and getting about 24 mpg and the odometer reads 780 miles."

Dave B. in Laguna Woods, California, reports similar problems with his 2004 Prius but he knew the cause. The gasoline engine is running too much: "The last two times I filled the tank I got 25 miles per gallon. Not acceptable. The gasoline engine runs continuously."

Dave's Toyota dealer where he purchased the hybrid has been unable to help after three trips to the service department. "They agree the gasoline engine should not start up until the car gets up to 20 miles per hour, but cannot correct the problem," he wrote.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Is recalling approximately 30,000 model year 2015 Sienna Minivans.

The recalled vehicles are equipped with left and right side second row overhead assist grips mounted to the roof rails. In the event of a collision that results in deployment of a curtain shield air bag (CSA), an assist grip could detach from the mounting bracket under some conditions.

If an assist grip completely detaches, it may contact an occupant, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Toyota says it is not aware of any injuries or fatalities caused by this condition.

Owners of the recalled vehicles will receive a notification by first class mail. Toyota dealers will modify the headliner under the second row overhead assist grips at no charge to the customer.

Owners may call Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

With sky-high gasoline prices, carmakers are turning out more hybrid vehicles. But who's buying them? An automotive research firm suggests it's mostly first-time buyers.

While the incentives to drive a gas-stingy car have never been greater, Polk, an automotive research firm, says only 35 percent of hybrid owners chose to purchase a hybrid again when returning to market in 2011. Toyota Prius owners tend to be the exception, more often replacing their old Prius with a new one.

If repurchase behavior among the high-volume audience of Prius owners isn’t factored in, hybrid loyalty drops to under 25 percent.

Satisfied with the brand, not necessarily the car

But just because a consumer doesn't buy another hybrid, that doesn't mean they are disillusioned with the car brand itself. The Polk researchers found they appear to maintain brand loyalty when returning to the new car market.

For example, in 2011, 60 percent of Toyota hybrid owners returned to the market to purchase another Toyota, according to Polk, while 41 percent of them purchased another hybrid from any brand. In the case of Honda hybrid owners, more than 52 percent of them stayed with the Honda brand, while just under 20 percent of this same owner group bought another hybrid vehicle from any brand.

The findings suggest that not all drivers are sold on a hybrid after driving one for a few years. But that doesn't mean offering a hybrid is bad news for the car company.

Hybrids are profitable

"Having a hybrid in the product lineup can certainly give a brand a competitive edge when it comes to attracting new customers," said Brad Smith, director of Polk's Loyalty Management Practice. "The repurchase rates of hybrid vehicles are an indication that consumers are continuing to seek alternative solutions to high fuel prices."

Online cross-shopping data from Edmunds.com shows consumers are doing their due diligence to compare hybrids with similar gasoline-powered vehicles. As an example, the Honda Civic is the second most cross-shopped vehicle among both Toyota Prius and Honda Insight shoppers.

Hybrid vehicles represent just 2.4 percent of the overall new vehicle market in the U.S., according to Polk, down from a high of 2.9 percent in 2008. And Polk researchers don't see it as what consumers are really looking for when it comes to selecting their vehicle.

"The lineup of alternate drive vehicles and their premium price points just aren't appealing enough to consumers to give the segment the momentum it once anticipated, especially given the growing strength of fuel economy among compact and midsize competitors," said Lacey Plache, Edmunds.com chief economist. "For EVs and PHEVs in particular, certain obstacles -- including consumer unease with unfamiliar technology and the lack of an adequate recharging infrastructure -- will need to be overcome before sales increase."

Gulf States Toyota is recalling about 360 2012 4Runners and Siennas because of a problem with the remote engine starter.

The company said that a malfunction in the Audiovox brand remote starter module can prevent normal operation of the vehicle's onboard computer network, which could cause the antilock braking and stability controls to fail.

Gulf States Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace the Audiovox starter with a new one free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-444-1074.

Toyota Motor U.S.A. is recalling 15,600 2007 Toyota Tundra pickups because a transmission part could fail.

Toyota said the rear propeller shaft on four-wheel-drive Tundras could separate at a joint.

Toyota discovered the flaw after a consumer complained of abnormal noises coming from the shaft.

No accidents or injuries have been reported because of the faulty shaft.

Owners of the recalled Tundras will receive notification in the mail later this month, Toyota said in a statement.

The recall is not related to the previously reported rumbling sound coming from the Tundra torque converter after failing to change gears. That problem has not resulted in a recall but has prompted Toyota to replace entire transmissions.

Toyota also replaced some Tundra engines this year because of faulty camshafts.

Toyota projects 200,000 sales of the redesigned full-sized trucks this year.

Toyota is conducting two separate safety recalls involving about 752,000 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles and 270,000 Lexus IS vehicles.
 
In the 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix, the airbag control module may deploy inadvertently. The seat belt pretensioners could also malfunction.

The second safety recall involves the front wipers on certain 2006-2012  Lexus IS vehicles where the wiper arm nut might not be sufficiently tight. Under certain circumstances, one or both of the wipers could become inoperative.
 
Owners of vehicles covered by these safety recalls will receive an owner notification letter via first class mail in the near future.  Any authorized Toyota or Lexus dealer will perform this recall at no charge to the vehicle owner.
 
Detailed information is available to customers at 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).

Toyota is recalling 2010 Prius and Lexus HS 250h vehicles to fix a problem with the brake pressure accumulator. The recall affects 86,500 vehicles in the United States, 242,000 worldwide.

The company said the accumulators could develop a fatigue crack due to vibration. No accidents or injuries have been linked to the problem anywhere in the world, the company said.

The recall targets only Prius models manufactured from March-October 2009. The affected HS hybrids were made from June-October 2009.

Toyota said it received its first report of the problem in May 2010.

Detailed information is available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall, the Toyota Customer Experience at 1-800-331-4331,www.lexus.com/recall and Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-255-3987.

Toyota is recalling 74 model year 2012 Yaris vehicles manufactured August 21, 2011, through August 31, 2011.

A relay in the Power Steering Control Module of the electronic power steering system could experience a short circuit due to insufficient distance between terminals in the relay and moisture contamination of relay coil windings. A short circuit in the relay could disable power steering assistance, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering control module. The recall is expected to begin in late July 2013.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota is recalling 342,451 model year 2005-2010 Tacoma Access Cab vehicles manufactured September 14, 2004, through March 29, 2010; and model year 2011 Tacoma Access Cab vehicles manufactured July 1, 2010, through September 7, 2011.

If the access doors are repeatedly and forcefully closed, the screws that attach the seat belt pre-tensioner to the seat belt retractor can loosen over time. If the screws loosen completely, the seat belt pre-tensioner and the retractor spring cover could detach from the seat belt retractor and the seat belt pre-tensioner will not perform as designed, increasing the risk of injury in a severe crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat belt assemblies. Based on the inspection, the seat belt assembly will be replaced or new pre-tensioner screws will be installed with thread-locking sealant and a retractor spring cover with stopper ribs to prevent loosening of the screws. These services will be provided at no cost to the owner. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., is recalling some 235,000 vehicles in two separate actions

The first involves approximately 133,000 MY 2006-2010 Highlander Hybrid and MY 2006-2008 Lexus RX 400h vehicles.

In the recalled Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Lexus RX 400h vehicles, transistors within the hybrid system's inverter assembly can experience heat damage due to variations in characteristics of the transistors built in parallel circuits. Should this occur, various warning lights on the instrument panel will illuminate, and in most cases the vehicle will enter "limp home mode." In limited instances, the hybrid system will shut down and resulting in the vehicle stopping while the vehicle is being driven.

The second recall involves approximately 102,000 MY 2006-2011 Lexus IS 350, IS 350C, and GS 350 vehicles.

In these vehicles, bolts used to secure the variable valve timing control device can become loose, causing the vehicle to stop while being driven. Early warning for this condition can be an abnormal noise just after start-up.

Owners of vehicles subject to these recalls will receive a notification by first class mail.

Toyota is recalling nearly 800,000 model year 2006 through 2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS250h passenger vehicles manufactured from October 2005, through September 2010.

If the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tire rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust leading to thread damage and eventual failure. Failure of the rear tire rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment, which could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tie rods and replace any that have rust or corrosion on the alignment adjustment threads. All of the rear tie rods will then be encased in an epoxy to prevent future environmental damage.

Due to limitations in parts, the recall remedy will be launched in phases from September 2013, through February 2014. All owners will receive notification of the recall, with most receiving second notifications when parts are available in their area.

This recall supersedes a Toyota and Lexus recall issued about a year ago. All vehicles that have been inspected and remedied under the previous recall need to be re-inspected and have the appropriate remedy applied.

Toyota is recalling 101,584 model year 2007-2011 Lexus GS350 vehicles manufactured June 19, 2006, through July 12, 2011; model year 2006-2011 Lexus IS350 vehicles manufactured May 27, 2005, through July 13, 2011; and model year 2010-2011 Lexus IS350c vehicles manufactured November 25, 2009, through July 19, 2011.

These vehicles, equipped with the 2GR-FSE engine, use bolts to secure the housing and sprocket of the Variable-Valve Timing (VVT) system gear assembly. These bolts could become loose due to abnormal impacts generated within the gear assembly immediately after a cold start-up. The loose bolts could cause the VVT gear housing and sprocket to separate and result in the engine stopping while the vehicle is being driven, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and Lexus dealers will replace the VVT unit free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., is recalling approximately 803,000 model year 2012-2013 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid and Venza vehicles due to a problem with the air conditioning condenser unit housing.

Water from the air conditioning condenser unit housing could leak onto the airbag control module and cause a short circuit, resulting in illumination of the airbag warning light. In some instances, the air bag(s) could become disabled or could inadvertently deploy.

In some cases, the power steering assist function could also become inoperable if a communication line in the airbag control module is damaged. Loss of power steering assist results in increased steering effort.

Owners of the involved vehicles will be notified by first class mail to return their vehicles to a Toyota dealer for the repair. Dealers will apply sealant and install a cover to the air conditioning condenser unit housing seam located above the airbag control module.

Detailed information is available to customers by calling the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) is recalling 979 model year 2012-2013 Tacoma vehicles equipped with 18" Maverick Alloy Wheels.

In the recalled vehicles, the spare tire requires the use of a different style of lug nut to attach it to the vehicle than the other wheels use. These lug nuts were not provided with the vehicle. If the spare tire/wheel is installed on the vehicle using the lug nuts from another wheel, damage to the wheel could result and may eventually lead to a loose wheel, increasing the risk of a crash.

SET will notify owners, and dealers will: (a) Install a Warning Label on the spare tire/wheel, (b) supply a bag containing proper spare wheel lug nuts, and (c) place an Owner's Manual Addendum in the vehicle's glove box. The recall is expected to begin in November 2013.

Owners may contact SET at 1-954-429-2000.

Toyota Motor Engineering & manufacturing North America is recalling 9,795 model year 2013-2014 Camry and Camry HV, model year 2013 Avalon and Avalon HV and model year 2014 Corolla vehicles.

In the affected vehicles, the windshield wiper switch assembly may short circuit. A short circuit could cause inoperative windshield wipers, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the wiper switch assembly, free of charge. The recall began on November 8, 2013.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota is closing yet another chapter in its long unintended-acceleration saga, agreeing to pay $29 million to 29 states and American Samoa to settle disputes about how it handled recalls.

Besides the payment, Toyota agreed to make vehicle information more easily accessible to consumers to help them operate their vehicles safely and make more informed choices. 

“Companies have an obligation to quickly and openly inform customers of product safety concerns,” Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said. “That’s particularly true of an automobile maker, where consumers’ lives may be at stake.”

Toyota sought to put a positive spin on the settlement.

“Resolving this inquiry is another step we are taking to turn the page on legacy issues from Toyota’s past recalls in a way that benefits our customers," said Christopher P. Reynolds, group vice president and general counsel, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. "Immediately after this inquiry was launched in 2010, Toyota began cooperating fully with the Attorneys General and implementing ‘customer-first’ initiatives to address their concerns and those of our customers."

Toyota also agreed to continue other customer-focused initiatives, including its rapid-response service teams, its expanded network of product quality field offices across the U.S., and a range of customer care amenities for owners of vehicles subject to certain recalls. 

Other actions

In December 2012, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) fined Toyota  $17.35 million -- the maximum fine allowable under the law -- claiming the automaker failed to report a safety defect to the federal government in a timely manner. It's the single highest civil penalty amount ever paid to NHTSA for violations stemming from a recall.

Also in December, Toyota agreed to pay more than $1 billion to settle lawsuits growing out of unintended acceleration incidents. About 16 million owners of Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles are eligible for payments and safety updates to their cars.

Toyota recalled millions of Toyota and Lexus vehicles to replace accelerator pedals that could get trapped in floor mats or carpeting. 

A 10-month investigation by NASA engineers determined that electronic flaws were not to blame for the unintended acceleration incidents.

Southeast Toyota Distributors is recalling a total of 7,389 of the following vehicles:

• 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra,
• 2010-2012 Rav4,
• 2012 Toyota Sequoia,
• 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla,
• 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid,
• 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid,
• 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser,
• 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser,
• 2010-2013 Toyota Venza,
• 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner,
• 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma,
• 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna,
• 2012 Toyota Prius,
• 2013 Scion FR-S,
• 2011 Scion XD,
• 2011 Scion XB, and
• 2012 Scion TC .

These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added, failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims." An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.

Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additional remedies which are still being developed. The recall is planned to begin on, or about, May 7, 2013.

Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America is recalling 3,795 model year 2013-2014 Tacoma vehicles manufactured July 1, 2013, through October 11, 2013.

The engines of the affected vehicles contain valve springs that may break over time. If the valve springs break, the engine could fail and stall while the vehicle is being driven, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the valve springs, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in December 2013.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota is recalling 614,722  model year 2004-2005 Sienna vehicles manufactured January 10, 2003, through August 10, 2005; and model year 2007-2009 Sienna vehicles manufactured February 20, 2007, through December 12, 2008.

Due to a problem within the shift lock solenoid, there is a possibility that the shift lever could be moved out of Park position without depressing the brake pedal. Should that occur, the transmission will either engage a drive gear or Neutral, increasing the risk of a backover or roll-away crash.

Toyota will mail interim notifications to owners beginning in late October 2013. When parts are available, owners will be sent a second notice and dealers will replace the shift lock solenoid, free of charge.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Earlier this week, ConsumerAffairs reported that Toyota was preparing to recall 700,00 model year 2010 through 2014 Prius vehicles.

In the affected vehicles, the Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module (a component of the hybrid system) contains transistors that may become damaged from high operating temperatures.

That recall has now been announced.

Toyota will notify owners and dealers will update the software for both the motor/generator control electronic control unit (ECU) and the hybrid control ECU, free of charge.

If an owner experiences a failure of the inverter before the vehicle receives updated software, the dealer will replace the inverter assembly with a new one at no charge. The recall is expected to begin in late February 2014.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota is recalling 261,114 model year 2012 and 2013 Toyota Tacoma, Lexus RX350, and model year 2012 Toyota Rav4 vehicles.

In the affected vehicles, the brake system contains a brake actuator that adjusts the fluid pressure of each wheel cylinder. An electrical component within the actuator may experience an increased resistance resulting in the illumination of various warning lights, including those for the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system, Antilock Brake System (ABS), and Traction Control system.

If this occurs, these systems could become inoperative, reducing the directional control assistance, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and Toyota and Lexus dealers will update the software for the Skid Control electronic control unit, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota is recalling 7,067 model year 2014 Highlander vehicles manufactured November 20, 2013, through January 18, 2014.

The third row middle seat belt assembly might not have been properly secured to the vehicle floor anchorage during vehicle assembly, which could increase the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row middle seat belt anchor, and, if necessary, properly secure it to the vehicle floor anchorage, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in March 2014.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota is recalling 472,388 model year 2006-2010 Yaris vehicles manufactured August 22, 2005, through May 12, 2010, and 2008-2010 Scion xD vehicles manufactured April 4, 2007, through May 12, 2010.

In the affected vehicles, the springs used for the seat rails on the driver's seat and the seat rails of the front passenger seat of three-door models may break, preventing the seat from locking in position. In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat could move increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat rail, and replace it with a new one, if necessary, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota is recalling119,140 model year 2003-2004 Avalon vehicles manufactured June 5, 2002, through December 20, 2004.

In these vehicles, the supplemental restraint system (SRS) circuits are susceptible to internal shorting. The electrical short may create an abnormal current flow and increased heat which can damage the circuits. This could result in an inadvertent deployment of the front air bags and/or seat belt pretensioners, increasing the risk of an injury or crash.

Toyota will notify owners and dealers will install a noise filter between the air bag control module and the wire harness, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 370,000 model year 2004-2011 Sienna vehicles originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

The recalled vehicles have a spare tire carrier assembly mounted under the vehicle whose attachment cable may corrode due to high concentrations of road salt splashing onto the spare tire carrier. That could cause the spare tire to separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will send owners an interim notification to advise owners of the recall and dealers will remove the spare tire and relocate it to the luggage compartment, free of charge.

Owners will be mailed a second letter when remedy parts are available and dealers will replace the spare tire carrier assembly with an improved one, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

The 2004-2010 model year Siennas subject to this recall were recalled in 2010. Those owners are advised that they must have their vehicles remedied again under this campaign and that having the earlier recall completed did not remedy their vehicles.

Additionally, model year 1998-2003 Siennas were recalled as part of that same 20110. Owners of those vehicles that have not had not the remedy performed on their vehicles, should contact their Toyota dealer to schedule a free repair.

Problems ranging from faulty airbags to defective windshield wipers have reportedly prompted Toyota to issue a recall of more than 6 million vehicles worldwide.

Toyota says approximately 1.3 million vehicles are in the U.S. including certain modelyYear 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2008-2010 Highlander, 2009-2010 Tacoma, 2006-2008 RAV4 and 2006-2010 Yaris vehicles.

