Toyota Will Assess All Its SUVs for Safety Issues

In the wake of an influential consumer magazine’s discovery of handling problems in the 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV, Toyota Motor (TM) said that it’s conducting tests on all its sports-utility vehicles to assess their safety, just two days after Toyota suspended sales of the GX 460.

The news comes after road tests conducted by Consumer Reports showed the GX 460 was susceptible to rolling over during accident-avoidance maneuvers on its test track. The nonprofit magazine published an advisory on its website, urging consumers to not buy the vehicle until the auto maker addressed the problem.

Toyota’s president to visit China on Monday

Toyota President Akio Toyoda will speak in Beijing on Monday about the company’s recent quality woes, Toyota said Sunday, in an effort to reassure consumers in a major growth market.

Toyoda, who testified at a U.S. Congressional hearing last week about the spate of global recalls plaguing Toyota Motor Corp., will speak to reporters at a Beijing hotel, company spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said.

Toyota cars in the Philippines not affected by safety recall

The local unit of Toyota Motor Corp. assured its customers that its products are not affected by the recent safety recall in the United States.

Elijah Marcial, public relations officer of Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP), told ANC in a phone interview on Wednesday that its cars and car parts do not have any defects and will still be sold in the country.

“We received information from Toyota Motor Corp. that all Philippines’ Toyota and Lexus models are not affected by the new US ‘stuck gas pedal’ safety recall,” she said.

Toyota Plans Hybrid Production at Miyagi Plant

Japan Today reported that Toyota Motor Corp plans to produce hybrid vehicles at a new assembly plant that will start operating in 2011 in northeastern Japan, sources familiar with the move say. Toyota intends to manufacture a Vitz-class subcompact hybrid model at the plant in Ohira, Miyagi Prefecture, which would be one of the automaker’s key domestic production hubs for gasoline-electric cars along with its Aichi and Kyushu factories.

Toyota and Honda Philippines Offer Discounts on Parts, Repairs of Flood-Damaged Units

Leading car manufacturers Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMC) and Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) are offering discounts on parts and labor charges in order to help victims of tropical storm Ondoy.

Toyota will offer discounts on replacement of flood-related parts and labor, as well as extend service workshop operations to accommodate affected customers while Honda is offering 30-percent subsidy on all parts, lubricants and 10 percent on labor charges for flood-related repairs.

Toyota to recall 3.8 million cars — largest US recall in its history

Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) said it will recall 3.8 million vehicles in the United States, the company’s largest-ever U.S. recall, to address problems with a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to get stuck and lead to a crash. The recall will involve popular models such as the Toyota Camry, the top-selling passenger car in America, and the Toyota Prius, the best-selling gas-electric hybrid.

Toyota said it was still working with officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find a remedy to fix the problem and said owners could be notified about the recall as early as next week. Toyota spokesman Irv Miller said until the company finds a fix, owners should take out the removable floor mat on the driver’s side and not replace it.

Worldwide sales of Toyota hybrids top 2 million units

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announces that global cumulative sales of its hybrid vehicles have topped the 2-million mark, with more than 2.01 million units sold worldwide as of August 31, 20091.

In 1997 in Japan, TMC launched the “Coaster Hybrid EV” in August and launched the “Prius”-the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle-in December. Sales of the Prius began in North America, Europe and elsewhere in 2000.

Toyota rumored to challenge Honda’s CR-Z with the new Prius Based Hybrid Coupe

If you believe that a coupe version of the Prius sounds like a good idea, then you’ll be happy to know that reports coming in from Japan say that Toyota is actually working on a dedicated sporty hybrid model. Best Car magazine went one step further by publishing an artist’s impression of the Prius-based coupe in its latest issue.

Toyota to release new medium-sized SAI hybrid within the year

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to release within this year a new medium-sized hybrid sedan, the SAI, that is bigger than the current best-selling Prius as it seeks to expand its lineup of electric-gas hybrids, sources familiar with the matter said Friday.

The SAI will be positioned as a Toyota brand-version of the luxury Lexus HS250h hybrid sedan released in mid-July. It will have the same basic structure but different exterior and interior designs, the sources said.

Toyota Prius remains top-selling car in Japan for third month

Toyota’s hugely popular Prius hybrid ranked as Japan’s top-selling car in July, clinching the spot for the third consecutive month as tax breaks boosted sales of green vehicles, an auto industry group said Thursday.

The Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s No. 1 automaker, sold 27,712 Prius cars in July, up 24 percent from June.