With the NHTSA likely applying plenty of pressure after it was questioned over Toyota’s recent recalls, General Motors has announced a recall of 1.3 million vehicles due to power steering issues. The recall affects 1.3 million models including the 905,000 Chevrolet Cobalt models in the U.S., assembled for model year 2005-10. The recall also affects the 2007-10 Pontiac G5, as well as the 2005-06 Pontiac Pursuit in Canada and the 2005-06 Pontiac G4 in Mexico.

GM insists that it has notified the NHTSA and has been operating its own investigation since 2009. The recall comes after over 1,110 complaints that have been linked to 14 crashes and one injury.

GM has announced it it working on a fix and will notify all customers as soon as possible.

[Source: Automotive News]

Toyota has again announced another recall. Or should we say another, another recall. Yup, not one, but two recalls, affecting the Tacoma pickup and Camry sedan. Both recalls are minor in number, totaling just around 15,000 units and affect only 2010 model year cars and trucks.

First came the 2010 Tacoma recall for 8,000 trucks where a manufacturing defect may have caused trucks to be equipped with a cracked front drive shaft. This only applies to 4WD trucks. Toyota says it will notify owners starting in mid-March.

As for the Camry recall, it affects 7,314 Camry vehicles built for the 2010 model year. The issue here involves the brakes (surprise, surprise), and the NHTSA says that on some 4-cylinder models the left rear brake tube could puncture because of interference from the power steering tube. A loss of brake fluid could result in reduced braking ability and lead to an accident. Toyota has not yet released when it will contact owners of affected cars.

Those in need of more info can call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or visit www.toyota.com/recall.

Visit the AutoGuide Toyota Recall news Hub Here for more info

[Source: Toyota and NHTSA]

Official release after the jump:

As expected, Toyota has announced a recall for the 2010 Prius hybrid, as well as the 2010 Lexus HS250h model. The recall affects 133,000 Prius models as well as 14,500 HS250 models so that the automaker can update the car’s ABS software. The recall does not affect previous generation Prius models or any other Toyota, Lexus or Scion models.

The recall comes after over 100 complaints were registered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), by Prius owners who commented on a loss of brakes (or at least brake feel) under braking on icy or bumpy roads. The fix has already been made on all models produced since late January.

Toyota has said it will begin mailing recall notification letters to owners next week, with HS250h owners receiving their letter a few weeks after that.

In addition to this recall, Toyota has issues a separate recall on 7,300 Camry 4-cylinder models built for the 2010 model year, due to a steering hose that may touch the front brake tube, leading to a brake fluid leak.

Toyota owners with questions can find detailed information about these recalls and Toyota’s other recalls at www.toyota.com/recall or can contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

For more Toyota recall news visit the AutoGuide Toyota Recall News Hub here

Official release after the jump:

Only yesterday the AutoGuide team was discussing the fact that with all the recent Toyota recalls, the next thing to be recalled might be the automaker’s Prius iPhone App. Well, truth may be stranger than fiction as the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has now said it will look into whether electronic interference from cell phones could be the cause of unintended acceleration issues with several Toyota models.

Electromagnetic interference, or EMI, has become a concern as electronic gadgets have become a part of every day life. At the same time, cars have become increasingly reliant on electrical, rather than mechanical, components. It has been suggested that the issue over Toyota’s “unintended acceleration” problem could be due to electronic interference and not a mechanical fault as many modern vehicles use electronic throttle sensors, rather than a mechanical system where a pushing the gas pedal actuates a wire than opens the engine’s throttlebody.

Fear over electrical interference is what has prompted airlines to ask passengers to turn off electrical equipment.

Toyota currently has a recall out for 2.3 million vehicles due to what it calls a potentially faulty mechanical brake pedal. The recall includes the 2009-2010 RAV4, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra and 2008-2010 Sequoia.

See more Toyota recall news at the AutoGuide Toyota Recall News Hub.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

Toyota’s popular Prius model is now officially under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for potentially faulty brakes. In a statement released by the NHTSA, it said it will launch a formal investigation into whether the popular hybrid has a brief loss of braking capability when traveling over bumpy or icy roads.

This announcement may, however, be a moot point as Toyota has already admitted to knowing there was a problem with the brakes on the 2010 Prius (a model previously unaffected by any of Toyota’s other recalls). Toyota has said it knew of a problem that caused a brief loss of braking during the transition from the car’s regenerative braking (which serves to power-up the car’s hybrid battery) to its traditional friction braking. Toyota refers to this as “slight unresponsiveness” and says it usually lasts less than a second.

The NHTSA has received over 100 complaints about the Prius’s brakes, including four where crashes resulted.

Toyota has said the issue has been solved on all models produced since late January but has yet to issue a recall for all 2010 models built and sold before that point. The NHTSA’s investigation is likely to ensure a recall.

See more Toyota recall news at the AutoGuide.com Toyota Recall News Hub.

[Source: Automotive News]

After pressure from the U.S. and Japanese governments, Toyota has admitted that there was an issue with the brakes on the all-new 2010 Prius hybrid. Over 100 complaints about braking related issues have been reported to the NHTSA and roughly a dozen such reports to the authorities in Japan.

According to Toyota, Prius models sold before the end of January have an electrical defect whereby there is a brief loss of braking during the transition from the car’s regenerative braking (which serves to power-up the car’s hybrid battery) to its traditional friction braking. This only occurred when braking on icy or bumpy roads. Toyota refers to this as “slight unresponsiveness” and says it usually lasts less than a second.