Detailed information is available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall, the Toyota Customer Experience at 1 800-331-4331, www.lexus.com/recall and Lexus Customer Satisfaction (1 800-255-3987). 

Recall timing

Reuters quotes Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons as saying the recalls were announced simultaneously, even though they are unrelated, due to the timing of the investigations.

This latest recall comes less than a month after the automaker agreed to a pay a penalty of $1.2 billion in connection with unintended acceleration in its vehicles.

Recall breakdown

A Reuters report lists the latest recalls and their causes as follows:

• Faulty spiral cables for driver’s air bags: 3.5 million
• Possible locking problems on seat rails: 2.32 million
• Failing steering column brackets: 760,000
• Windshield wipers with drainage problems: 160,000
• Possible fire hazard in starter motors: 20,000

In these vehicles, the driver’s airbag module is attached to a spiral cable assembly with electrical connections that could become damaged when the steering wheel is turned. If this occurs, the air bag warning lamp will illuminate. In addition, the driver’s air bag could become deactivated, causing it to not deploy in the event of a crash.

The automaker is currently preparing the remedy for this condition. For all involved vehicles, a Toyota dealer will replace the spiral cable with an improved one. Once preparations are complete, Toyota will send an owner notification letter by first class mail and the remedy will be provided at no charge.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 231 model year 2014 Highlander vehicles manufactured April 23, 2014, through April 29, 2014.

The seat may not fully lock into the inboard seat track in the forward first, second and third adjusting positions, which could increase the risk of the seat coming out of the track and injuring the occupant in the event of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the second row right hand seat, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in June 2014.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 50,000 model year 2014 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles.

The recalled vehicles may have improper software installed in the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) for the operation of the front passenger seat belt force limiter and -- as a result -- the force limiter may use the restraint setting designed for small occupants, such as those that weigh approximately 110 pounds, for all occupants regardless of their size.

In the event of a crash, a larger front passenger seat occupant may not be properly restrained and be at an increased risk of injury.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a software update in the air bag electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in mid-June 2014.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing is recalling 844,277 model year 2002-2004 Toyota Sequoia and Lexus SC and 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Tundra, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles.

A safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag.

This recall addresses both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts. A replacement air bag may have been installed, as one example, if a vehicle had been in a crash necessitating the replacement of the passenger side frontal air bag.

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking and potentially seriously injuring the passenger seat occupant or other occupants.

This recall supersedes one in which some vehicles were inspected and received a replacement inflator, while others were inspected but did not have their inflator replaced. All owners of vehicles that did not get an inflator replacement, or owners that do not know if they got an inflator replacement, should contact their Toyota or Lexus dealer.

Toyota will notify owners of affected Toyota and Lexus vehicles and General Motors will notify owners of affected Pontiac Vibe vehicles. Toyota, Lexus, and GM dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Pontiac Vibe owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 10,462 model year 2013 Lexus GS 350 vehicles manufactured June 8, 2012, through December 26, 2012.

In the affected vehicles, the switch that senses the amount of pressure that the driver is applying to the brake pedal may fail. If the switch fails, the vehicle may begin braking without the driver's input, and without illuminating the brake lights, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake pedal support assembly which includes the brake pedal load sensing switch, free of charge.

Parts for the remedy are not currently available. Toyota will send owners an interim notification letter in late June 2014 to advise owners of the recall, and will mail owners a second letter when remedy parts are available.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 263 model year 2014 Sienna vehicles manufactured June 17, 2014, through June 24, 2014.

The affected vehicles have a transmission shift control cable whose protective cable sleeve may have been damaged during assembly. This could cause the control cable to bind or separate during gear shift operation causing incorrect gear selection.

If the transmission shift cable separates while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash.

Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the 'PARK' position, the transmission may not be in 'PARK.' If the vehicle is not in the 'PARK' position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter, increasing the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the transmission shift control cable, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in early August 2014.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling 16,249 model year 2013-2014 Toyota Tundras modified by GST as part of certain vehicle packages to be equipped with a combination of non-Toyota-brand 20-inch alloy wheels and chrome plated lug nuts.

The coating on the lug nuts may give, causing the lug nuts to loosen or the wheel studs to fracture. The wheel could separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

GST will notify owners, and dealers will replace 20 lug nuts and torque them to specification, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in August 2014.

Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 20,000 model year 2008-2014 FJ Cruiser and Tacoma vehicles equipped with accessory wheels and tires installed by Toyota or dealers prior to the vehicle's first sale.

The affected vehicles may list incorrect spare tire size and/or cold tire inflation information on the tire placard. If the spare tire is inflated to the incorrect pressure provided on the placard, tire failure may occur while the vehicle is being driven on, increasing the risk of a crash.

Overlay stickers to correct the tire placard will either be mailed to owners of the recalled vehicles or provided to dealers for placement over the incorrect information on the placard. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 132,624 model year 2014 Toyota Tundra CrewMax and Double Cab vehicles manufactured July 29, 2013, to August 22, 2014.

Due to the possible misinstallation of the upper tab of the B-pillar interior trim, the Curtain-Shield Air Bags may not deploy properly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the B-pillar interior trim installation and will replace it if it is not installed correctly, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on September 30, 2014.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 690,000 model year 2005-2011 Toyota Tacoma Pre-Runner and 4x4 vehicles manufactured September 14, 2009, to October 11, 2010.

One of the leaf springs in the recalled vehicles may fracture due to stress or corrosion. While being driven, the broken leaf could move out of position and contact surrounding components including the fuel tank, possibly puncturing the tank and causing a fuel leak, increasing the risk of fire.

The remedy for this recall is still under development. The recall is expected to begin November 28, 2014.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 1,787 model year 2014 FJ Cruiser vehicles equipped with an optional "Trail Teams Ultimate Edition" package, in which the front shock absorbers and springs were replaced at vehicle processing centers.

In some of these vehicles, the two bolts that secure the front lower ball joint to the steering knuckle might have been tightened with insufficient torque when the front shock absorbers and springs were replaced during the installation process.

The bolts could become loose during driving and fall out. If both bolts fall out, the front lower ball joint could detach from the steering knuckle, causing a loss of steering control, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners of vehicles with the optional package installed, and dealers will inspect the torque of the bolts. If the bolts are found to be loose, dealers will retighten them to the proper torque. For any missing bolts, dealers will install new ones. The recall began on September 30, 2014.

Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. is recalling approximately 423,000 Lexus vehicles including 2007 - 2010 model year LS; 2006 - 2011 model year GS; 2006 - 2011 model year IS; 2010 model year IS C and 2008 - 2010 model year IS-F vehicles.

The fuel delivery pipes in the engine compartment of the recalled vehicles were manufactured with a plating to protect against corrosion. Some of the pipes could have been produced with plating particles on the gasket seating surface where the fuel pressure sensor is installed.

In this condition, the sealing property of the gasket seated between the pressure sensor and the pipe could become degraded. During vehicle operation, fuel could leak past the gasket. In the presence of an ignition source, this could increase the risk of a vehicle fire.

The company says it is unaware of any fires, crashes, injuries or fatalities caused by this condition.

Owners of the vehicles involved will receive a notification by first class mail. Lexus dealers will repair the gasket seating surface of the fuel delivery pipe where the fuel pressure sensor is installed, replace the gasket with a new one, and re-install the fuel pressure sensor.

Lexus owners may obtain more information by calling customer service at 1-800-255-3987.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 20,000 model year 2014 Toyota Avalon, Camry, Sienna, and Highlander and model year 2015 Lexus RX350 vehicles.

Fuel may leak from the one of the fuel delivery pipes in the engine compartment. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace any of the suspect fuel delivery pipes free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on November 3, 2014.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Sales is recalling approximately 5,650 Model Year 2014 Toyota Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles.

The left front suspension lower arm in the recalled vehicles may have an improperly manufactured bolt hole where it connects to the ball joint, affecting bolt clamping force.

In the event of a severe impact to the lower ball joint, which could result from varying road surfaces during normal driving, the lower arm could separate from the ball joint. Separation of the lower arm can cause a loss of steering control.

Toyota says it is unaware of any crashes, injuries or fatalities related to this condition.

Owners of the recalled vehicles will receive a notification by first class mail. Toyota dealers will replace the left front lower suspension arm with a new one.

Consumers may call Toyota Customer Service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Is conducting a supplemental safety recall of approximately 247,000 Toyota Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia, Tundra and Lexus SC vehicles produced from 2001 to 2004 and equipped with front passenger air bag inflators supplied by Takata Corporation.

The new recall targets vehicles in consistently high absolute humidity areas, including southern Florida, along the Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, U.S Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa.

Recalls for affected vehicles were also issued in April 2013, and June 2014. Separately, in cooperation with NHTSA and Takata to investigate incidents of ruptured inflators, Toyota recovered inflators from recalled vehicles from areas in South Florida for evaluation by Takata.

Takata provided data to Toyota indicating that a number of the returned inflators performed improperly during component testing. The cause of the potential for ruptured inflators and the influence of high absolute humidity are under investigation.

To date, Toyota has received no reports of injuries or fatalities related to this condition.

Al known owners of the affected Toyota and Lexus vehicles will be notified by first class mail to return their vehicles to a Toyota or Lexus dealer.

The dealer will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with a newly manufactured one. If a replacement part is not available at the time of vehicle service, the dealer will follow procedures to temporarily disable the front passenger air bag assembly.

In addition, the dealer will install a glove box hang tag informing occupants that the front passenger seat should not be occupied until the inflator assembly is replaced and the airbag is fully functional.

Consumers may call Lexus Customer Service at 1-800-255-3987 or Toyota Customer Service at 1-800-331-4331 for more information.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., is recalling of 56 Model Year 2011 Camrys distributed to the U.S. Territories of Guam and Saipan. Globally, the company is recalling approximately 170,000 vehicles.

The front suspension system in the involved vehicles contains a lower ball joint which connects the front suspension lower arm to the knuckle arm. In the assembly process, the rubber boot on the ball joint could have been damaged by insufficiently maintained equipment.

If the rubber boot is damaged, lubricant grease inside the ball joint could leak from the damaged boot, causing the ball joint to wear and loosen prematurely. If the vehicle is continuously operated in this condition, the lower ball joint may separate from the knuckle and could cause a loss of vehicle control.

Toyota says it is unaware of any crashes, injuries or fatalities related to this condition.

Owners of the recalled vehicles will receive a notification by first class mail. Toyota dealers will inspect the rubber boots, and if necessary, replace the ball joint with a new one.

Consumers may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Gulf States Toyota is recalling 142 model year 2015 Toyota Tacoma vehicles manufactured September 2, 2014, to October 15, 2014.

The affected vehicles may contain an incorrect Load Carrying Capacity Modification label which may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.

Gulf States has notified owners, and dealers will install an accurate label, free of charge. The recall began December 1, 2014.

Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 5,650 model year 2014 Toyota Camry, Camry HV, Avalon, and Avalon HV vehicles equipped with 16-inch and 17-inch rims.

The left-side front suspension lower arm may have been manufactured incorrectly. As a result, the left side lower arm may not have enough clamping surface area for one of the bolts that secures the lower arm to the lower ball joint. Because of the insufficient clamping force, the lower arm may separate from the ball joint, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left side lower arm, free of charge. The recall was expected ti begin around mid-December 2014.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) is recalling 3,233 model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner vehicles.

The recalled vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring. Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 24, 2014.  

Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-954-429-2000.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 25,552 model year 2015 Sienna vehicles manufactured September 2, 2014, to November 14, 2014.

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the curtain shield airbag (CSA), the second row overhead assist grips may detach, striking a vehicle occupant, increasing the risk of injury.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will modify the headliner near the second row overhead assist grip, free of charge. The recall is expected begin on January 15, 2015.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) is recalling 3,942 model year 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner, Tacoma, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, RAV4, Scion FRS and XB vehicles.

The vehicles may have accessories installed by SET, such as running boards or other items, that were incorrectly installed. The accessory attaching fasteners were not tightened with the proper torque, possibly causing the accessory to detach from the vehicle. Accessories that detach from a vehicle may result in a vehicle crash and/or personal injury.

SET will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and tighten the affected bolts, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 9, 2015.

Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-954-429-2000. SET's number for this recall is SET-14B.

Toyota Motor Sales is recalling approximately 5,000 model year 2014-2015 Prius V vehicles.

The front passenger seat is equipped with an Occupant Classification System (OCS), which activates / deactivates the passenger seat air bag system depending on the weight of the seat occupant. There is a possibility that some OCS's may not have been calibrated properly during the vehicle manufacturing process.

Under some conditions, this could result in the failure of the airbag to deploy, increasing the risk of an injury to a front seat passenger in the event of crash.

Toyota says it is not aware of any injuries or fatalities caused by this condition.

Owners of the recalled vehicles will receive a notification by first class mail, and dealers will recalibrate the OCS properly.

Consumers may call Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) is recalling 1,140 model year 2013-2015 Toyota Rav4 vehicles manufactured June 1, 2013, to December 29, 2014, and equipped with an accessory trailer light module.

The software within the module may incorrectly detect an electrical short and preventively turn off the electrical current and the trailer lights, increasing the risk of a crash.

SET will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer light module with a new unit with corrected software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 23, 2015.

Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET-15A.

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., is recalling approximately 52,000 model year 2011-2012 Avalon sedans.

Cargo could contact one of the audio system subwoofer wires located inside the trunk, and move it out of its normal position. If one of these wires contacts the metal frame of the subwoofer, it may result in an intermittent short circuit, causing the subwoofer to overheat, increasing the risk of a fire.

Toyota says it is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or fatalities caused by this condition.

Owners of the involved vehicles will receive a notification by first class mail. Toyota dealers will provide a repair for the audio system. Until the remedy is available, as a precaution, Toyota dealers will disconnect the rear subwoofer.

Consumers may call Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., is recalling approximately 230 Model Year 2015 Yaris hatchbacks and approximately 20 Model Year 2015 Tacoma TRD Pro model pickup trucks.

In the Yaris vehicles, the rear axle bearing bolts may not have been tightened sufficiently during vehicle assembly. If a bolt is loose and falls off during operation, the bolt could damage rear brake components, resulting in reduced brake performance or potential wheel lock up, which could increase the risk of a crash.

The Tacoma TRD Pro model pickup trucks were distributed to dealers in Puerto Rico without the correct B-pillar tire placard indicating the tire size and recommended cold tire inflation pressure for the front and rear tires. An improperly inflated tire can increase the risk of a crash.

Toyota is not aware of any crashes, injuries, or fatalities caused by either condition.

Owners of the involved vehicles will be notified by first class mail. Toyota dealers will repair the vehicles at no cost to the owner.

Consumers may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 116 model year 2014 FJ Cruisers manufactured August 7, 2013, to August 20, 2013.

The intermediate steering shaft connecting the steering wheel and the steering gear box may have an inadequate weld. If the weld fails, there would be a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the intermediate steering shaft, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in March 2015.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. is recalling of approximately 16,600 Model Year 2012-2015 Yaris hatchbacks produced for sale in Puerto Rico.

An incorrect headliner was used in the involved vehicles, and, as a result, the vehicles may not meet certain requirements of a federal standard. This can increase the risk of an injury to occupants in the event of a crash.

Toyota says it is not aware of any injuries or fatalities caused by this condition.

Owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified by first class mail, and Toyota dealers will replace the headliner at no cost to the owner.

Consumers may call Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 226 model year 2015 Yaris vehicles manufactured September 8, 2014, to January 9, 2015.

The recalled vehicles may have improperly tightened rear axle bearing bolts. The improperly tightened bolts may loosen during vehicle operation and potentially cause the wheel to lock up or damage the rear brake components, reducing their effectiveness. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear axle bearing bolts, tightening them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during March 2015.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Engineering & manufacturing is recalling 2,497 model year 2012-2014 Rav4 EV vehicles manufactured July 24, 2012, to August 29, 2014.

Due to a software issue within a component of the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly, the electric propulsion motor may shift to "neutral" resulting in a possible loss of drive power. A loss of drive power may increase the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners beginning in April 2015. The remedy is still under development, but will be provided free of charge.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Sales is recalling of approximately 2,500 Model Year 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles; and approximately 110,000 Model Year 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, and 2014-2015 Model Year RAV4 vehicles.

In the RAV4 EV, components in the Electric Vehicle Traction Motor Assembly, which is part of the propulsion system, may cause the vehicle to shift to “neutral” due to a software issue. This condition will also trigger a “Check EV System” warning message on the instrument panel and turn on a malfunction indicator lamp. If the vehicle shifts to “neutral”, this will result in a complete loss of drive power, which can increase the risk of a crash.

Owners of the recalled vehicles will be mailed a notification. Toyota dealers will repair the electric vehicle traction motor assembly.

In the involved Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid and RAV 4 vehicles, a circuit board for the electric power steering (EPS) may have been damaged during its manufacturing process. This can result in the loss of power steering assist; an instrument panel warning lamp will also come on. Manual steering is maintained, but the loss of power steering assist results in increased steering effort at low vehicle speeds and increases the risk of a crash.

Owners of these vehicles will be notified by mail. Toyota dealers will inspect the steering column assembly and replace the power steering electronic control unit, if it falls within the affected range.

The automaker says it is not aware of any crashes, injuries or fatalities caused by either condition.

Consumers may call Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.  

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 110,085 model year 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid, and 2014-2015 Rav4 vehicles.

A component of the electric power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may have been damaged during the manufacturing process. Over time, this damage may result in failure of the electric power steering system, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number of the EPS ECU or steering column assembly. If the number is within the affected range, the EPS ECU will be replaced, free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin in April 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 16,582 model year 2012-2015 Yaris vehicles manufactured August 31, 2011, to February 9, 2015, and sold in Puerto Rico.

The recalled vehicles may have been manufactured with a roof headliner that does not provide the proper occupant protection in the event of a crash. This could increase the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the headliner, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in mid-April 2015.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. is recalling approximately 114 model year 2015 Scion tC Release Series 9 vehicles.

