By Steve Little

SouthernGuy8503

Looks like yet another Toyota recall on the heels of the 10 million vehicles Toyota has already pulled from the field in the last year. This time, there appears to be a problem with the braking system–a master cylinder seal that doesn’t seal–as well as problems with the electric fuel pumps in some foreign-market vehicles. A total of 740,000 cars in the US, 599,000 in Japan, and a handful of others throughout Europe will be subject to the recall, which includes the 2005-06 Avalon, the 2004-06 Highlander, and a variety of Lexus models. More details here.

By Ron Honig

WaytooFurious

It’s nice to see car makers that are proactive when faults are found with their cars. Unlike the recent example set by Toyota, it’s good to know that you can still count on some organisations to do the right thing, and save themselves a heap of trouble in the process. Australia’s Holden has recently announced a recall of 34,000 utes as there is the possibility that their tailgates might open unexpectedly while in motion. The chances that this will actually happen to anyone are slim, but in the event that it did, it could pose some obvious hazards to anyone driving behind the defective vehicle. Get the full story at the Age.

By Stephanie Porteus

HotRodHoney

It seems that even with a hefty (and record) $16.4 million fine for Toyota, things aren’t turning around just yet.

April 19th marked the end of a two-week period in which the U.S Department of Transportation and Toyota were expected to sign a settlement following the Obama administration’s finding that Toyota knowingly chose not to recall faulty accelerator pedals on many of its popular models. By agreeing to pay this fine, Toyota is “accepting responsibility for hiding this safety defect” from the National Highway Administration “in violation of the law,” says Senior Transportation Department official (who asked not to be named since the settlement had not yet been finalized). Read more…

Continue reading "Toyota Troubles: Not Over Yet" »

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

Anything Toyota can do, GM can do better, right? Well, maybe if you’re talking about NASCAR. But The General’s voluntary recall, announced last night, of 1.3 million 2005-2010 Cobalts and G5s over power steering issues seems like positively small potatoes compared to the trainwreck that is the Toyota fiasco. The defect is in the electronic power steering assist motor, whose failure has been linked to 14 wrecks and one injury. Apparently, nothing dramatic happens when the electronic assist fails–the steering just becomes a lot harder at low speeds, similar to losing a belt on a traditional power-steering pump. But seeing as no one remembers how to drive with manual steering anymore, it makes sense that the sudden absence of electronic intervention would cause some drivers to lose it. More at Automotive News.

By Katherine Helmetag

Atomicalex

Wow. That’s all I have to say about this recall. Over four million Toyota and Lexus vehicles need to return to the local motherships for the accelerator pedal problem. Dealers are being told to cut the pedal so that it can’t interfere with the floor mat, which should have already been removed or restrained (with a ziptie) by now. Please, please, please go to your dealer and have this work done – the last thing any of us here at CarDomain want to hear is that a sweet ride like DumpedCorolla‘s ended up in a wall. Toyota remains mum on the idea that there could be a serious software fault contributing to the problem. A full list of cars in the recall after the jump.

Continue reading "Toyota Owners: Big Recalls Abound" »

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

Tsk tsk, Toyota. According to this NBC report, the automaker is being sketchy about a defective steering relay rod–which connects the pitman arm to the steering center link, so yeah, kind of essential–on about a million of its light trucks and SUVs manufactured between 1989 and 1998. Apparently the rod has a tendency to snap while the vehicle is in motion, causing a total loss of steering and, likely, a catastrophic wreck. Though Toyota was aware of the problem, they dragged their feet about issuing a US recall, and deep-sixed incident reports involving relay rod failures. As is often the case, it took the death of someone’s kid and a big fat lawsuit to bring the whole thing to light. While Toyota eventually issued a recall, they were apparently pretty passive about it, and to date have only successfully brought 32 % of the affected vehicles in for repair. Factoring in those that have likely been wrecked or junked, that equates to roughly 500,000 Toyota trucks on US roads, right now, that are still running the defective part. Real nice, guys! View the NBC report here.

Smart has issued its first recall. At issue are 43 of its fortwo vehicles that apparently got sprayed with a bad batch of paint. The caustic coating can apparently compromise the adhesive used to attach the fortwo’s roof and windshield, leading to separation of one or both at speed. Hmm, maybe they should be using something more than airplane glue to hold the roof down! More at edmunds.

I’m sure a lot of you remember the Firestone/Ford fiasco back in 2000, which resulted in 6.5 million Wilderness A/T and ATX II tires being recalled following a disproportionate number of tread separations, leading to rollover wrecks in the flip-prone Explorer SUV. You might say that both brands were tainted by this ordeal, and that’d  probably be an understatement. But going on the theory that Jack In The Box is the safest place in the world to eat only after an e. coli outbreak, don’t you think Firestone would’ve way over-engineered its product following the disaster, as insurance against it ever happening again? Once bitten, right? I’m just wondering, because I’ve been shopping for new tires for my Eagle and have noticed that the ratings on Firestones generally tend to be pretty high. The user ratings for the Firestone Destination A/T’s I’m considering over at The Tire Rack are off the charts—you don’t generally see so many fields rated dark green (superior). It kind of leads me to believe that a little recall—or in Firestone’s case, a massive, precedent-setting recall—can be a good thing. How about you? Are you wary of manufacturers tainted by past recalls? Or do you figure their product must be safer than ever?

Lots of stuff is happening today, so I’m going to skip my standard blathering and cut to the chase. You’re welcome. Here’s the news:

• Everyone knows Aussies love their beer, but this situation still seems a little extreme. For the record, it’s probably a good idea to belt children in, even if than means the case of beer has to take its chances. ABC Australia via Winding Road
• Nissan is riding waves of positive press due to the GTR, but it hasn’t forgotten about the rest of its stable. A semi-official pic of the new 370Z has surfaced, and it looks pretty slick. Hey, it might not  have Godzilla’s performance, but you’ll probably be able to pick one up for less than double the sticker price. CarScoop
• Ford is recalling another 650,000 vehicles, but don’t worry, the reason behind it is just a tiny little problem with the brakes. Maybe the Blue Oval should try making quality job one? Automotive News
• Aston Martin’s Rapide has been caught lapping the Ring, and it looks—and sounds—pretty sexy. I still don’t know if it’s as hot as Maserati’s Quattroporte, but if I had to choose between the two, I don’t think I’d throw a fit. World Car Fans

Like a lot companies, CarDomain runs its servers on Linux. And while that OS is still a little above my head—I’m just happy I can use my iPod—I thought it was interesting to see it’s the system of choice for F1 teams. How long will it be before it’s practical for regular users? Anyway, here’s the news:

• Stop the presses! It looks like RENNtech has made a brake rotor big enough to handle a hi-riser! At 16.2 inches, it’s more than half the size of a pair of "30s, so being donkalicious no longer means having to coast to a stop. Jalopnik
• Hillary Clinton and John McCain want to give consumers a break from the gas tax this summer, and while it sounds nice, it basically means they both think you’re dumber than you look. Carpetbagger Report
• Honda is probably the most boring company in the world, but guess what? America loves boring! Last month, the Accord was the best selling vehicle in the States, and this April isn’t looking bad for it either. Auto Observer
• If you have a few grand to spare and want to get a feel for what Audi’s burly new 420 horsepower R8 can do, you might want to check out Audi’s "driving camp" in Cali. Hey, burning rubber beats the hell out of weaving baskets. AutoWeek
• Volvo has built its reputation on safety, so it can’t be happy about having to recall 65,000 cars. The problem? A software glitch is delaying the deployment of side-impact airbags. This is one situation where late really isn’t much better than never. CarScoop