1. A lawsuit wonders how Toyota can keep calling their bluetooth implementation "hands-free" when owners very much need to use their hands to prevent echos on each and every call.

    For years owners have complained about this issue, but Toyota's only suggestion has been to pickup the phone and turn it's volume all the way up after the call has been initiated. Oh, and also make sure the radio volume is below level 45. Sorta defeats the point, don't you think?…

    keep reading article "Illinois Lawsuit Says Toyota's Hands-Free Calling is Unusable"
  2. Toyota is recalling 65,000 vehicles to replace the front passenger airbag inflators … again.

    Although the previous recall used new replacement Takata airbag inflators, this latest recall will use inflators supplied by a company other than Takata. Those previous replacements were still using ammonium nitrate, a propellant that breaks down and explodes unpredictably when exposed to humidity and moisture.

    Takata's inflators has been a long-running nightmare for millions of owners, hopefully this is the last time you'll have to bring your car in for service related to these exploding chunks of metal.

    keep reading article "Toyota Vehicles Recalled Again to Get Rid of Ammonium Nitrate Inflators"
  3. Poorly programmed control units have led to a Toyota airbag recall for 188,000 vehicles from the 2018-2019 model years.

    The automaker says the airbag electronic control units weren't programmed correctly, causing problems when the vehicles are started and the airbag sensors are disabled.

    Every airbag is attached to a control unit that monitors data from sensors and determines when the airbag should deploy. You can imagine how important it is that these control units are dialed in. Toyota forgot that whole part.

    keep reading article "Faulty Control Units Can Shut Off Airbags in 2018-2019 Toyotas"
  4. An appeals court has cleared Toyota of any wrongdoing in a crash involving a 2005 Tundra that left William Jae Kim severely injured.

    Kim steered to the right and lost control of the Tundra, sending it off the highway and over an embankment as it rolled onto its roof and then back onto the wheels. The plaintiff sustained severe life-changing neck and spinal cord injuries in the crash.

    Vehicle stability control (VSC) was standard equipment for the 2001 to 2004 Tundra, but made an optional upgrade in 2005. The plaintiff argued that the truck’s lack of VSC led to his crash. However, the jury ruled that a missing feature wasn’t the same as a design defect.

    keep reading article "Toyota Cleared in Crash Involving a 2005 Tundra Without Vehicle Stability Control"
  5. Toyota has blamed a musty A/C smell on microbes [i.e., mold] growing o the evaporator surface and now a lawsuit wants them to do something about it.

    The plaintiffs claim the vehicles have defective heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that cause smells and health problems from mold that collects on the evaporators. Numerous complaints have allegedly been filed with the government, Toyota and Lexus dealerships nationwide since at least 1999.

    This isn't the first time Toyota has been sued for musty A/C units.

    keep reading article "Air Conditioner Lawsuit Complains About Mold Smell From Toyota HVAC"
  6. There's a settlement on the horizon for owners of Toyota trucks with rusted out frames that are so holey, they make the Pope blush.

    The rusted frame class-action lawsuit may cost Toyota as much as $3.4 billion to replace truck frames that corrode and rust, making the frames a danger due to structural failures.

    The settlement covers former and current owners / lessees of the 2005-2012 Tacoma, 2007-2008 Tundra, and 2005-2008 Sequoia in the United States and its territories. Many of these trucks are one stiff breeze away from having their underbody turn to a pile of corroded dust. A fairness hearing will happen on 04/27/2017. If the judge approves the agreement, owners will have 60 days to submit claim forms and documentation.

    keep reading article "A Settlement Update for Rusted Toyota Frames"
  7. When Toyota switched away from using plastic or glass-based inulation in favor of soy, it invited in some very unwelcome Toyota loyalisits.

    According to the plaintiff, she learned the hard way about the soy wiring when her Avalon wouldn't start and a look under the hood showed wires chewed, so she had the car towed to a dealer. Toyota told her rodents had caused the damage and it would be no problem to repair the problems as long as she could cough up $6,000 to cover the bill.

    The soy-based wiring is allegedly attracting in rodents, who love to chew it up and use it for nesting material. The lawsuit, Heidi Browder vs. Toyota Motor Corporation, et al. follows a similar lawsuit filed against Honda earlier this year.