The rear suspension arm bolts and nuts could have been tightened improperly at two of the Toyota facilities at which accessory coil springs are installed prior to delivery to dealers. In this condition, the bolts could become loose during vehicle operation. Under some circumstances the control arm could eventually detach, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota says it is unaware of any accidents or injuries caused by this condition.

Vehicle owners will receive a notification by first class mail, and Toyota dealers will replace the bolts, nuts, rear suspension arms and rear suspension member sub-assemblies.

Consumers may call Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Sales is expanding its recalls involving Takata air bag inflators.

First, the automaker is conducting a recall to replace Takata-supplied driver front airbag inflators on approximately 160,000 model year 2004 and 2005 RAV4 sport utility vehicles. The inflators could be susceptible to rupture when deployed in a crash, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.

For similar reasons, Toyota is expanding 2 existing recalls for Takata-supplied front passenger airbag inflators, namely:

• The nationwide recall launched in April 2013 will expand to include approximately an additional 177,000 model year 2003-2004 Tundra and model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles; and
• The recall in areas of high absolute humidity launched in 2014 will expand to include approximately an additional 300,000 vehicles built through the 2006 or 2007 model year. This recall will now cover additional vehicles within model years 2005-2007 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, and Sequoia; model years 2005-2006 Tundra; and model years 2005-2007 Lexus SC.

Areas of high absolute humidity encompass Coastal Areas around the Gulf of Mexico for Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana; and Florida, Puerto Rico, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Hawaii.

Multiple investigations into the root cause of the potential for inflator rupture are taking place, including by Orbital ATK, an independent engineering firm commissioned by an industry-wide joint testing initiative composed of the 10 automakers conducting Takata-related recalls.

All known owners of the affected Toyota / Lexus vehicles will be notified by first class mail to return their vehicles to a Toyota / Lexus dealer. The dealer will replace the airbag inflator with a newly manufactured one.

Consumers may contact Toyota at 1 800-331-4331, and Lexus at (1 800-255-3987).

Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling 387 model year 2015 Toyota Siennas manufactured January 23, 2015, to April 13, 2015, and equipped with non-Toyota-brand overhead entertainment accessories installed by GST.

During reassembly of the interior after the overhead entertainment system installation, a trim panel securing clip may have been reused instead of being replaced. If the clip was damaged during the entertainment system installation, the trim panel may detach in the event of a side curtain air bag deployment and strike a vehicle occupants increasing the risk of injury.

GST will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trim panel securing clip, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin June 8, 2015.

Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 15R1.

Toyota Motor Sales is recalling approximately 3,000 model year 2015 Lexus NX 200t vehicles.

The recalled vehicles are equipped with an Anti-Lock Braking system (ABS), Traction Control System (TRAC) and Vehicle Stability Control System (VSC) which are controlled by the ABS actuator. There is a possibility that a component inside the actuator could be damaged during assembly and later not operate properly. Under some driving conditions, if the ABS is activated, this could cause a loss of vehicle stability, which can increase the risk of a crash.

Toyota says it is not aware of any crashes, injuries or fatalities caused by this condition to date, .

All known owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified by first class mail. Lexus dealers will inspect the ABS actuator and if necessary replace it with a new one.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987.

Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) is recalling 144 model year 2015 Toyota Tundras manufactured March 11, 2015, to April 11, 2015 and equipped with Nitto Terra Grappler G2 275/60R20 116S XL tires.

The recalled vehicles have a tire placard that incorrectly states the recommended cold tire inflation pressure. If the operator inflates the tires according to the information on the tire placard, the tires may be underinflated, increasing the risk of tire failure which could result in a crash.

SET will notify owners, and dealers will install a new tire placard with the correct cold tire inflation pressure information, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin July 14, 2015.

Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET15C.

Toyota Motor Sales USA is recalling approximately 109,000 Model Year 2012-2014 Prius v hybrid.

The software settings for the motor/generator control ECU and hybrid control ECU could result in overheating in certain transistors, potentially causing them to become damaged. If this happens, various warning lights will illuminate and the vehicle can enter a failsafe mode. In rare circumstances, the hybrid system might shut down while the vehicle is being driven, resulting in the loss of power and the vehicle coming to a stop.

Owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified by mail.

Toyota dealers will update the software for both the motor/generator control ECU and hybrid control ECU.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.  

Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) is recalling 2,530 model year 2010-2015 Toyota 4Runners manufactured March 29, 2010, to July 30, 2015.

The vehicles may be equipped with accessory exhaust tips installed by SET or SET dealers that may contact people and possibly burn them while they are standing behind the vehicle.

SET will notify owners, and dealers will install a re-designed exhaust tip that is smaller in diameter and is more recessed behind the bumper, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 21, 2015.

Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for the recall is SET15D.

Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) is recalling 949 model year 2015 Toyota Prius C vehicles manufactured April 20, 2015, to June 30, 2015.

The Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) may be improperly calibrated and, as a result, the TPMS may fail to warn the driver that the tire pressure is low. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."

If the vehicle is driven on underinflated tires, the tires may fail. Sudden tire failure increases the risk of a crash.

SET will notify owners, and dealers will re-calibrate the TPMS, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 22, 2015.

Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET15E.

Toyota Motor Sales, USA is recalling approximately 421,000 model year 2009-2012 RAV4 and approximately 2,500 model year 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles.

Water dripping onto the windshield wiper link can, over time, cause corrosion and wear at the wiper link joint. In some cases this could result in the separation of the wiper link from the wiper motor crank arm.

If separation occurs, the windshield wipers could become inoperative, which could reduce driver visibility and increase the risk of a vehicle crash.

Owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified by first class mail. Toyota dealers will replace the water channel, wiper link, and wiper motor crank arm with new ones.

Consumers may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.  

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. is recalling of approximately two million vehicles related to the driver’s side power window master switch.

The power window master switch may have been manufactured with insufficient lubricant grease. If not enough grease is applied, under certain conditions the switch may develop a short circuit that can cause the switch assembly to overheat and melt. A melting switch can produce smoke and potentially lead to a fire.

The following vehicles are included:

• 2007 and 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid
• 2009-2011 Corolla
• 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid
• 2009-2011 Matrix
• 2006-2011 RAV4
• 2009-2011 Sequoia
• 2009-2011 Tundra
• 2006-2010 Yaris
• 2009-2011 Scion xB
• 2009-2010 Scion xD

Toyota previously recalled certain 2007-2009 model year vehicles for a similar condition. This recall adds vehicles not previously involved in the prior action that used a different lubricant application method.

Owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified by first class mail. Toyota dealers will inspect the switch and apply heat-resistant grease. If the switch is not operating normally, an internal circuit board will be replaced.

Owners may call Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987.  

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 30,812 model year 2013-2015 Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles manufactured October 19, 2012 to October 27, 2015; and 2013-2015 Lexus ES350 and ES300h vehicles manufactured June 18, 2012 to July 6, 2015.

The vehicles are equipped with a Pre-Collision System (PCS) as optional equipment that may unexpectedly activate and apply the brakes when the radar detects a steel joint or plate in the roadway as an object.

Unexpected braking increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy parts for a permanent fix for this issue are not yet available. Beginning November 16, 2015, Toyota sent owners an interim notification and dealers will temporarily disable the PCS.

When the improved PCS components are available for the permanent remedy, owners will be mailed a second notification. These repairs will be performed free of charge.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this campaign are F1V and F2E.

Toyota Motor Sales, USA is recalling approximately 320,000 model year 2003-2006 Land Cruiser; 2004-2006 4Runner; 2005-2006 Tundra and Sequoia; 2003-2006 LX470; and 2004-2006 GX470 vehicles.

The recalled vehicles are equipped with side Curtain-Shield-Airbags (CSAs) which deploy from the roof in the event of certain types of crashes. Due to improper programming in the airbag control modules, there is a possibility that, under certain specific and limited conditions shortly after startup, the CSAs and seat belt pretensioners could activate when not necessary.

Unexpected activation of the CSAs could increase the risk of injury to the occupant.

All known owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified by first class mail.

Toyota and Lexus dealers will replace the airbag control module with one that has improved programming at no cost to owners.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987.

Toyota Motor Sales, USA is recalling approximately 26,000 Model Year 2013-2016 Scion FR-S vehicles.

Connectors for the automatic transmission key interlock on some vehicles may not have been connected during pre-delivery service prior to sale. That would make it possible to remove the key in gear positions other than “Park,” increasing the risk of vehicle rollaway and a crash. Thus, theese vehicles do not comply with a portion of Federal/Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 114.

All known owners of the subject vehicles will be notified by first class mail and instructed to return the vehicle to a Toyota dealer to have the ignition key interlock function confirmed, and if necessary, delivery mode connectors connected at no charge.

Owners may contact customer at 1-800-331-4331 for Toyota or 1-800-255-3987 for Lexus.

Toyota Motor Sales, USA is recalling approximately 1.1 million model year 2006-2012 RAV4 and model year 2012-2014 RAV4 EV vehicles.

The recalled vehicles are equipped with lap-shoulder seatbelts in both second-row outboard seats. There is a possibility that, in the event of a very severe front crash, the lap belt webbing could contact a portion of the metal seat cushion frame, become cut and separate.

If this occurs, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, which could increase the risk of injury.

Toyota dealers will add resin covers to the metal seat cushion frame at no cost.

What to do

Consumers with questions may call Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987.

Toyota Motor Company is recalling 25,706 model year 2013-2016 Toyota Scion FR-S vehicles manufactured March 13, 2012, to January 14, 2016 and equipped an automatic transmission and ignition key. Vehicles with a push-to-start button are not affected.

In the recalled vehicles, it may be possible to remove the ignition key without the transmission being in the "Park" position. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

If the key can be removed from the ignition when the transmission is not in the "Park" position, the vehicle could roll away increasing the risk of a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition key/transmission interlock wiring connections, correcting them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on March 1, 2016.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0E.

Toyota Motor Sales, USA is recalling approximately 4,170 model year 2016 Toyota RAV4; approximately 90 model year 2016 RX350; and approximately 12,400 model year 2016 ES350 vehicles.

The recalled vehicles are equipped with a Brake Actuator assembly that enables enhanced brake control

functions including the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Traction Control (TRAC), and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), among others.

There is a possibility that a component inside the actuator was damaged during manufacturing, preventing the actuator from operating properly. This could cause a loss of vehicle stability control, increasing the risk of crash.

What to do

All known owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified by first class mail. Toyota and Lexus dealers will check the serial number of the Brake Actuator and replace actuators assembled during a specific production period.

Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 and Lexus at 1-800-255-3987.

Toyota Motor Sales USA is recalling approximately 230 model year 2016 Sienna Minivans.

The vehicles may be equipped with incorrect front seat belt height adjuster assemblies mounted to the center-pillar. In the event of a severe crash, the incorrect height adjuster could separate.

If this occurs, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, which could increase the risk of injury.

What to do

Owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified by first class mail and dealers will replace the height adjusters with new ones at no cost.

Owners may call Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 16,656 model year 2016 Toyota RAV4s manufactured October 30, 2015, to February 3, 2016; 2016 Lexus RX350s manufactured October 26, 2015, to February 8, 2016, and 2016 Lexus ES350s manufactured September 1, 2015, to February 29, 2016.

The vehicles are equipped with an ABS actuator that may have a damaged O-ring which could result in improper brake fluid pressure control during ABS, Traction Control, or Stability Control activation. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

Insufficient brake fluid pressure may cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake actuator, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin June 5, 2016.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0I, GLC.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 234 model year 2016 Toyota Siennas manufactured February 15, 2016, to February 19, 2016.

Incorrect front seat belt height adjusters may have been installed that may contact the B-pillar and tear or separate during a crash.

Failure and detachment of seat belt height adjuster would result in the occupant not being properly restrained in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front seat belt height adjusters, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin April 30, 2016.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0H.

Gulf States Toyota is recalling 844 model year 2015-2016 Toyota 4Runners manufactured September 22, 2014, to March 23, 2016 and equipped with accessories installed by Gulf States.

The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

An incorrect label may result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will install an accurate label, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 1, 2016.

Owners may contact Gulf States customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Gulf States' number for this recall is 16R2.

Toyota Motor Sales, USA is recalling approximately 3,100 model year 2015 Yaris hatch back vehicles.

There is a possibility that a front upper shock assembly bearing could be damaged. If this occurs, the driver may experience an abnormal noises while driving on rough road surfaces or when turning the steering wheel.

If the vehicle continues to be operated in this condition, a front shock absorber piston rod could separate, causing a loss of vehicle stability and increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by first class mail and Toyota dealers will replace the strut mounting bearings with improved ones. If a strut mounting bearing is found to be damaged, the dealer will replace the strut and front suspension support sub-assembly with a new one.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 and Lexus customer experience at 1-800-255-3987.  

Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) is recalling 2,520 model year 2016 Toyota Camry and Highlander, 2015-2016 Toyota Tundra, Scion FR-S, and tC vehicles.

The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

An incorrect label may lead an owner to overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall will begin on July 14, 2016.

Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 337,449 model year 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 31, 2005, to September 7, 2010, and 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles manufactured July 6, 2009, to August 26, 2010.

The vehicles have rear suspension arms (rear tie rods) with adjusting lock nuts that may have been improperly tightened after servicing. As a result of being loose, the arm may have thread damage and may rust, possibly leading to the failure of the arm and an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.

Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace both rear suspension arms and encapsulate the locknuts, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 30, 2016.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0V for Toyota vehicles and GLK for Lexus vehicles.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. is changing the remedy for approximately 337,000 model year 2006 - 2011 Toyota RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS 250h vehicles recalled in 2013.

Dealers will replace -- at no cost to customers -- both rear suspension arm assemblies with new ones. They will also apply an epoxy to prevent future arm adjustment during vehicle service.

In the earlier action, if the nuts for adjusting rear wheel alignment were improperly tightened when an alignment was performed, rust could form on suspension arm threads. If this occurs, and if the condition is not identified and remedied during servicing or repair under the existing remedy procedure, the threads can wear over time, causing the arm to separate, which could result in a loss of vehicle control.

What to do

Toyota will notify all known owners of the involved vehicles by first class mail.

Owners with questions may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987.

Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) is recalling 425 model year 2010-2015 Toyota 4Runners manufactured September 3, 2009, to December 1, 2014.

The vehicles may be equipped with accessory exhaust tips installed by SET or SET dealers that may contact people and possibly burn them while they are standing behind the vehicle.

Contact with an exhaust tip may result in personal injury.

What to do

SET will notify owners, and dealers will install a re-designed exhaust tip that is smaller in diameter and is more recessed behind the bumper, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin September 15, 2016.

Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET16D.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 91,585 model year 2016-2017 Prius vehicles manufactured August 6, 2015, to October 3, 2016.

The recalled vehicles are equipped with a foot-operated parking brake system that has a parking brake cable that may disengage.

If the parking brake cable disengages from the mechanism and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while the ignition is on and the driver leaves the vehicle, the vehicle may roll unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a clip at the parking brake cable end to prevent the cable from disengaging, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 11, 2016.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G01.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 7,056 model year 2016 Highlanders manufactured May 26, 2016, to September 16, 2016.

The brake fluid level sensor may not be connected to the wire harness, preventing the sensor from detecting the brake fluid level. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

If the brake fluid level is low and is not detected, braking performance may be decreased, increasing the risk of a crash.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, connect the wire harness to the sensor, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin November 7, 2016.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this G03.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 744,437 model year 2011-2016 Toyota Sienna minivans manufactured January 4, 2010, to August 12, 2016.

If the power sliding door is unable to be opened when commanded, such as if the door is frozen shut, it may subsequently open unexpectedly, possibly while the vehicle is moving.

If door opens while the vehicle is moving, there would be an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants.

What to do

The remedy for this recall is still under development. Interim notices are expected to be mailed to owners by January 21, 2017.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G04.

Toyota Motor North America is recalling 94 model year 2017 Toyota 86 vehicles.

Connectors for the automatic transmission key interlock may not have been connected during pre‐delivery service prior to sale. If this was not connected, it is possible to remove the key in gear positions other than “Park,” and could increase the risk of vehicle roll-away and a crash. Models with a key fob and ignition button are not affected.

What to do

Toyota will contact all known owners of the recalled vehicles by first class mail starting in January and instruct them to return the vehicle to a Toyota dealer to have the ignition key interlock function confirmed and -- if necessary -- the delivery mode connector will be connected at no charge.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‐800‐331‐4331.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 12 model year 2016 Avalon, and 2017 Camry vehicles manufactured August 3, 2016, to September 12, 2016.

The front passenger knee air bag module may have been attached to the lower instrument panel with incorrect fasteners.

If the air bag was installed with incorrect fasteners, the fasteners may become loose over time, affecting the air bag deployment and increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fasteners, and if necessary, replace the instrument panel brace and body bracket and reattach the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in December 2016.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G05.

Toyota Motor Company is recalling 94 model year 2017 Toyota 86 vehicles manufactured July 1, 2016 through August 11, 2016 equipped with an automatic transmission and ignition key.

Vehicles with a push-to-start button or manual transmission are not affected.

It may be possible to remove the ignition key without the transmission being in the "Park" position. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

If the key can be removed from the ignition when the transmission is not in the "Park" position, the vehicle could roll away increasing the risk of a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the ignition key/transmission interlock wiring connections, correcting them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in January 2017.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G0E.

Toyota Motor North America is recalling approximately 73,000 model year 2016 and 2017 Toyota Tundras.

The vehicles are equipped with resin rear step bumpers and resin reinforcement brackets at each corner. In the event of an impact to the corner of the bumper, the resin bracket may become damaged but not be noticed.

If a person steps on the corner of the bumper that is damaged, a portion of it may break away, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Toyota dealers will replace the resin reinforcement brackets with new ones made of steel at no cost to customers. In addition, the rear bumper tread covers will be replaced as part of the remedy. Owners of the recalled vehicles will receive a notification by first class mail starting in the middle of February.

Owners may call Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. 

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling 72,847 model year 2016-2017 Tundras equipped with a resin rear step bumper and resin reinforcement brackets. Vehicles with chrome step bumpers are not affected.

In the event of an impact to the corner of the bumper, the resin bracket may be damaged but not be noticed.

If a person steps on the corner of the bumper that is damaged, a portion of the bumper may break away, increasing the risk of injury.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the resin rear bumper reinforcement brackets with steel ones, and replace the rear bumper tread, free of charge. Remedy parts are not currently available.

Toyota will begin notifying owners of the recall on February 15, 2017. A second notice will be mailed when remedy parts are available.

Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0C.

The Prius is easy to like when you pull up to the gas pump but the little car takes forever to get to the filling station so it will help if you like the hybrid in between fill-ups.

At first glance, the Toyota appears a lot like any other little car but there is one big difference: With the Prius, it helps to read the owner's manual before attempting to start the thing.

None of the computer-savvy members of the ConsumerAffairs.com staff were able to start the car without consulting the owner's manual or asking for help. The starting procedure is not complicated but it's certainly not intuitive.

The futuristic look of the Prius comes with some futuristic features. There is a rear-view camera to show the way in reverse, a laser "smart key" and a very space-age-looking dashboard.

So before we get to the important part -- gasoline mileage -- let's talk about the "smart key" and other electronic baubles on the Prius.

Toyota describes the "smart key" as part of its theft prevention and immobilizer system.

When you "press the power switch, the electronic code in the key is automatically checked to determine whether it corresponds to the registered ID code for the vehicle," according the Prius Owner's Manual. "If the ID code is verified, you can start the system."

With your foot on the brake, you simply press the power button. That's right, the power button. The Prius is now ready to drive. Just to make sure you know that, the "ready" light in the dashboard console comes on to tell you so.

You don't feel the electric motor turn on and the gasoline engine may not fire up right away. When the Prius tells you the car is ready you can believe your eyes and forget about your ears as you quietly start to slip out of your driveway or parking space.

The engineering magic of a full hybrid powertrain that can propel a vehicle using gasoline, electricity or both is in the control system and its software. A computer manages the blend of power from the electric motor and gasoline engine. The computer also controls the hybrid's regenerative braking system that captures the vehicle's kinetic energy and turns it into electricity.

Good to Go?

While the process is seamless, the moving-on-down-the-road part is where people begin to differ in their view of the Japanese hybrid.

The Prius is not a powerful car. There is the rub.

Depending on your perspective, the hybrid accelerates smoothly to highway speed and beyond, or the little car just takes forever to get up to speed and into traffic. Jim Hood ran out of patience trying to clock its 0-60 performance and Joe Enoch just about ran out of pavement as he hot-footed onto an off-ramp.

The Prius comes with a full slate of standard equipment that includes full-time traction control and ABS braking. Nevertheless, at Beltway speeds around Washington the Prius is a little short of confidence-inspiring and the thin tires do not provide a lot of grip.

But while the Prius is at or near the bottom end of the acceleration curve, I found plenty of power to comfortably move into high-speed traffic as I engaged both the electic motor and gasoline engine.

Buying a Prius can take longer these days than jumping into freeway traffic. The waiting lists are back, along with $3 a gallon gasoline.

Two months ago there were Prius models that sat on the showroom floor. This month most Toyota dealers are out of cars as demand again outstrips supply.

The wait is currently about four weeks.

After you stand in line for your opportunity to buy a Prius you will still be in a minority on the great American highway. Though hybrid sales more than doubled in 2005, they still make up only about 1 percent of overall vehicles sales nationwide.

Gadgets Galore

Once you are in the car, the Prius certainly seems to have every electronic gadget available these days. It's a hoot to drive. As an economical and environmentally friendly people mover, I give the car top marks. But try to drive the Prius like a Porsche and you will be disappointed.

Oh yes, you have to contend with the reaction of other motorists when driving a Prius too. No kidding, a lot of people just don't seem to like the car.

The Prius attracted some mildly hostile attention from other motorists as we drove around Northern Virginia. The staff wrote this off as politics as usual in the greater Washington area. More than most areas, Washington, D.C., drivers see your choice of car as a political statement.

Nevertheless, driving the Prius makes it easy to understand why some people feel they are making a contribution to the environment and their fellow man. The little car moves lightly on the earth.

At the neighborhood grocery store, I parked near former Secretary of State Colin Powell as the general sat in his powerful C6 Corvette. I could not resist exuding a slight environmentally conscious smirk as I walked by the high-powered combo on the way to buy a handful of groceries. (Editors Note: We are available to test drive a Corvette C6 ZO6 anytime).

Politics aside, the Prius passed the all-important grocery run test with high marks. Everything fit nicely into the trunk space without overflowing into the passenger compartment.

As we mentioned earlier, the Prius dashboard is an electronic dream. Speed, miles driven and other important information are available as digital readouts where the dashboard meets the windshield.

The center console of the Prius houses a computer screen that provides constant mileage and energy consumption data as well climate and stereo controls.

The Big Question

So now we move on to the important question -- gasoline mileage in the Prius.

We will have to be upfront and offer a couple of disclosures here. Toyota delivered the Prius with 87 highway miles on the car and the gasoline mileage indicator built into the center console recorded 48.6 miles per gallon from the delivery trip.

The window sticker that came with the Prius says that the hybrid gets 60 miles per gallon in the city and 51 on the highway. The mileage claims have been the subject of heated debate and complaints among readers of ConsumerAffairs.com.

We were unable to divide our Prius driving equally between city and highway driving since, unfortunately, highways around here are about as crowded and slow-moving as city streets. So the ConsumerAffairs.com staff simply did the best we could: we pounded the Prius over 7 days in Washington and Northern Virginia traffic.

We spent a number of miles on the Beltway and I-66 and on such urban thoroughfares as the Fairfax Country Parkway and Route 28 around Dulles Airport. We drove the car hard and heavy, trying to see just what sort of mileage this little gas saver would or would not produce.

At the end of seven days we filled the tank. We had driven 298.71 miles. The Prius took 6.59 gallons. That works out to 45.2 miles per gallon. The onboard computer showed the Prius delivering 43 miles per gallon, suggesting the car had been filled to the brim before delivery to us.

Split the difference and you have 44 miles per gallon in a car driven by three lead-footed reviewers who broke every rule of fuel-efficient driving they could think of.

No, the Prius didn't get 60 miles per gallon but, being driven hard through some of the worst traffic in the country, we'd have to say it did pretty well.

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The sticker price on the 2006 Prius Toyota provided for our test drive is $23,966.

The manufacturers suggested retail price for the base Prius is $21,725 and the car carries option package number 3 costing $1,475.

Option package 3 includes Rear Backup Camera, Smart Key System, AM/FM CD with 6 speakers, Auxiliary Audio Input Miniplug and MP3/WMA Playback Capability, Driver and Front Seat-Mounted Side Airbags, Front and Rear Side Curtain Airbags. The carpet, floor mats and cargo mat in the Prius cost an additional $186.

Toyota provided ConsumerAffairs.com with the Prius for a one-week test drive.

Toyota says it will replace or reshape accelerator pedals on 3.8 million vehicles in an attempt to deal with an unintended acceleration problem that has resulted in at least one fatal accident. It's the largest recall in the company's history.

Toyota and Lexus vehicles affected by the recall are:

• 2007-2010 Camry
• 2005-2010 Avalon
• 2004-2009 Prius
• 2005-2010 Tacoma
• 2007-2010 Tundra
• 2007-2010 Lexus ES 350
• 2006-2010 Lexus IS 250 and IS350

Toyota also said it will install a brake override system on the Camry, Avalon and Lexus models. The override will shut off all engine power if drivers press both the brake and accelerator pedals simultaneouls. Toyota said the override is intended to be "an extra measure of confidence."

Toyota said it is in the process of completing development of these actions and for the ES350, Camry, and Avalon will start notifying owners of the involved vehicles via first-class mail by the end of this year. The remedy process regarding the other five models will occur on a "rolling schedule" during 2010, the company said.

Toyota said its dealers will be trained and equipped to make the necessary modifications to these models starting at the beginning of 2010. Initially, it said dealers will be instructed on how to reshape the accelerator pedal for the repair. As replacement parts with the same shape as the modified pedal become available, they will be made available to dealers for the repair, beginning around April 2010. Customers who have had the remedy completed will have the opportunity to receive a new pedal if they desire.

Critics have complained that Toyota did not exactly leap at the opportunity to recognize and fix the problem and consumers have been complaining about the sudden acceleration for years.. Initially, the company blamed the problem on floor mats sliding forward but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) called that statement "inaccurate and misleading."

Toyota eventually conceded that it was the design of the accelerator pedal that was causing the problem.

"I have had three accidents or near accidents with my new 2009 Toyota Prius due to a combination of mysterious acceleration and loss of brakes," Paul of Sedona, Arizona, told ConsumerAffairs.com. My car suddenly seemed to accelerate on its own and my brakes failed. How I stopped my car I will never know."

Not only were consumers skeptical, so was the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Earlier this month, NHTSA issued a highly unusual statement scolding Toyota for what it called "inaccurate and misleading" information in Toyota press release about the recall.

"NHTSA has told Toyota and consumers that removing the recalled floor mats is the most immediate way to address the safety risk and avoid the possibility of the accelerator becoming stuck. But it is simply an interim measure," NHTSA said. "This remedy does not correct the underlying defect in the vehicles involving the potential for entrapment of the accelerator by floor mats, which is related to accelerator and floor pan design."

Will the pedal reshaping work? A former Toyota engineer now with Edmunds.com says it should.

"Our tests have confirmed that an out of position floor mat can cause the throttle to stick because of the shape and geometry of the current gas pedal," Automotive News quoted Dan Edmunds as saying. He was senior chassis development engineer for Toyota's Technical Center before joining Edmunds.com.

"Temporarily shortening and replacing the accelerator pedals are viable solutions to alleviate the problem," Edmunds said.

Reports from Tokyo say Toyota has set aside more than $5 billion to replace the accelerator pedals on all of the 3.8 million vehicles. The company says the cost will have no sigifnicant effect on its business.

"The safety of our owners and the public is our utmost concern and Toyota has and will continue to thoroughly investigate and take appropriate measures to address any defect trends that are identified," Toyota said in a statement.

Owners who have further questions can visit www.toyota.com or www.lexus.com or contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus Customer Assistance at 1-800-295-3987.

Under the pedal

The problem with the floor mats is not that they can slip over the accelerator and push it down -- but rather that the mats can slide under the pedal and push it forward, which in the worst case can result in full-throttle acceleration that defies an instant solution. Many Toyotas have "On" and "Off" buttons that take three seconds to operate.

No one knows how many accidents may have been caused but an August tragedy on a San Diego freeway put the problem at the top of the auto safety agenda. In that accident, a California highway patrolman and his family were killed in their runaway Lexus ES 350. Someone calling from the car before it crashed at over 100 miles per hour said they couldn't stop it. Seconds later, it struck an SUV.

Others have escaped injury, but only narrowly. Radha of Philadelphia was in a parking lot earlier this year when his 2009 Prius began accelerating unexpectedly.

"I went all in for the brakes -- no reaction from the car," he said. "Car crashed into a light pole, tilted to its right crashed down in parking spot right next to where I wanted to park. With me hanging by the seat belt, car still accelerating, I went for the power button. No response to that either.

Radha managed to crawl through the window to escape from the car, the engine running wide open as the car lay on its side. When police arrived, they managed to switch the car off, Radha said.

Mary of Medford, Oregon, also reported that four incidents of unintended acceleration in her 2007 Prius were accompanied by an apparent lack of response from the brakes. She said her dealer was able to duplicate the problem twice but couldn't resolve it.

"It has nothing to do with the floor mat," Mary said.

Toyota recalled 55,000 Camry and Lexus models in September 2007 following complaints of runaway acceleration. Owners of the popular Prius Hybrid had also complained of the problem but were not included in that recall, though Prius models are included in the current recall.

Toyota won a major victory today as U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said federal investigators had found no evidence the automaker's electronic throttle system played a part in incidents of unintended acceleration.

"There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas," LaHood said in a statement issued to news organizations.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched the study ten months ago and called on NASA engineers to help determine whether cases of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus models were caused by any cause other than sticky gas pedals and floor mats that trapped the gas pedals.

“We enlisted the best and brightest engineers to study Toyota’s electronics system, and the verdict is in. There is no electronic-based cause for unintended, high-speed acceleration in Toyotas.” LaHood said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The finding is a major victory for Toyota, which has recalled more than 18 million vehicles since 2009. Five million of those recalls were to fix floor mat problems and four million were to fix gas pedals that were prone to stick.

Toyota faces hundreds of lawsuits filed on behalf of victims of accidents blamed on unintended acceleration. It has already paid $48 million in fines in three separate cases and faces potential liabilities of $10 billion or more in the cases that are still pending.

Human error

While the report exonerated Toyota's electronic throttle system, it did not directly examine the prevalence of pedals that became trapped in place by floor mats or pedals that stuck in the open position.

However, the report said that most of the incidents NASA and DOT engineers examined occurred at low speed and appeared to be caused by driver error, with the driver inadvertently stepping on the gas rather than the brake, or in some bases depressing both pedals at once.

The few high-speed incidents that have been documented were likely caused by the floor mat jamming the accelerator pedal into the wide-open position, investigators said.

Explosive new claims in an ongoing class action lawsuit concerning the Toyota unintended acceleration saga threaten to land a new blow on the beleaguered automaker and raise new questions about its safety record -- and its integrity.

In court papers filed this week, the plaintiffs claim that Toyota secretly bought back cars from consumers who complained about unintended acceleration, then made them sign non-disclosure agreements to prevent the practice from becoming public. The consumers were also allegedly barred from filing suit against Toyota.

Once the cars were back in Toyota's hands, its technicians successfully replicated the acceleration defect, but failed to inform federal investigators, the plaintiffs say.

The claims come in an amended consolidated complaint filed in the mega-suit being heard in federal court in California. The action consists of over 100 federal suits that were consolidated in April and are now being treated as a single proceeding.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the number of suits and issues involved, the amended complaint -- filed Wednesday -- is over 700 pages long, not including hundreds of additional pages of attached exhibits.

Toyota "tried to cover it up": plaintiffs

By way of example, the lawsuit cites a July 2009 incident at an unnamed Toyota dealership. A service manager at the dealership says that a Toyota Tacoma pickup accelerated from 71 to 95 miles per hour even though his foot was off the pedal, according to an account in The Los Angeles Times.

Toyota "knew it had a problem, but they didn't know the cause of the problem," Steve Berman, the plaintiffs' lead attorney, told the Times. "They maintained their silence and tried to cover it up."

Olivia Alair, a spokeswoman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) told The Detroit Free Press that the agency received the reports from Toyota's dealerships this year "as part of our ongoing investigation of unintended acceleration, but we didn't receive complaints directly from the consumers."

Toyota takes issue with some claims

In a statement, Toyota admitted buying back two cars, but, contrary to the plaintiffs' allegations, claimed that it was not able to replicate the defect in those vehicles.

"As part of our commitment to investigate acceleration concerns, we have voluntarily repurchased other vehicles," company spokesman Brian Lyons said. "The repurchase was not mandatory or directed through an arbitration or court process."

Lyons also said that affected consumers were required to sign a "settlement agreement," relieving Toyota of liability, but that no requirements were made with regard to confidentiality.

The allegations are the latest in a long line of seemingly damning claims about the epic disaster. Lawyers for the plaintiffs have also claimed that Toyota knew of the defect as far back as 2003, and called it "extremely dangerous." And in January, a Toyota executive reportedly urged the company to "come clean" about the defect, warning that Toyota "was not protecting our customers by keeping this quiet."

A faulty coolant pump that causes an overheating problem has triggered a recall of about 650,000 Toyota Prius models, most of them sold in the U.S.

The repairs cover the 2004 to 2007 model years. The flaw can cause the car to overheat and, ultimately lose power. Toyota said there are no safety issues involved in the action. It says it has received o reports of any accidents for injuries from the problem.

As part of the repair, Toyota will replace the coolant pumps in affected vehicles. The pump design allows air bubbles to enter the system, with the result that the flow of coolant is slowed. With less coolant getting to vital engine parts, the systems begin to overheat.

The first indication that something is amiss is a dashboard warning light. Left unattended, Toyota said the engine will begin to reduce power to protect itself.

Owners of affected models should expect to begin hearing from Toyota throughout December. They will be instructed where to take their cars for the needed repairs.

Toyota said it would cover the cost of the repairs, with includes the new pump and more than $100 in labor.

A panel of experts appointed by Toyota says the automaker hasn't done enough to address the safety problems that have plagued the company and its customers.

The panel headed by former U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater said the recalls of more than 10 million vehicles since 2009 were largely attributable to Toyota's centralized decision-making process and the company "skepticism and defensiveness" towards consumers, Automotive News reported.

But the panel said it is optimistic about Toyota's future, noting that a federal investigation found no electronic causes for instances of unintended acceleration and crediting the company with being "eager to implement positive changes."

In its 60-page report, the panel said Toyota still needs to give local managers more authority. The company has said it will establish regional advisory committees for North America, Europe and Asia, but the panel said it doubts that will be adequate.

"Toyota needs to continue to adjust its balance between global and local control, giving weight to local control in order to improve its communications and speed in responding to qualify and safety issues," the panel said.

Toyota paid nearly $50 million in fines in the U.S. last year and millions more conducting recalls and fighting lawsuits, most of them related to alleged incidents of unintended acceleration.

Some critics have claimed that Toyota's electronic acceleration system is to blame for the incidents but federal investigators found no evidence to support that. Instead, misplaced floor mats and other mechanical causes were blamed for most of the incidents in which a cause could be found.

The Toyota Motor Corp. and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have agreed that faulty floor mats are the cause of runaway acceleration in the Toyota Prius hybrid as well as several other Toyota vehicles.

Toyota announced it will conduct a recall of 55,000 floor mats which are used in the 2007/2008 Lexus ES 350 as well as the 2007/2008 Camry.