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Toyota’s Use of Soy-Based Wiring is Attracting Rodent Damage"
  8. It's the season to be thankful

    – for family, for health, for leftover turkey sandwiches. And if that wasn't enough, Toyota owners now have another reason: Toyota might have to shell out some serious cash if your vehicle's frame is rusting out. Toyota has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit that says certain vehicles weren't protected with anti-rust chemicals at the factory. That leaves them susceptible to road salt and premature corrosion. If approved, the settlement is going to cost Toyota a lot of money. As in, $3.4 billion or so. Here's why.…

    keep reading article "Toyota Rusted Frame Settlement"
  9. A minor label issue is about to become a major pain in the butt for 2,500 Toyota and Scion owners.

    Why do automakers bother with recalls about stickers? Because of federal law. Based on federal regulations, a load carrying modification label must be added to a vehicle if weight exceeding the lesser of 1.5 percent of 100 pounds is added to a vehicle between final vehicle certification and the first retail sale of the vehicle. Any corrected values must be accurate to within 1 percent of the actual added weight.

    keep reading article "Wrong Weight Limit Label Recall"
  10. How hot do you like your seat heater in the winter?

    If you like it really toasty — as in, with an actual flame — you’ll probably love one of 7,700 Toyota vehicles with seat heaters that catch on fire. The vehicles have been recalled because fire and cars don’t get along, what with their tanks of highly flammable liquids and all. All the affected vehicles are equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters that contain copper strand heating elements. The recall is being handled by Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) which is the world’s largest distributor of Toyota and Scion vehicles.

    The recall is expected to begin on July 14, 2016 and the seat heaters will need to be disconnected. Owners will be reimbursed.

    keep reading article "Toyota Wants to Stop Seat Heaters From Setting Owner's Buns on Fire"
  11. Toyota doesn't exactly have a sterling reputation when it comes to unintended acceleration.

    And so, when Corolla owner Robert Ruginis petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate low-speed surging in the 2006-2010 Corolla, it seemed like a slam dunk, home run or <insert sports cliché here>. Go sports team! But instead NHTSA said no to the investigation. The agency said they analyzed data from an event recorder cited by Ruginis in his petition and came up with a completely different conclusion. Ruginis said his Corolla moved forward with the brake pedal pressed, NHTSA said it didn't. Ruginis said Corollas can move forward even with the brake pressed to the floor, NHTSA said they can't.

    Instead, NHTSA placed the blame on Corolla drivers in most cases. They also said an investigation wasn't worth their time:…

    keep reading article "NHTSA Says No to Unintended Acceleration Investigation"
  12. Toyota thought the scourge of unintended acceleration was finally behind them.

    They had, after all, recalled millions of cars, paid hefty fines to the government, entered talks to settle hundreds of class-action lawsuits and even paid out $1.6 billion to owners because the trade-in value of their vehicles had diminished. Besides, the world's attention had turned to GM's ignition switch fiasco. So are Toyota's problems with unintended acceleration in the rearview mirror? Not so fast, or in this case ... slow.…

    keep reading article "New Unintended Acceleration Petition Filed"
  13. Last April, Toyota was involved in a worldwide recall of over 3 million vehicles with defective airbag inflators from parts supplier Takata.

    The inflators have been rupturing and sending hot shrapnel all over the cabin, resulting in severe burns and cuts for owners. All affected cars were recalled and their inflator serial numbers were checked against a list of defective parts provided by the supplier. If the number was on the list, the inflator was replaced and it seemed like we could all get back to enjoying our summer.…

    keep reading article "Dangerous Takata Airbags Recalled Again"
  14. Toyota is taking part in a massive 3-million vehicle recall of inflators that can explode and send shards of metal throughout the cabin during an airbag deployment.

    Takata said the propellant wafers produced at a plant in Moses Lake, Washington, between April 13, 2000 and September 11, 2002, may have been produced with an inadequate compaction force. The propellant could deteriorate over time and cause too much combustion, which could cause the body of the inflator to rupture during air bag deployment.

    Toyota announced plans to recall the 2001-2003 Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia, and Tundra along with the Lexus SC 430.

    keep reading article "Recall of Exploding Airbag Metal Canisters"

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