At the same time, NHTSA is strongly urging owners make sure the driver-side, all weather floor mat is properly secured before driving the vehicles.

NHTSA and Toyota noted that, if unsecured, the mats being recalled can slip forward and trap the accelerator pedal, causing the vehicle to accelerate uncontrollably.

The floor mats in the Prius are not part of the recall but NHTSA urged drivers of Toyota Avalons and Prius hybrids to check the driver-side floor mats to make sure they are properly installed.

Of course, depending on vehicle design, it is possible for unsecured floor mats to interfere with accelerator or brake pedals in a wide range of vehicles, NHTSA said in a press release.

Therefore, NHTSA reminds all drivers of all makes and models to check the driver-side floor mats for secure installation and to follow manufacturer instructions for installing the mats.

For more information on the floor mat recall, consumers can contact the NHTSA Hotline at 888-327-4236 or their Toyota or Lexus dealer.

NHTSA has also reported complaints of unintended acceleration in the RAV 4 and Tacoma pickup.

Earlier this month, NHTSA spokesman Rae Tyson told ConsumerAffairs.com that regulators at NHTSA were "aware of" complaints of runaway acceleration in the popular Toyota Prius hybrid and were in a "monitoring mode."

Prius owners skeptical

Prius owners who have reported the unintended acceleration problem with their Prius hybrid to ConsumerAffairs.com remain wary that the problem can simply be traced to floor mats.

Here is the rub, one California reader told us. If it truly were the mat catching the accelerator, why did turning the car off solve the problem? There is nothing with the power button that would do this. And yet each time when I restarted the Prius it was fine. If the accelerator were caught under the mat once the car was turned off the problem did not persist, she wrote.

The California consumer said her test of the Prius will continue.

"I've decided to remove the mat and drive the car for a month to see if the problem occurs without the mat. If this does turn out to be the problem then one has to ask why Toyota would sell a Toyota Prius specific mat that would have any potential of causing this problem. If this does not turn out to the problem then that is bad and others should know.

On August 22, Dan in San Dimas, California reported an unintended acceleration problem with his Prius.

I was almost stopped for a red light, my foot was on the brake (NOT on gas), the car was surging forward being held back by brakes. I quickly checked for anything under the accelerator including the floor mat, foot on the gas, or any other cause. All were negative.

Dan pulled into a gas station on the corner with the engine still revving at maximum rpms. He turned the Prius off, double checked for external causes and found none. He then turned the hybrid back on and it behaved normally, Dan told us.

When Dan reported the unintended acceleration problem to his Toyota dealer, he said there was a service bulletin on the 2004-2005 models but not on the 2006. He offered to re-flash the computer. Dan told us.

Other incidents

Karen in Los Gatos, California has a 2007 Prius she has driven since December of 2006.

After driving the car approximately 1,000 miles, Toyota Prius hybrid had an uninitiated full-throttle acceleration while driving on an expressway, she told ConsumerAffairs.com.

Startled, I slammed on the brakes. The accelerator fought my braking as I pulled over and turned off the car, shocked and taking a deep breath, Karen wrote us.

Karen did not think about the problem with unintended acceleration again until it happened with about 13,000 miles on the odometer.

I had been stopped at a traffic light. It changed to green and I started to move forward. The Prius took off charging toward the car in front of me. Standing on the brakes, I pulled over and turned off the car. Very frightened, I sat wondering what I should do next. What happens if I turn the car on and it takes off again? she asked herself.

Karen said that all was normal when she re-fired the hybrid engine.

I called Toyota and talked to a sales person and explained this dangerous experience. He confirmed that he was familiar with the problem and also experienced this himself when driving one of the earlier models of the Prius, Karen wrote.

Karen took the runaway Prius to her Toyota dealer and listened as the service manager blamed everything that occurred on "nothing more than a carpet jamming the accelerator pedal."

As I explained to him, I didn't have floor mats when this happened the first time, Karen wrote.

A concerned friend sent Karen a link to earlier stories published by ConsumerAffairs.com.

"I forwarded the link to the owner of the Toyota dealership. He too expressed concern and asked me to keep the loaner for a few more days while they get someone for Toyota to look further into this, Karen said.

About the same time that Janet was crashing into a garage wall with her Prius, Lois in Las Vegas was wrestling with her 2005 Toyota hybrid's tendency to accelerate suddenly.

It has hesitated several times on me. This last time I almost got in an accident. It chugged along several times in a row. No lights went on. It has 99,000 miles and has a warranty to 100,000 miles. It has bee at the Toyota dealership 5 days. they cannot find any problems, Lois said.

In Tustin, California, Lupe reported this problem with her 2006 Prius. Three weeks ago I went to pick up my daughter from school, I decided to back up my car and wait for her to come out. Suddenly my car accelerated while I had my foot pressing the brakes, it was going too fast I had no time to do anything, I crashed onto a wall about 10 fees in front of me.

Lupe said the wall was not damaged and she was not hurt but the Prius suffered $14,000 in damages.

An engineer's theory

In Los Lunas, New Mexico, Marvin had a similar experience.

"In each case, the vehicle was accelerating at a rate below maximum and went to and stayed at maximum without driver command. Marvin told ConsumerAffairs.com.

A simple touching of the lever that disengages the cruise control caused the system to immediately go back to a normal condition with the cruise control off, Marvin told us.

Marvin said he is a qualified professional engineer and systems analyst. His work has involved automobiles as well as aircraft and industrial systems.

I can assure you, Marvin told ConsumerAffairs.com, that the incidences that I had did not involve mechanical sticking or jamming of the accelerator pedal because of a piece of carpet. It was not driver error.

In Marvins opinion, the problem may be in the cruise control system itself, either a mechanical, electronic or electrical problem in the cruise control system.

The problem could easily cause a serious accident if the driver, caught unaware, did not take immediate remedial action, according to our reader in New Mexico.

Toyota's advice

Toyota spokesman Sam Butto said owners who encounter a an unintended acceleration problem can contact our Customer Experience Center Monday thru Friday from 6:00 AM -6:00 PM Pacific time at 1-800-331-4331 to have their concern documented so the Center can look into it.

Butto also advised that customers can consult any Toyota dealer for an inspection or diagnostic test. If an abnormal condition is found repairs will be covered by the Prius warranty of 8 years/100,000 miles or in California and states adopting California standards 10 years/150,000 miles, he said.

If no problem is found Toyota may charge a fee for the inspection or diagnostic test.

Toyota Motor Corporation has agreed to pay an additional $32.425 million in civil penalties as the result of two separate government investigations into its handling of auto recalls.

The automaker will pay the maximum fines allowable under the law -- $16.375 million in one case and $16.050 million in the other -- in response to the Transportation Department's (DOT) assertion that it failed to comply with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act for reporting safety defects to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

"Safety is our top priority and we take our responsibility to protect consumers seriously," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "I am pleased that Toyota agreed to pay the maximum possible penalty and I expect Toyota to work cooperatively in the future to ensure consumers' safety."

Accelerator probe

The first investigation resulted in a $16.375 million fine and involved Toyota's recall of nearly five million vehicles with accelerator pedals that can become entrapped by floor mats. As its initial remedy, Toyota recalled 55,000 all-weather floor mats on September 26, 2007.

In August 2009, a fatal crash in Santee, California, occurred as the result of pedal entrapment in a loaner Lexus equipped with an all-weather floor mat intended for another Lexus model. After the fatal crash, NHTSA reviewed crash evidence and other data, and found that removing floor mats was insufficient and that there was a need to redesign the accelerator pedal.

At NHTSA's urging, Toyota then conducted a recall for 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles for floor mat entrapment on October 5, 2009. The October recall was expanded on January 27, 2010, to include another 1.1 million vehicles.

In February 2010, NHTSA launched an investigation to determine when Toyota first learned of the pedal entrapment defect and whether the company notified NHTSA in a timely manner. Federal law requires all auto manufacturers to notify NHTSA within five business days of determining that a safety defect exists and to promptly conduct a recall.

NHTSA's investigation led the agency to believe that Toyota had not fulfilled its obligation to report a known safety defect within five days, as is required under the law.

The defects involving pedal entrapment by floor mats and "sticking" accelerator pedals are currently the only two known causes of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles, although NHTSA continues to explore other possible causes.

The agency has enlisted the expertise of researchers and engineers from the prestigious National Academy of Sciences and NASA for a pair of studies that seek to get to the bottom of unintended acceleration.

Steering control probe

The second investigation resulted in a $16.050 million fine. In that case, NHTSA investigated whether Toyota properly notified the agency of a safety defect in several Toyota models that could result in the loss of steering control. In 2004, Toyota conducted a recall in Japan for Hilux trucks with steering relay rods prone to fatigue cracking and breaking, causing the vehicle to lose steering control.

At that time, Toyota informed NHTSA that the safety defect was isolated to vehicles in Japan and that the company had not received similar field information within the United States. In 2005, however, Toyota informed NHTSA that the steering relay rod defect was present in several models sold in the U.S. and conducted a recall for nearly one million vehicles.

Then, in May 2010, NHTSA was alerted to additional information, including complaints from U.S. consumers, that Toyota had not disclosed when it initially notified NHTSA that a U.S. recall was unnecessary.

"Automakers are required to report any safety defects to NHTSA swiftly, and we expect them to do so," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. "NHTSA acknowledges Toyota's efforts to make improvements to its safety culture, and our agency will continue to hold all automakers accountable for defects to protect consumers' safety."

Payments

Toyota will pay the maximum in civil penalties for each of the two violations stemming from the pedal entrapment and steering relay rod recalls. The maximum civil penalty established under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act is adjusted for inflation, and was set at $16.050 million at the time of the steering relay rod recall in 2005.

In April, Toyota agreed to pay the maximum penalty of $16.375 million in response to the Department's assertion that it failed to notify NHTSA within five days of learning of the "sticky pedal" defect. That brings the total civil penalties assessed for Toyota in 2010 to $48.8 million. The fines will be paid into the Treasury Department's General Fund.

Today is the first day of the rest of Toyota's life, however long it may prove to be. The Japanese automaker, hammered by plummeting sales after an unprecedented series of safety recalls, is vowing to win back customers "at all costs," according to a report in the industry journal Automotive News.

The newspaper said Toyota's plans include extending new-car warranties to make them the best in the industry, offering warranties for used vehicles and ponying up some form of owner loyalty cash, perhaps thousands of dollars per customer. Dealers will also get help from Toyota in financing their inventories and dealing with repairs not covered by the various recalls, report said.

Toyota said last week that it expects to lose 80,000 sales this year because of the safety crisis -- an estimate some industry observers think is wildly optimistic. A study by Kelley Blue Book found that Toyota now ranks behind Chevrolet and Ford in the percentage of consumers actively considering buying a car or truck.

The company reportedly plans to hold off on its new marketing efforts until Congressional hearings on the recalls currently schedoled for later this month. The hearings are likely to be a huge dose of bad publicity, as Congress pretends to work itself into a lather over the issue.

So far the president of Toyota in North America has been called to testify, but officials in Japan have said that Akio Toyoda, the head of Toyota Motor Corporation and grandson of the company's founder, will make himself available to Congress if required.

The automaker's plunge from its lofty perch as the world leader in safety and environmental issues began last fall when more than 5 million Toyota and Lexus models were recalled following complaints of unintended acceleration caused by floor mats trapping accelerator pedals. Then, in January, another 2.3 million Toyota vehicles were recalled because of -- guess what -- complaints of unintended acceleration, this time blamed on sticky gas pedals. Also recalled were assorted Prius hybrid and Tacoma pickup models.

The latest recall, announced over the weekend, affects 8,000 four-wheel Toyota Tacoma trucks that may have defective front drive shafts.

Recent recalls

Recalls to date include:

February 9, 2010 recall to fix brake problem in certain Prius and Lxus vehicles.

• 2010 Prius
• 2010 Lexus HS 250h

January 28, 2010 recall to fix floor mats on 1.1 million vehicles not covered by an earlier recall of 4.3 million vehicles.

• 2008-10 Highlanders
• 2009-2010 Corollas, Venzas and Matrixes.

January 21, 2010 recall to fix sticking accelerator pedals in another 2.3 million vehicles

• 2007-10 Camrys,
• 2009-10 Corollas,
• 2009-10 RAV4s,
• 2009-10 Matrixes,
• 2005-10 Avalons,
• 2010 Highlanders,
• 2007-10 Tundras and
• 2008-10 Sequoias.

September 30, 2009 recall to fix floor mats on 3.8 million vehicles.

• 2007-2010 Camry,
• 2005-2010 Avalon,
• 2004-2009 Prius,
• 2005-2010 Tacoma,
• 2007-2010 Tundra,
• 2007-2010 ES 350,
• 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS350

Other recalls

While the most recent recalls have been greeted with expressions of shock, dismay and so forth, Toyota is hardly a stranger to safety recalls. Here are some of the Toyota safety recalls since 2008, excluding those dealt with above:

• Toyota Recalling 110,000 Tundra Pickups
• Toyota Camry, Avalon, Prius, Tacoma, Tundra
• 2008-2009 Toyota Scion XD
• 2008-2009 Toyota Scion XD
• 2006-2007 Toyota Yaris
• 2004 Toyota Sienna
• Toyota Siennas Recalled to Fix Liftgate
• Toyota Highlander, Highlander Hybrids
• Feds Probe Unintended Acceleration in Toyota Sienna Minivan
• Toyota Matrix & Corolla
• Toyota Recalls Some 2007 Tundra Pickups
• Toyota Extends Sienna Liftgate Warranty
• Toyota, NHTSA Investigate 360,000 Sienna Vans
• Airbag Danger Prompts Scion TC Recall
• Toyota Recalls 533,000 Trucks for Failed Ball Joints
• Toyota Recalls Near 800,000 for July
• Toyota Tundra Recalled to Disable Front Passenger Airbag Switch
• Toyota Recalls Highlander, Lexus RX SUVs
• Toyota Scion tC Moonroof Failures Probed
• NHTSA Probes 600,000 Toyota Trucks and Vans
• Toyota FJ Cruiser Recalled For Tire Flaw
• Massive Toyota Recall Affects Nearly One Million
• Toyota Recalls Prius for Steering Defect

Litigation looms

While Toyota may be justified in expecting the Congressional hearings to be a temporary problem -- given adequate application of the emoluments typically showered on Congress by industries being skewered for wrongdoings real or imagined -- the compay faces years of extraordinarily expensive litigation, in the form of both class action lawsuits and individual suits filed by injured motorists and the survivors of those killed in crashes involving the company's products.

Automakers typically spare no effort to block class actions from going to trial, hoping to avoid both ruinous damage awards and the bad publicity that lengthy trials produce. Many attorneys who are normally quick to file class actions are reluctant to sue automakers because of the risk that years of litigation will fail, thanks in part to legislation enacted by the very Congressional stalwarts who will portray themselves as outraged champions of the people when Toyota executives are dragged before them for their televised waterboarding session.

By the same token, automakers typically tend to settle personal injury and wrongful death cases rather than trying them in open court. A settlement that imposes a gag order on the plaintiffs not only prevents bad publicity but also locks up whatever damaging evidence the injured party's attorneys may have uncovered.

Toyota already faces at least 30 class action lawsuits. Beasley Allen, a well-known Alabama plaintiffs' firm, announced last week that it filed suit in federal court in Florida "on behalf of over 5 million Toyota owners whose vehicles have been recalled by Toyota." The firm is best known for its 2007 settlement on behalf of Vioxx users who suffered a stroke, heart attack, or death. At $4.85 billion, that settlement stands as the largest in U.S. history.

In addition to its class action woes, Toyota is also facing at least ten individual suits, most of which allege personal injury as a result of unintended acceleration. A Houston plaintiff alleges in a $200 million suit that his wife was killed in an accident in December, after her 2009 Corolla accelerated uncontrollably and crashed into a cement barrier.

Beasley Allen's suit alleges breach of warranty, fraudulent concealment, unjust enrichment, and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. The firm's statement confirms reports by ConsumerAffairs.com that unintended acceleration has long been an issue for Toyota.

The law firm cites estimates by Sean Kane, an independent expert on automotive safety, that an eye-popping "2,262 incidents involving unintended acceleration have been reported since 1999." Kane believes that 815 accidents involving Toyotas, resulting in 19 deaths and 341 injuries, were caused by unintended acceleration.

Meanwhile, California firm McCune Wright is seeking a preliminary injunction "requiring Toyota to expand the Sudden Unintended Acceleration recalls." McCune Wright says that Toyota's recently-announced brake override system is not being installed on nearly enough vehicles. The override allows the car's onboard computer to detect when the accelerator and the brake are being depressed simultaneously, and return the car's throttle to idle.

According to McCune Wright, "[B]y limiting this brake over-ride system recall to recent model years for just six vehicle models, Toyota has left more than 75 percent of the affected models and model years out of this important recall."

And Colorado firm Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine accuses Toyota of covering up the acceleration problem despite knowing about it for several years. In a suit filed suit on Friday, the firm basically says that consumers wasted money on cars they thought were reliable and safe to drive.

"The problem is that, even for people who have not experienced an unexpected acceleration, they now own a car that they likely wouldn't have bought or, at least, wouldn't have paid as much for had they known about this dangerous, life-threatening defect," said lawyer Michael Burg in a statement.

The judge hearing the Toyota unintended acceleration litigation says that the case is unlikely to go to trial for another two years.

During a recent status conference, James Selna, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, told lawyers that he expected to hear the first cases during the first quarter of 2013. The first cases to actually end up in a trial part will be so-called “bellwether cases,” those that signal how the rest of the litigation will proceed.

Judge Selna is overseeing the massive number of lawsuits consolidated into a single proceeding last April.

Dragging on

His decision means that the fiasco will hang over Toyota’s head for the foreseeable future, not just in the courtroom but also on the airwaves and in the minds of consumers -- many of them potential car-buyers -- across the country.

The issue has already been haunting the company for over a year; reports of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles first surfaced in November 2009, with a recall following shortly thereafter. A second recall was initiated in January 2010.

For a long time, the news only seemed to get worse for Toyota. In May, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that the issue may have caused as many as 89 deaths within the past decade, a higher number than originally thought.

Last February, Clarence Ditlow, with the Center for Auto Safety, told ConsumerAffairs.comthat Toyota would face an uphill climb in winning back consumers.

“For the next year they have to bat 1,000,” Ditlow said. “If they make a mistake they have to correct it almost overnight.”

Toyota challenges

In November, Toyota movedto dismiss the lawsuits, pointing out that most of the plaintiffs haven’t actually experienced any problem with their cars. In its motion, Toyota cited what it called “plaintiffs’ continued inability to point to an actual defect in the automobiles at issue.”

The company also took advantage of the fact that many of the lawsuits being heard by Judge Selna allege economic, rather than bodily, injury. The theory behind these suits is that the negative publicity surrounding the unintended acceleration issue has caused potentially defective cars to lose much of their resale value.

“The suggestion that at some undisclosed time in the future, when these plaintiffs might attempt to sell their vehicles, they will suffer some loss legally traceable to a defect that they have never experienced, is sheer speculation,” Toyota wrote in its motion.

Judge Selna ultimately rejected the bid, writing that Toyota was seeking “a level of specificity that is not required at the pleadings stage.”

“The defect is identified: plaintiffs’ cars suddenly and unexpectedly accelerate and do not stop upon proper application of the brake pedal,” Selna wrote.

In a statement last year, Toyota said it is “making an all-out effort to ensure our vehicles are safe and we remain committed to investigating reported incidents of unintended acceleration in our vehicles quickly.”

Toyota is recalling 2.17 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles in the United States to inspect and, if necessary, replace accelerator pedals that may get trapped in floor mats or carpeting. Toyota conducted a massive recall in 2009 to address the same problem.

Toyota said 20,000 2006 and early 2007 Lexus GS 300 and GS 350 all-wheel-drive sedans will be recalled to modify the shape of the plastic pad embedded in the driver's side floor carpet. Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified in early March.

If the floor carpet around the accelerator pedal is not properly replaced after service, Toyota said there is a possibility that the plastic pad embedded into the floor carpet may interfere with operation of the accelerator pedal.

If this occurs, the accelerator pedal may become temporarily stuck in a partially depressed position rather than returning to the idle position. Toyota said it recently received two complaints about the problem.

In addition, Toyota is recalling 372,000 2004 through 2006 and early 2007 Lexus RX 330, RX 350, and RX 400h units, and about 397,000 Toyota Highlander and Highlander HV vehicles sold from the 2004 through 2006 model years to replace the driver's side floor carpet cover and its two retention clips.

The Japanese automaker has now recalled a total of 19.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles worldwide and more than 13.7 million in the United States to address safety problems since the fall of 2009.

A federal judge in Santa Ana, Calif., has refused to dismiss about a dozen cases charging that Toyota failed to inform consumers about a defect in the antilock braking systems of certain Prius and Lexus models.

U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney ruled that the plaintiffs had established enough evidence to proceed under California's Unfair Competition Law and Consumers Legal Remedies Act as well as the implied warranty laws of various states.

The case was filed last February after Toyota recalled 150,000 Priuses and Lexus HS-250h models from the 2010 model year because of a defect in their antilock braking systems.

The suits claim that Toyota refused to repair the alleged defect. Furthermore, they say, Toyota knew about the alleged defect as early as 2004.

The claims were brought on behalf of consumers who bought or leased a 2004 to 2009 Prius, 2006 to 2010 Highland Hybrid, 2006 through 2008 Lexus RX 400h, or 2010 Lexus RX 450h. The suits allege that the antilock braking systems do not engage properly, causing drivers to take longer to stop.

The results included accidents that cost plaintiffs "several thousand dollars worth of damage to their cars and other's cars," according to Carney's order.

At the time of the Feb. 9, 2010, recall, ConsumerAffairs.com reported that, although the recall was limited to 2010 models, owners of Priuses from other model years had reported similar problems.

“From day one I have noticed the brakes do not work properly,” Lisa of South Salt lake, Utah, said. “At first I thought it was just a terrible car for rain or snow but it was having problems in the slightest rain shower.

“Now that I'm aware of the brakes slipping I've noticed it's every day, the roads will be perfectly dry, I have brand new tires, the brake pads just barely checked at the dealer, but if I hit a bump I have no brakes,” she said.

Toyota said it would update software in the vehicles' anti-lock brake system. The ABS, in normal operation, engages and disengages rapidly as the control system senses and reacts to tire slippage.

The brake problem recall came on top of the highly-publicized “sudden acceleration” recall that prompted Toyota to not only recall eight popular models of its cars, but to temporarily suspend their sale in the U.S.

Responding to Judge Carney's ruling, Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said: "We are confident Plaintiffs will be unable to introduce evidence that actually proves the allegations in their complaint that the Court relied on in denying Toyota's motion."
Sudden acceleration

Another case in the Santa Ana court involves more than 200 claims associated with unintended acceleration. On Nov. 19, U.S. District Judge James Selna refused to dismiss economic damages claims brought by consumers against Toyota and, on Dec. 8, refused to dismiss claims that the alleged defect caused injuries or death.

Porsche owners fumed when Porsche A.G. began churning out the big Cayenne SUV. Heresy, they harrumphed. Now, of course, the Cayenne is Porsche's biggest seller in the United States, followed by the equally gargantuan Panamera four-door sedan.

Since Prius is to greenies as Porsche is to those locked perennially in mid-life crisis mode, might we expect a similar reaction to the introduction of the Prius V, a tall hybrid hatchback with more cargo space than most crossovers and compact SUVs?

The V adds about 230 pounds of weight as well as six inches of length and three inches of height to the diminutive dimensions of the original, and that equates to a fuel economy loss of about 16 percent, for an overall 42 mpg rating.

That still puts it well ahead of nearly any of its gas-powered competitors, which would have to strain some to hit 30 mpg. Despite the bigger bulk, Toyota promises the V will display acceleration equal to a standard Prius.

The "V?" It stands for "versalitility," Toyota tells us.

“The Prius v brings leading-edge hybrid technology to customers who need more room and provides more cargo space than 80 percent of all small SUVs,” said Toyota Division Group Vice President and General Manager Bob Carter. “And because it’s a Prius, it produces 66 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new vehicle and will have the best mileage ratings of any SUV, crossover, or wagon sold in America. We think that’s a win-win for everybody.”

Of course, it comes with an AM/FM/CD audio system with Bluetooth, USB and iPod connectivity. It will also feature the optional EnTune "telematics" system, which means it can connect to Bing, pandora, OpenTable and so forth, just in case the driving gets too dull.

Speaking of sound, the Prius V automatically generates what Toyota calls a "low whirring noise" at around-town speeds, alerting pedestrians and wandering hounds to its approach.

If that's not enough, the car features what Toyota calls "anti-porpoise" technology. It is said to modulate the throttle to keep the car from undulating over those pesky freeway expansion joints. Reviews who've driven the car give it overall high marks but warn that the extra height and a 60-40 front-to-rear weight balance make it ill-suited to any funny stuff in the curves.

The Prius V is expected to make its debut in American showrooms this fall.

Toyota is recalling about 660 Lexus GS350 vehicles from the 2013 model year. 

The company said the electronic steering control unit may malfunction, causing the steering wheel to becoe off-center when the car is started with the steering wheel turned.

This could cause the car to go in an unexpected direction.

Toyota will notify owners and Lexus dealers will update the softeare free of charge. Customers may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Toyota is recalling 550,000 vehicles worldwide after discovering a potential flaw that may suddenly affect steering.

The company said 283,200 Toyota and 137,000 Lexus vehicles are being recalled to replace the crankshaft pulley on the V6 engine.

There is a possibility that the outer ring of the crankshaft pulley may become misaligned with the inner ring, causing noise and/or illumination of the discharge warning light. If this condition is not corrected, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley and the driver may notice a sudden increase in steering effort.

There have been no reports of accidents or injuries.

The vehicles involved are certain:

• 2004 Avalon
• 2004 and 2005 Camry, Highlander, Sienna, and Solara
• 2006 Highlander HV
• 2004 and 2005 ES330 and RX330
• And 2006 RX400h

No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles or these Toyota models with 4-cylinder engines are involved. 

Toyota is currently working on obtaining the necessary replacement parts. Once the replacement parts have been produced in sufficient quantities, Toyota will send an owner notification by first class mail advising owners to make an appointment with an authorized Toyota or Lexus dealer to have the crankshaft pulley inspected and if necessary, replaced at no charge. The owner notifications will be mailed by first class mail beginning in January, 2012. 

In the meantime, if an abnormal noise is heard coming from the engine compartment, the owner is asked to make an appointment with any Toyota or Lexus dealer to have the vehicle inspected for this condition. 

Detailed information and answers to questions are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and the Toyota Customer Experience Center (1 800-331-4331) or www.lexus.com/recall and Lexus Customer Satisfaction (1 800-255-3987). 

About 80 percent of the vehicles are in the U.S., Amiko Tomita, a spokeswoman for the automaker said today.

Toyota recalled the vehicles to replace the crankshaft pulley on the V6 engine, Tomita said. No accidents have been reported, she said.

"If this condition is not corrected, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley and the driver may notice a sudden increase in steering effort," Toyota said in a statement.

The vehicles being recalled are the 2004 Avalon, the 2004 and 2005 Camry and 2006 Highlander HV. Within the Lexus brand, the 2004 and 2005 ES330, the RX330 and the 2006 RX400h are being recalled, according to the statement.

Toyota recalled millions of U.S. vehicles last year and in 2009, mostly for defects related to unintended acceleration, and paid a record $48.8 million in fines because of the way some of the recalls were conducted.

The recalls caused the company to briefly halt sales of some models in 2010 and contributed to its 0.4 percent U.S. sales decrease last year, the only such decline among large automakers.

The carmaker recalled 1.7 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles in January for defects in fuel pipes and pumps, pressure sensors and spare tire carriers. It called back 2.17 million in February for carpet and floor-mat flaws that could jam gas pedals.

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111109/COPY01/311099837/1292#ixzz1dDa0lCt3

Toyota says it is recalling 420,000 vehicles solid in the U.S. because of potential problems in the steering.

The carmaker said the recall includes certain models of the 2004 Avalon; the 2004 and 2005 Camry, Highlander, Sienna, and Solar and the 2006 Highlander HV. Some Lexus models - the 2004 and 2005 ES330 and RX330 and the 2006 RX400h – are also included in the recall.

Toyota says the issue involves the misalignment of the outer and inner rings of the crankshaft pully. If not corrected, the driver could lose the use of power steering.

Toyota has ordered recalls in the past to deal with steering problems. In 2006 the company recalled 2003 to 2005 Prius models to repair a flaw that could cause drivers to lose control of steering. Then last year Toyota recalled approximately 373,000 2000-2004 Model Year Toyota Avalons sold in the United States because the vehicle's steering lock bar could break under certain conditions.

Despite the recalls, at least one Prius driver is still having problems.

“We own a 2005 Toyota Prius,” Ray, of Denver, Colo., told ConsumerAffairs.com in September. “Recently, the steering made a grinding sound and then broke completely, leaving the car utterly uncontrollable. Luckily, no one was hurt in the failure, this time. We checked and found that Toyota had issued a recall for this exact failure, but they claim they had already repaired this car in 2006. Obviously not.”

Ray reports the repair bill topped $2,300, as the air bag sensors were damaged when the steering sheared off in his wife's hands.

Toyota will not be sending out formal notifications in this latest recall until January, but the company said owners should make earlier appointments if the hear abnormal noises coming from their vehicles' steering columns.

The line between American cars and imports has been hazy for years, and the latest announcement from Toyota makes it even more so.

Toyota today announced plans to export U.S.-assembled Camry sedans to South Korea. Initial forecasts are that about 6,000 Camrys will be exported annually.

The Camrys will be produced at Toyota’s manufacturing plant in Georgetown, Ky.  The plant is Toyota’s largest manufacturing facility outside of Japan, employing nearly 7,000 workers directly and creating nearly 20,000 additional jobs with vendors and suppliers in Kentucky and other states.

“We are pleased with the reaction that the redesigned Camry is receiving from our customers, and the sales success it is having in the U.S. and overseas,” said Yoshimi Inaba, president and COO of Toyota Motor North America, Inc.  “The export of thousands of Camry vehicles to South Korea is an important development that builds on the great work of our talented U.S. team members as well as our extensive investments across North America."

The Toyota Camry has been the top-selling car in America for 13 of the past 14 years and a best-selling vehicle around the world. This is the first time the U.S.-assembled Camry will be exported outside of North America.  The vehicles are scheduled to arrive in South Korea beginning in January.

Since 1988 

Toyota began exporting U.S.-assembled vehicles in 1988. The  exports increased 30% in calendar year 2010 to approximately 100,000 units. Toyota now exports U.S.-assembled vehicles to 19 countries around the world.  The company began exporting Indiana-made Sienna minivans to South Korea last month.

Other exports include the Kentucky-produced Avalon sedan, the Indiana-produced Sequoia SUV and the Texas-produced Tacoma and Tundra pick-up trucks.

The Toyota Camry has been the best-selling car in America for nine years running and 13 of the last 14 years. Since it was introduced in 1983, more than 8.5 million vehicles have been sold in the U.S. and 15 million worldwide. For the past three years, the Camry has also been named the “Most American Car” in Cars.com’s annual American Made Index. 

July 28, 2004
Federal safety investigators have closed their probe into reports of unintended acceleration in 2002 and 2003 Toyota Camry, Camrty Solara and Lexus ES300 models. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened the investigation after receiving reports of 30 accidents, including one in which a pedestrian was injured.

The probe centered around the cars' electronic throttle control. Many newer cars transmit acceleration signals electronically rather than using the traditional movable steel cable.

NHTSA said it analyzed many of the cars involved in the mishaps and found nothing abnormal with the throttle controls. It said sudden surges are sometimes caused by drivers who are unfamiliar with their new vehicles.

Federal safety officials are investigating reports that the Toyota Camry and other models may have a defect that causes sudden acceleration surges.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says it has received reports of 30 crashes that injured at least five people, when some Toyota Camry, Camry Solara and Lexus ES300 vehicles suddenly and unexpectedly surged forward.

"One of the noted injuries was serious: it occurred when a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle which allegedly surged forward unexpectedly," the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a statement released on the Internet.

An estimated 1,010,000 vehicles from the the 2002 and 2003 model years could be affected, according to NHTSA.

Thousands of Toyota owners, like Doug of Destrehan, LA, are facing costly engine repairs and replacements because of a problem with sludge build-up. Toyota has been refusing to cover the repairs but is now having second thoughts.

Doug had to spend $5,000 to replace the engine in his 2000 Sienna minivan after just 24,000 miles of use. Gregory of Lilburn GA had a similar problem with his 1998 Sienna. He had to replace the engine at 60,000 miles and, like Doug and about 3,000 others, got no help from Toyota, which said he had not maintained the vehicle properly.

The sludge problem occurs when oxidized oil builds up in an engine. Its forms a mucky goo that can cause the engine to seize up. Because the problem can be caused by failure to change the oil. Toyota has been refusing to cover repairs under its five-year/60,000-mile power train warranty.

But last week, Toyota sent letters to 3.3 million owners of vehicles equipped with the two engines affected by the problem -- the 1MZ V-6 and the 5SFE inline 4 -- saying it will pay for repair costs in cases where owners can prove they made "reasonable efforts" to maintain the vehicle.

Under the "special policy adjustment," which will be effective for only one year, Toyota says it will cover the cost of repairs if owners can show they made at least one oil change per year. The company, however, is refusing to back down from its contention that negligent owners are the cause of the problem, not a design defect or quality problem.

Toyota and Lexus owners manuals specify that the oil should be changed every 7,500 miles or every six months, whichever comes first. Under severe driving conditions, oil should be changed every 5,000 miles or four months.

It's not clear why the engines are susceptible to sludge buildup, although excessive heat is known to cause oil to become more "goopy," experts quoted by Automotive News said. Some suggested that changes in the design of the cylinder head in the affected engines is causing heat buildup. Others said leaky head gaskets could also be contributing to the problem.

Toyota maintains that with millions of vehicles on the road in the U.S., the 3,100 complaints are microscopic and shouldn't be construed as representing a widespread problem.

August 11, 2005
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation of several Toyota models because of uncontrollable and unintended acceleration while the vehicle is in reverse.

The agency has received 13 reports of accidents because of the uncontrollable acceleration.

NHTSA has received complaints involving the Camry, Solara, Lexus, ES, ES 300, ES 330 losing throttle control while the vehicle is reversing out of a driveway. The vehicles were all manufactured between 2000 and 1005.

There have so far been no fatalities associated with the problem.

A defect investigation often but not always leads to a vehicle recall.

June 21, 2005
Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling several models of the Scion tC because of consumer complaints that the glass wind deflector, located near the moonroof, might shatter when struck by road debris.

The Toyota recall involves about 71,000 Scion tC coupes in the U.S. from the 2005-06 model years.

The Scion wind deflector tilts up when the moonroof is opened and could shatter and separate from the frame at highway speeds. Pieces of the wind deflector could fall inside the vehicle, causing injuries or distractions.

The recall will begin later this month. Toyota says its customers can reduce the likelihood of the deflector shattering by not opening the moonroof until the vehicle is repaired.

Dealers will repair the vehicles at no charge to the owners.

Toyota is recalling 3.8 million Lexus and Toyota cars because the floor mats can slide onto the accelerator, potentially causing uncontrolled acceleration. Owners of the affected models are being asked to remove the floor mats until they can be replaced with a safer version.

Toyota and Lexus vehicles affected are:

• 2007-2010 Camry

• 2005-2010 Avalon

• 2004-2009 Prius

• 2005-2010 Tacoma

• 2007-2010 Tundra

• 2007-2010 ES 350

• 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS350

Although the problem has been around for years in several Toyota models, the company and federal safety officials are suddenly taking it seriously.

"A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death," said Toyota. "This is an urgent matter," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "For everyone's sake, we strongly urge owners of these vehicles to remove mats or other obstacles that could lead to unintended acceleration."

Toyota recalled 55,000 Camry and Lexus models in September 2007 following complaints of runaway acceleration. Owners of the popular Prius Hybrid had also complained of the problem but were not included in that recall, though Prius models are included in the current recall.

Toyota said earlier that a fatal crash involving a Lexus ES350 in San Diego had been preliminarily blamed on an all-weather floor mat interfering with the accelerator pedal. 20070-2008 ES350 models were included in the 2007 recall.

For more information, consumers may contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153) or at www.safercar.gov.

This listing may not include every recall. See www.safercar.gov for additional recalls.

The Toyota Prius is known to occasionally shut down its hybrid engine system for no apparent reason, wear tires quickly and unevenly, even drain a battery dry when parked for an extended period.

But here's one of the oddest Prius stories on file at ConsumerAffairs.com:

"When my car is on any kind of slick surface that causes one of the front wheels to slip, ALL power to the drive system is stopped," wrote Christopher of Reston, Virginia.

Christopher said he first experienced the problem with his Prius "on a sloped gravel driveway in July but discounted it as a temporary thing."

Then the snow fell.

"This past weekend I was on a snow-covered road with about an 8- to 10-degree grade. Driving at 20 miles per hour, one tire began to slip on the snow and the car came to a stop. The wheels then refused to engage, because one would slip a little, regardless of throttle position," he wrote.

Christopher tells ConsumerAffairs.com that he "had cable style tire chains and installed them properly on the front wheels and tried again. Still, a tire would slip on the 4 or 5 inches between the cables and the car would refuse to move."

Ultimately, he said, the only way to get the car up the remainder of the hill was to get out and push while his son put a foot gently on the throttle.

His Toyota service manager told Christopher that he was able to duplicate the symptoms on a level snow covered surface and apparently achieved the same results with two other Prius cars that were in the dealership fleet.

But after reporting the problem to Toyota, the service manager told Christopher that the Prius was operating as designed.

Christopher said that he "will consider this vehicle unsafe for road use under any snow or ice conditions and frankly feel that if all Prius vehicles are designed to do this someone ought to look into the situation to try to force Toyota to modify the design."

Not a Safety Problem

Toyota spokesman Bill Kwon agrees that the traction control systems in the Prius could impact performance in snow conditions but says that is not a safety problem.

"Prius has TRAC (traction control) as standard equipment," he said. "The purpose of traction control is to helps prevent wheel spin and minimize slippage of the drive wheels by applying brakes and/or reducing engine power."

Kwon points out that an 8 to 10 degree grade "is a fairly steep grade and combined with snow would cause a loss of traction which will activate the traction control system and therefore reduce or cut power."

"A vehicle without TRAC in those conditions," Kwon adds. "would probably just start spinning in place and eventually spin out of control. In my opinion, it's better to have the vehicle stop then to have the wheels spinning and out of control."

Government involvement in Chrysler and General Motors operations may coincide with a new emphasis on small, fuel-efficient cars. The American taxpayers, who start off owning a big chunk of the bankrupt automakers, better hope consumers warm up to the idea of green cars. But so far, they havent.

Toyota reports U.S. sales of its Prius hybrid are down a whopping 45 percent so far in 2009. Its a far cry from this time last year, when Toyota dealers were tacking on a premium to the sticker price and had waiting lists for the cars.

Toyota says it has sold just 42,743 Prius models through the first five months of 2009, compared to 79,675 during the same period last year.

Why have American consumers fallen out of love with the Prius? Gasoline prices may have something to do with it.

At this time last year gasoline prices were about a $1.50 a gallon more than they are now, costing consumers an extra $30 per fill-up if they were driving a vehicle holding 20 or more gallons. It suggests consumers flocked to the Prius, not because its cute or they want to save the planet, but because they wanted to save money on fuel.

Gas prices may not be the only factor.

In a recession, consumers are buying fewer new cars altogether, and when they do make a purchase, are looking for the best deal possible. The Prius -- especially with the surcharge tacked on by dealers last year -- is more expensive than other small cars.

The Prius remains a top-selling model in Japan. In fact, it was the best-selling car in Japan during May, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association. Of course, gasoline prices are much higher in Japan than they are in the U.S.

Toyota is serving notice that it doesn't intend to allow other car makers to pass it by in the race to be the "greenest" auto company. The maker of the gasoline hybrid Prius said it will introduce a plug-in electric car in 2011.

Toyota will have plenty of competition. General Motors recently announced plans to produce up to 60,000 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrids a year beginning next year. Nissan also plans to introduce a plug-in next year while Ford and Volkswagen are also working on plug-in models.

Toyota said it plans to take its popular Prius and create a plug-in version of the gasoline hybrid. Instead of an engine that is powered by both gasoline and batteries, the plug-in model is powered almost exclusively by electricity.

Batteries can be plugged into electrical outlets overnight to recharge. On longer trips, a small gasoline engine recharges the batteries, providing extended range.

Toyota hasn't said how much its plug-in hybrid will cost, but the New York Times quotes a Toyota executive as saying the new model will be "affordable." The Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid is expected to start at around $40,000.

Toyota says its all-electric Prius would be twice as efficient as the current gasoline hybrid model and would recharge in only one and a half hours.

Toyota has proven in the past that consumers will purchase fuel efficient cars that have a "green" image, even paying a premium for the privilege. Perhaps the Prius is the best example of that. Since rolling out in 1997, demand has been strong for these cars. In fact, when gasoline prices soared over $4 a gallon in 2008, there were often waiting lists for Prius' at Toyota dealers and consumers who were able to get one had to pay a "surcharge."

However, in terms of gasoline mileage versus the extra cost of the vehicle, Prius owners didn't always save money. There have also been nagging problems with the car's traction control, as well as other problems, according to ConsumerAffairs.com readers.

"The engine of my 2007 Toyota Prius frequently fails to shut down when I firmly push the power button, exactly as directed in the owner's manual, often requiring that I push the button a second time," William, of Memphis, Tenn., told ConsumerAffairs.com. "Even if I hold the button in several seconds with the brake depressed. The car has never 'run away' with me, thus I have only experienced this problem when I have come to a stop and wish to get out of the car. The problem started after I had the car about 18 month and had driven approximately 15,000 miles."

Toyota is dealing with another recall issue, this time with its luxury nameplate Lexus. The Japanese carmaker said its is recalling 17,000 Lexus HS 250 hybrid models because U.S. government tests show they could leak fuel in a rear-end crash.

Toyota also said it will halt sales of all HS 250 hybrids while it searches for a remedy to the problem.

In April, Toyota temporarily halted sales of its GX 640 hybrid after Consumer Reports labeled the SUV unsafe after it performed poorly during standard emergency handling tests. Sales resumed after Toyota modified the settings in the car's onboard computer.

"We want to assure our customers that their safety and satisfaction are our top priorities," Toyota said in a statement. "We take the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) test results very seriously and appreciate the NHTSA bringing its concerns to our attention."

In a recall notice Friday NHTSA said the defect in the Lexus hybrid could result in a fire during a rear-end collision. In the late 1970s the Ford Pinto had a similar problem, which was blamed on 27 deaths. While the Pinto never recovered from the recall, Toyota says its confident it can fix the problem.

"Our engineers conducted similar testing during the development of the new HS 250h and the vehicle performed safely," the company said. "While we are investigating and vigorously working to understand the different test results, we have stopped delivery of the involved vehicles. As soon as the issue is better understood and/or a remedy is developed, we will contact every owner."

Customers who have any questions or concerns should contact their local Lexus dealer or Lexus Customer Satisfaction at 1-800-25LEXUS or 1-800-255-3987, Toyota said.

This is the latest quality setback for the carmaker, which has recalled millions of cars this year to address unintended acceleration and braking issues in some models. Since September, Toyota has recalled more than 10 million vehicles.

Is Toyota's quality slipping? The company lost ground in an annual vehicle value survey. While many consumers still give the Japanese automaker high marks, some analysts are suggesting the auto giant is growing too fast in its pursuit of General Motors.

San Diego-based Strategic Vision surveyed more than 64,000 people who purchased new vehicles from October 2005 to March 2006. Consumers were surveyed after 90 days of ownership and asked if they thought they got their moneys worth.

Toyota, which had seven segment winners in 2005, took only three categories in the new study and has been moving slower than other brands when it comes to innovation, according to an auto industry analyst.

As Toyota executives struggle with their corporate image, Jennifer in Bardstown Kentucky is struggling with the foul smell pouring out of her new Toyota.

"We purchased a 2006 Toyota Avalon, we noticed when we drove it that there was a rotten egg smell to it when you accelerated or went up hills," she wrote ConsumerAffairs.com.

"This was first dismissed by the dealership as a new car smell. However about 3 weeks later we could not start the car on the first try. This does not occur all the time but does occur at least once a week. It will also cause the motor to shake violently before it starts. Every time I have taken it in to the dealership I have been told it cannot be fixed because they cannot duplicate the problem." Jennifer said.

So Jennifer and her husband took matters in their on hands in a effort to fight back, much to the dismay and anger of their Toyota dealer.

"We went in there today to get some rattling corrected in the window and had (written) on the back window about the car being a lemon. This upset them and the service manager told us to remove it or he would call the police."

During the period of the Strategic Vision value survey, Toyota car and truck buyers complained to ConsumerAffairs.com of oil leaks, poor workmanship,design, strange odors and gasoline mileage as the automaker dealt with a surge in recalls attributed to cost-cutting efforts that use the same parts on more models.

Calisandria in San Leandro told us, "I was sold a car that has an oil leak which the service department cannot find."

"I bought this car, and by the time I got home smoke was coming out from under the hood. I parked the car where there are no oil spots on the ground. The next morning I go to check to see if there are any oil spots. There are about 4 spots on the ground," she wrote.

The recent surge in recalls at Toyota peaked in July when the automaker recalled about 400,000 SUVs in the U.S., its single biggest market. The spate of recalls has led some analysts to suggest a decline may well be under way at Toyota.

"Toyota has become the recall king, something the company never had to wrestle with in the past as it won most of the JD Powers and other car quality surveys," wrote Wall Street analyst Douglas A. McIntyre. But, as the company's market share has ballooned in the U.S., Toyota had to ramp up production for North America and quality seems to have suffered," he wrote.

Other industry analysts warn that Toyota may be becoming complacent as the company attempts to overtake General Motors as the world's largest car company. They cite the Strategic Vision survey as new evidence that growth may be undermining quality at Toyota.

Perception Is Reality

A ConsumerAffairs.com reader in Portland, Oregon, agrees with that assessment of the Japanese automaker.

"Perception is reality in auto industry and with such perception I bought Camry but the reality is it is a lemon." she wrote.

From Sacramento, Donna complained about the fit and finish of her new Toyota. "My 2006 Corolla has irregular paint drips along an inch strip between 5 and 7 inches up on car doors. I asked a record be made of the paint irregularities in case this leads to any early paint deterioration."

"I had noted other cars (at the dealership) had varying degrees of the drip strip immediately below the dip in the door. I received the ridiculous explanation from the service manager that this was 'orange peel & they can't help that the customer doesn't like where the manufacturer put it.'"

Art in Florida is fed up with his 2006 Toyota Tundra truck.

"I have never paid so much for a truck and got so little. From the 20-inch tires to the seats that have been lowered so nothing can be stored under them. I hate this truck."

Finally, Deborah in Louisville is finding her new Prius to be a big-time disappointment.

"I feel there was false advertising by Toyota in stating there was 50 miles per gallon on the highway and 60 miles per hour in the city driving my Toyota Prius hybrid. They jacked up the price $8,000 from sticker stating it was a car hard to come buy and that was their price and I would actually save money on gas."

Not so, says Deborah.

"After six months of tracking, the best mileage I ever got was 43 miles per gallon. Most often my mileage is between 30-36 miles per gallon which is no better than cars I have had in the past."

Toyota is bragging that sales of its hybrid vehicles have exceeded one million vehicles, but at least some of the early models are beginning to bedevil their early-adopter owners.

The Japanese automaker began selling gas-and-electric cars ten years ago and is now the acknowledged hybrid leader in the automotive industry. Toyota sold nearly 345,000 hybrids in Japan and 702,000 in other worldwide markets over the ten years.

The automaker has sold 757,600 of the Prius hybrid since the 1997 introduction of the vehicle in Japan. Toyota began selling the Prius in North America and Europe in 2000. Last year, the Prius accounted for more than 40 percent of hybrid sales in the U.S.

Toyota claims that its hybrid technology is the single biggest ecological advance in automotive engineering and asserts that hybrids hold far more potential than the diesel or other innovations.

Unique Car, Unique Problems

But a growing number of ConsumerAffairs.com readers are reporting that the Prius hybrid technology is not aging well. With some Prius models in the U.S. on the road now for eight years and approaching 100,000 miles, owners are beginning to encounter problems that are unique to the hybrids.

Bernadette in Fresno, California, bought her Prius in 2004. She said that the hybrid display began to malfunction within a few months and did not work with the result of being unable to get gas into car."

Now Bernadette told ConsumerAffairs.com that, the display began to do strange things two weeks ago but this time I recognized it when the radio kept turning off and the display kept saying odd things.

The display unit in the Prius has to be replaced again and fortunately for Bernadette the car is under extended warranty.

I am told that I will pay $85.00 for diagnostic fee so they could tell me the display does not work. I am still waiting for the car to be fixed due to inability to get the parts which is exactly what happened before with a different dealer, she told us.

Zhirair in Glendale, California also owns a 2004 Prius. I have been having a monitor problem. It won't work properly, he said.

Zhirair has reported the problem to Toyota and he said the automaker is unwilling to provide any assistance because the monitor in his Prius is no longer covered by the Toyota warranty.

There is a technical service bulletin out on it from Toyota which tells the dealer how to repair the problem but only if the car is under factory warranty, he said. My car has 49,000 miles on it and is out of warranty.

Zhirair thinks Toyota ought to extend the warranty on his hybrid or recall the Prius monitor.

Danny in San Antonio, Texas, owns a 2003 Toyota Prius with 91,000 miles on the odometer.

When we went to start it the dashboard lit up with multiple warning lights. The dealer picked it up and said that the transmission went out and it would cost $6,000 to fix and the Prius was out of warranty, he told ConsumerAffairs.com.

When we explained to the dealer and to Toyota customer relations that the transmission was part of the Hybrid Power train covered for 5 years and 100,000 mile they refused to cover it. Not even a partial coverage. This considering the car was working fine when it was last shut off, Danny said.

Richard in Palm Desert, California, drives a 2001 Prius with 103,000 miles on it.

The car has died on the freeway four times. The second time the dealer had the car for 53 days waiting for parts, he told ConsumerAffairs.com

The car is extremely hard on tires, just can't keep them balanced. The heat inverter has gone out twice, the service rep said these cars just don't do well in the desert. The gas tank has been replaced and the steering column replaced, he said.

And to make owning the Prius all the worse, Richard said that the mileage has not been what they advertised.

Getting stranded on the freeway at 11:00 at night when the car dies and can't be moved is quite scary especially when there is no place to pull off out of traffic. I only use this car to drive short trips around town because I just can't trust it on the freeway, he said.

Finally, in Bedford, Texas, Chuck told us that the 12-volt battery in my 2002 Toyota Prius discharges and it won't start if the car isn't run every day. Repeated trips to the dealership have not cured the problem, despite an upgrade of battery.

The growing number of complaints and problems owners of aging Prius hybrids are encountering suggest that a wary consumer ought to look long and hard before buying one of these hybrids on the used car market.

Toyota warrants the hybrid drive system for 100,000 miles, but as Danny in San Antonio discovered, there can be some uncertainty as to which of the Prius components are part of the hybrid drive and covered by the warranty and which are not.

In the less than three months since Toyotas reputation for safety imploded, the company has been hit with dozens of class action lawsuits and personal injury suits from angry owners.

But on Monday, a group of consumers took litigation against the carmaker to a new level, demanding a full refund in separate cases filed in Washington state and Arizona.

When we talked with Toyota owners, they all voiced the same desire -- to drive the car back to the lot, hand them the keys and pick up a check, said Steve Berman, the lawyer handling the cases. Fortunately, we think the law allows for exactly that solution, and we are asking the courts to make it happen.

Many of the class actions filed so far have focused on the recalls devastating effect on resale values -- affected Toyotas have lost between six and 15 percent of their total value since the recall was announced in January. That plunge stands in contrast to values for other brands of used cars, which have actually increased in value. A number of suits against Toyota are demanding a cash payment equal to the amount of the decline.

Berman, of Seattle-based Hagens Berman Sobol Shaprio, takes issue with that relatively small-bore approach.

I don't know of any parent who would be willing to put their kids in a potentially unsafe car in exchange for a few hundred bucks, he said.

A statement by Hagens Berman reiterates that stance, asserting that Toyota produced vehicles so profoundly flawed with safety defects, and completely botched the recall process, that the only remedy is for owners to return the cars to Toyota.

The suits are being brought on behalf of all residents of Washington state and Arizona who own a recalled Toyota. The firm said it expects to eventually file additional cases in other states across the country.

Plaintiffs seek revocation

The plaintiffs seek to revoke their acceptance of the sales contract, and contend that Toyota breached its express warranty because the vehicles sold to Class Members were not fully operational, safe, or reliable. The class also asserts that Toyota exacerbated the breach by failing to provide safe automobiles after the problems were acknowledged.

Both suits allege breach of express warranty, breach of the implied warranty of merchantability, unjust enrichment, and violations of the warranty-governing Magnuson Moss Act. In addition to a full refund, the plaintiffs are seeking consequential damages, including the costs associated with purchasing safer vehicles, and an injunction prohibiting the sale of cars with a propensity for sudden acceleration. In the event that the full refund is not granted, the class is seeking damages equal to the diminution in value as a result of the defects.

The suits, if approved, would have a devastating economic effect on an already-battered Toyota. The decreased-value suits alone could put the carmaker on the hook for at least $3 billion. A San Diego court will decide next week whether to consolidate over 100 separate Toyota class-actions into a single case.

ConsumerAffairs.com has received repeated reports of the Prius hybrid running amok and this week a brand-new Prius with only 600 miles on the odometer wins our Lemon of the Week award.

Much to the dismay of smug Prius owners, who refer to themselves as Prians, the little car can sometimes take off almost on its own, a lot like a horse in a high country meadow after chewing bad grass.

That is just what happened to a reader in Washington state. Tina reported that her Prius suffered from uncontrollable acceleration on a freeway near Everett, Washington.

As I attempted to merge into heavy traffic, Tina told us, I accelerated up the on ramp and was attempting to place the car between two vehicles going at a rate of approximately 50 miles per hour. The car lunged forward and would not slow down without repeated pumping of the brakes.

Our reader left the freeway as soon as she could weave her way through heavy traffic still unable to disengage the Prius throttle.

She turned the Prius off with the power button while sitting on the high speed freeway off ramp. Knowing that this was an unsafe place to leave the car, she headed for a nearby parking lot after regaining her confidence.

Tina noticed a foul odor that she assumed was rising from the overheated Prius brakes and called her Toyota dealer.

Despite the problems with uncontrolled acceleration, the Toyota service department asked Tina to drive the Prius to them.

On the way to the dealership, the computer display malfunctioned.

But the Toyota service department diagnosed the problem with the runaway Prius as nothing more than a carpet jamming the accelerator pedal or driver error.

The dealer insisted that he did not know of any other similar incident despite repeated reports and complaints of unintended acceleration with the Prius..

Now Tina is stuck with a Toyota Prius she cannot trust and that makes her Prius the ConsumerAffairs.com Lemon of the Week.

To read the headlines, one would think the problem with cars suddenly accelerating on their own is a problem recently discovered in late model Toyotas. But reports of these occurrences have been around for years, and involved many cars other than Toyotas.

"I got into my car and turned on the ignition. I put the car in reverse. The car rocketed backward into a telephone pole," Terri Moore, of Seattle, reported to ConsumerAffairs.com back in 2005.

And it should be noted that Terri was not driving a Toyota, but a Saturn Vue. At the time, we reported that more than 20,000 consumers had complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of sudden acceleration since the late 1980s, when more and more vehicles were being outfitted with electronic-based controls.

In the incident described above, Moore said she put the car in drive and tried to inch away from the telephone pole she had hit, only to have the car rocket forward. NHTSA investigated many of the incidents like Moore's and concluded it was the drivers' fault. Drivers mistakenly stomp on gas pedals instead of the brakes, the agency ruled at the time.

Sorry, can't recreate the problem

"The research I have done indicates the NHTSA cannot recreate the problem," Moore said. "So NHTSA has concluded there is no problem. In the meanwhile, people are getting injured and killed."

After launching an investigation of reports of sudden acceleration in Toyotas during the early 2000s, NHTSA reported in 2004 that it was unable to find a cause for the problem. The agency said it analyzed many of the cars involved in the mishaps and found nothing abnormal with the throttle controls.

Interestingly, the 30 Toyota incidents NHTSA investigated for its 2004 involved Toyota Camry and Lexus ES models, which are among those now being recalled. Once again NHTSA pointed to the driver. The agency said sudden surges are sometimes caused by drivers who are unfamiliar with their new vehicles.

Also in 2005 Ross, of West Hollywood, reported a similar problem with his 2001 Ford Expedition, and said he got a similar shrug from the dealer.

'Jumps like a bull'

"The car, when stopped at an intersection or stoplight, will without warning, feed an unprecedented amount of gas to the engine ... The car jumps forward like a bull waiting to get out of the gates. I have my foot on the brake when this happens so I know I am not stepping on the gas. Even with my foot on the brake, the power of the engine dominates the brakes and the car jumps forward anywhere from 1 to 10 feet," Ross said.

"The fourth time it happened was severe and the car almost hit a much smaller car in front of me. If I hit them, they could have hit the pedestrians in front of them. I had a passenger and after this occurred he insisted on getting out of the car and would not ride with me again in that car," he said.

Ross said the dealer could find nothing wrong.

"They do not seem concerned that they are forcing a dangerous car back on the road. They only seemed concerned with their payment and giving me back the car," he said.

In 2008 more than 400 consumers complained to NHTSA about unintended and sudden acceleration in the Tacoma pickup. Reports to the agency documented 51 crashes and 12 injuries.

Picking on Toyota?

Nevertheless, Toyota complained in a letter to the agency that the Tacoma is the focus of hostile media coverage as well as consumers exaggerating their problems.

"Toyota believes that it is likely that many of the consumer complaints about the general issue of unwanted acceleration as well as many of the complaints about this subject that have been received by Toyota were inspired by publicity," the automaker wrote NHTSA in the 2008 letter.

Toyota suggested in the letter to safety regulators that consumers are overstating the unintended acceleration problem with the Tacoma, which the automaker described as minor engine speed changes. But a ConsumerAffairs.com reader and Toyota Tacoma owner in Weaver, Alabama reported a different story. "It was jumping forward toward my house at every engine turn. I pushed in the clutch and took out the key," he said.

Acceleration is controlled in the Tacoma by a drive-by-wire system with a computer replacing the traditional linkage between the accelerator pedal and the engine throttle-body which injects the fuel required for acceleration.

Toyota claimed the Tacoma computer can capture an error report if accelerator pedal and throttle are not working properly and the automaker said no error codes have turned up in vehicles inspected by Toyota technicians.

Prius problems

Toyota's popular hybrid, the Prius, has also been the source of numerous sudden acceleration complaints since the mid 2000s. In 2006 ConsumerAffairs.com reported the case of a Prius lunging out of control on a Michigan highway. At the time, the incident was the second known incident involving uncontrolled acceleration in the Prius. The driver of the 2005 Prius, Herbert of Battle Creek, Michigan, reported speeding up while passing a slower vehicle on the highway. The problem began after he passed the slower car and tried to slow down.

"I let off the accelerator and pressed the brakes several times, but the vehicle continued to accelerate under full power," Herbert said at the time.

Toyota recalled the Prius hybrids to examine the software and reported no anomalies. Yet, the reports from drivers continued to arrive at ConsumerAffairs.com. And two years later, the Office of Defect Investigation, a division of NHTSA, investigated a similar uncontrolled acceleration report in the 2008 Toyota Sienna.

"The Complainant reported that he applied the accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle and experienced unwanted acceleration upon release," ODI reported on its Web site.

Not just Toyota

While Toyotas have figured prominently in reports of sudden acceleration over the years, other models have also been affected.

"My wife pulled our 2004 V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee, into the day care to pick up our toddler and put the gear in park after coming to a stop," Vasanthi, of San Jose, Calif., wrote in March 2009. "The Jeep suddenly accelerated and shot forward, with her foot tightly on the brake, and went over a concrete block, through a fence and into the yard on the other side."

ConsumerAffairs.com has received sudden acceleration complaints over the years from a wide range of makes, including Kia, Jaguar, BMW and Ford. In fact, a December 2009 analysis of NHTSA complaints by Consumer Reports found Ford produced the second largest number of sudden acceleration reports after Toyota.

So, where does Toyota go from here? How does the automaker gain back the confidence of its customers? In fact, can the company put things right?

It can, according to Clarence Ditlow of the Center for Auto Safety, but it won't be easy.

"For the next year they have to bat 1,000," he told ConsumerAffairs.com. "If they make a mistake they have to correct it almost overnight."

Analyst Jessica Caldwell at the automotive Web site Edmunds.com agrees that Toyota can bounce back, but says, "It's going to take some time."

Toyota attempted to get the healing process started during the past week.

Appearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales, USA, confessed that the automaker has not "lived up to the high standards our customers and the public have come to expect." Lentz said he is "confident that no problems exist with the electronic throttle control" relating to the unintended acceleration problem, but noted that the investigation continues.

Lentz apologized for what he called the company's "mistakes," adding that the company "must think differently when investigating complaints and communicate faster, better and more effectively with our customers and our regulators."

At the same hearing, Rhonda Smith of Sevierville, TN, told of a harrowing experience she had while driving her new Lexus 350 ES on October 12, 2006.

Smith told the panel she "lost all control of the acceleration of the vehicle" and that the car eventually reached a speed of 100 mph. She says she had the emergency brake on "while frantically shifting between all the gears (besides park) but mainly had it in reverse." After about three miles had passed, Smith adds, "I thought it was my time to die."

After traveling six miles, Smith says, the car began to slow -- by itself -- and by the time it reached 33 mph, she was able to turn the engine off.

The vehicle was towed to the dealership in Kingsport, TN, which said it would thoroughly check the problem. After several weeks, Smith says, "we were advised they could find nothing wrong with the car."

The mea culpas from the automaker continued a day later when Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda told the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that he takes "full responsibility" for the uncertainty about the safety of Toyota's vehicles that consumers are feeling.

In his prepared testimony, Toyoda said part of the problem is due to the fact that the company "pursued growth over the speed at which we were able to develop our people and our organization," -- in other words, the company grew too fast. He expressed regret "that this has resulted in the safety issues described in the recalls we face today," adding "I am deeply sorry for any accidents that Toyota drivers have experienced."

Ditlow says one way Toyota can help restore confidence is to meet its problems head on. "Every time they get a complaint of unintended acceleration, they need to have a team of engineers available to examine it, produce a written report, give it to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), give it to the consumer."

According to Ditlow, the way Toyota handled - or failed to handle - the problem "did more damage" to the company's image than the problem itself. "No one expects a perfect vehicle," Ditlow concluded. "What you do expect is that when there is a problem, it will be fixed."

Edmunds.com's Caldwell tells ConsumerAffairs.com that Toyota can learn from its mistakes. "When you don't answer questions or have a press conference, people are left to their own devices and will make the story for Toyota."

She says if the company had taken a "firmer, more aggressive stance in the beginning, there wouldn't be just a complete witch hunt out there."

Most current models of hybrids also score well in Consumer Reports' testing and are highly rated in CR's annual reliability and owner satisfaction surveys. But do hybrid vehicles really hold the potential to save the consumer money over the long haul?

To find the answer, Consumer Reports looked at all of the major ownership costs and financial benefits of six different hybrid vehicles -- a mix of sedans and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs).

In Consumer Reports' analysis, none of the six hybrids tested recovered its price premium in the first five years and 75,000 miles of ownership. In fact, the extra ownership costs over five years for those vehicles ranged from $3,700 to $13,300.

Even when the analysis was extended to a period of 10 years and 150,000 miles, it was not possible to recover the price premium for a hybrid vehicle.

Consumer Reports also found that the benefits and costs of hybrids vary significantly, depending on the model. Because of the wide range of hybrid vehicles available, it's especially important for consumers to look carefully at all aspects of the vehicle before buying.

The 2006 model year vehicles examined are the: Ford Escape Hybrid AWD, Honda Accord Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid, Lexus RX400h AWD, Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited AWD and the Toyota Prius.

The full report, titled "The dollars & sense of hybrids," is published in Consumer Reports' Annual April Auto Issue, which goes on sale beginning Tuesday, March 7.

The rising price of gasoline and concern over U.S. dependence on oil have generated a lot of interest in hybrids, and with good reason. They typically deliver the best fuel economy in their classes. The most fuel-efficient models can save the consumer about $660 in gasoline costs. Hybrids also emit less pollution.

Each gallon of gasoline not burned prevents the emission of 19 pounds of carbon dioxide, which many believe contributes to global warming. In some states, hybrid owners can even use special carpool lanes regardless of the number of occupants in the vehicle.

These benefits add up to an inviting package for many car buyers who are willing to pay a premium for a hybrid.

But for those who are considering buying a hybrid for purely financial reasons, the figures just don't add up.

Estimating the Total Ownership Costs

To estimate the various overall ownership costs of hybrids, Consumer Reports picked six current models that it had previously tested and totaled their major costs and savings over the first five years, the longest period for which reliable data on all the cost components are available.

Five years is also a typical period of car ownership. CR did the same thing for each model's closest conventional, gasoline-powered equivalent and then compared the two. (For its investigation, Consumer Reports assumed that all the vehicles were purchased in California, the leading market for hybrid sales.)

Consumer Reports factored the following into its calculations: the purchase price premiums for hybrids, the difference in sales tax, savings from hybrid federal tax credits, fuel savings from hybrids at the pump, the extra cost or savings in insurance premiums for hybrids, the extra maintenance cost or savings from hybrids, the extra depreciation cost, and extra financing cost.

After factoring in federal tax credits and fuel savings that are based on gas prices rising to $3 and then to $4 a gallon, CR's calculations show that the most cost-effective hybrids, the Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius, still cost $3,700 and $5,250 more than their all-gas peers (the Civic EX sedan and Corolla LE sedan, respectively) after five years.

Models with the highest cost difference -- the Honda Accord Hybrid, Lexus RX400h, and Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited -- ranged from $10,250 to $13,300 more.

Toyota has launched a lobbying offensive in Washington to limit the scope of a federal safety investigation into unintended acceleration in the Tacoma pickup truck.

More than 400 consumers have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about unintended and sudden acceleration in the Tacoma pickup. Reports to the agency document 51 crashes and 12 injuries.

Nevertheless, Toyota complained in a letter to the agency that the Tacoma is the focus of hostile media coverage as well as consumers exaggerating their problems.

"Toyota believes that it is likely that many of the consumer complaints about the general issue of unwanted acceleration as well as many of the complaints about this subject that have been received by Toyota were inspired by publicity," the automaker wrote NHTSA.

Toyota suggested in the letter to safety regulators that consumers are overstating the unintended acceleration problem with the Tacoma which the automaker described as minor engine speed changes.

A ConsumerAffairs.com reader and Toyota Tacoma owner in Weaver, Alabama reported a different story. "It was jumping forward toward my house at every engine turn. I pushed in the clutch and took out the key," he said.

Acceleration is controlled in the Tacoma by a drive-by-wire system with a computer replacing the traditional linkage between the accelerator pedal and the engine throttle-body which injects the fuel required for acceleration.

Toyota claimed the Tacoma computer can capture an error report if accelerator pedal and throttle are not working properly and the automaker said no error codes have turned up in vehicles inspected Toyota technicians.

Safety regulators at NHTSA are now investigating 775,000 of the pickups sold between 2004 and 2008. An upgrade of the investigation could lead to a recall of the trucks costing Toyota millions of dollars and adding another layer of tarnish to the automaker's deteriorating reputation for quality.

A Toyota spokesman insisted that the automaker remains confident in the safety of the Tacoma drive-by-wire system.

Federal safety regulators are investigating one complaint of unintended acceleration in the Toyota Sienna.

The Office of Defect Investigation (ODI) at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported receiving the complaint.

The Complainant reported that he applied the accelerator pedal to accelerate the vehicle and experienced unwanted acceleration upon release, ODI reported on its Web site.

Safety regulators said that field data indicates that when a retainer pin is missing from the driver's side center stack/console trim panel, the panel can detach from the console and the accelerator pedal can become entrapped under the trim panel causing unwanted acceleration.

The trim panel was used on Toyota Sienna minvans produced from January through June of 2003, according to ODI. The new component used after June 2003 apparently does not "entrap the throttle, according to the safety agency.

ODI has launched a preliminary investigation to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety related consequences of unintended acceleration in the Sienna.

For the better part of a year government safety investigators have probed the thousands of reports of sudden acceleration in some Toyota vehicles. In a preliminary report to Congress, they say they have uncovered no evidence of problems in the vehicles' electronics.

Drivers, for years, have reported instances in which their car accelerated on its own and failed to stop, even when they applied brakes. In some cases, these reports of sudden acceleration resulted in crashes.

Toyota has insisted from the start that, whatever the reason for these anomalies, they weren't caused by hiccups in the vehicles' sophisticated electronics. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in its preliminary report, said it had reviewed 58 of the more than 3,000 submitted cases, and found no evidence of an electronics flaw.

Since last September Toyota has recalled about nine million vehicles to either replace floor mats or alter the design of accelerator pedals. The NHTSA report said investigators found only one case in which a floor mat trapped a gas pedal, pressing it to the floor, and no case in which the gas pedal became stuck.

Toyota was quick to embrace the preliminary report, saying it confirms the company's own findings. The carmaker said it had conducted more than 4,000 vehicle inspections in the aftermath of sudden acceleration reports and found no case in which the problem could be attributed to the electronics.

No conclusions

Federal investigators say it is too early to draw any conclusions, but note some of the cases reviewed so far may have been caused by driver error, in which the drivers unknowingly applied pressure to the accelerator, thinking they were pressing on the brakes.

This isn't the first time NHTSA has investigated this problem in Toyotas. After launching an investigation of reports of sudden acceleration in Toyotas during the early 2000s, NHTSA reported in 2004 that it was unable to find a cause for the problem.

At the time, the agency said it analyzed many of the cars involved in the mishaps and found nothing abnormal with the throttle controls. Once again NHTSA pointed to the driver. The agency said sudden surges are sometimes caused by drivers who are unfamiliar with their new vehicles.

Not just Toyota

While Toyotas have figured prominently in reports of sudden acceleration over the years, other models have also been affected.

"My wife pulled our 2004 V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee, into the day care to pick up our toddler and put the gear in park after coming to a stop," Vasanthi, of San Jose, Calif., wrote in March 2009. "The Jeep suddenly accelerated and shot forward, with her foot tightly on the brake, and went over a concrete block, through a fence and into the yard on the other side."

ConsumerAffairs.com has received sudden acceleration complaints over the years from a wide range of makes, including Kia, Jaguar, BMW and Ford. In fact, a December 2009 analysis of NHTSA complaints by Consumer Reports found Ford produced the second largest number of sudden acceleration reports after Toyota.