The automaker has corrected the problem on all Prius models built since the end of January but has not issued a recall for consumers. A recall is being considered.

The 2010 Prius is not currently covered under any of Toyota’s recalls, while the 2004-09 model is covered under the floormat recall.

See more Toyota recall news at our Toyota Recall News Hub.

[Source: New York Times]

With Toyota insisting that it’s safe to keep driving your recalled car, while other folks advise against it, owners are no-doubt confused about risking the trip to the office or finding another way to get around. Toyota insists the instances of sticky accelerator pedals are rare, but if you do choose to keep driving you recalled Toyota, you should know what to do in case you do experience, “unintended acceleration.”

In case of unintended acceleration or a sticky gas pedal, follow the five steps below:
1. If you need to stop immediately, the vehicle can be controlled by stepping on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for the power brake assist.

2. Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and use the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine.

3. If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine OFF. This will not cause loss of steering or braking control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.

4. If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button.

5. If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.

Once the vehicle is safely stopped, contact your local Toyota dealership to make an appointment to have the recalled part fixed.

The Recall for sticking accelerator pedals affects 2.3 million cars and trucks including: the 2009-2010 RAV4, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra and 2008-2010 Sequoia.

If you are currently driving a recalled Toyota model, you shouldn’t be, says Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (above). In a statement given at a House Appropriations subcommittee on transportation, looking into the recent Toyota recalls, LaHood told owners to, “stop driving it. Take it to a Toyota dealer because they believe they have a fix for it.”

Toyota currently has two major recalls, the first being a floor mat entrapment issue for 5.5 million vehicles, and the second is a sticking gas pedal recall for 2.3 million vehicles.

LaHood urged owners of recalled cars to contact their dealer and, “exercise caution until repairs can be made.”

Toyota recently announced a fix for the 2.3 million recalled models, which include the 2009-2010 RAV4, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra and 2008-2010 Sequoia. The automaker has insisted that the recall is due to a mechanical fault, saying in a statement that:

“After many years of exhaustive testing—by us and other outside agencies—we have found no evidence of a problem with our electronic throttle control system that could have caused unwanted acceleration. Our vehicles go through extensive electromagnetic radiation testing dynamically. We have our own test facility in Japan, we are also building one in Ann Arbor. The testing examines microwave radiation and every other type of magnetic wave and we have never been able to force our systems to fail through any of the tests that are done on them. There are many redundancies and fail safes that are built into our system.  If the accelerator pedal and the throttle on the engine don’t match in their communication to each other the throttle returns to an idle position.”

The U.S. Ministry of Transportation has also been investigating electronic throttle issues and unintended acceleration issues on Toyota and Lexus vehicles for years but has never been able to find a problem.  The Ministry of Transportation, has now said it will look at the possibility that unintended acceleration is related to electronics and not a mechanical issue with the pedal.

For more information on Toyota recalls, visit the automaker’s new recall website:

http://www.toyota.com/recall/

[Source: CNBC]

The Japanese Ministry of Transportation has now asked Toyota to investigate its new third-generation Prius model after complaints from owners of potentially faulty brakes. This news comes as Toyota currently has recalls out for millions of vehicles (not including the current Prius) which are mostly for two separate recalls. The first recall for 5.1 million vehicles is for floor mats that can cause the accelerator pedal to stick, while the second is for 2.3 million vehicles where Toyota has now said that over time the accelerator pedal could become stuck or slow to return to its “off” position.

In the sticking pedal recall, Toyota has said that the issue is mechanical and not electronic, but some individuals have refuted that claim and, most recently, Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, commented publicly that his 2010 Prius suffers from unintended acceleration that is caused by the car’s software.

Toyota has admitted to receiving complains about braking issues in the Prius and a quick look at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, returns 102 complains, most of which cite a loss of braking ability when driving on rough roads. One complainant says she was injured in a crash when the brakes on her Prius failed. The Japanese transportation agency has on record 14 reports of braking-related complains with the Prius.

Toyota’s Prius does not use the same pedal mechanism as found in the other recalled models, but rather uses a more complex system of regenerative braking to recharge the onboard battery. Such regenerative brakes feel much “grippier” than traditional brakes.

[Source: Automotive News]

Toyota has just launched a new website related to its recent recalls, hoping to provide its customers with information about the two different recall notices and what the automaker is doing to solve the issues. The website is also intended to help give answers to customers who, Toyota admits, “may have experienced lengthy wait times when calling our Customer Experience Center.”

The site explains the two recalls; the first for “Floor Mat Entrapment” and the second for unintended acceleration, which Toyota refers to as “Pedal.”

Toyota has already announced a fix for the recalled “Pedal” vehicles that includes reinforcing the pedal mechanism to eliminate the friction that could have caused a sticking accelerator pedal. In addition, Toyota has worked with the pedal supplier to create a new pedal that will be used on newly-manufactured Toyota models.

The accelerator pedal recall affects 2.3 million vehicles in North America, including eight models: 2009-2010 RAV4, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007-2010 Tundra and 2008-2010 Sequoia.

No Camry, RAV4, Corolla or Highlander vehicles with VIN numbers that begin with J are affected, nor are any Lexus or Scion models.

In the event of a sticky gas pedal, Toyota advises to apply the brakes until the vehicle comes to a stop and to then turn the vehicle off. Experts also suggest that applying the brakes and then putting the vehicle into Neutral may help to slow the car.

As for the 5.5 million vehicles recalled for “Floor Mat Entrapment,” they include: 2005-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 Camry, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2008-2010 Highlander, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2004-2009 Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2009-2010 VENZA

Toyota advises that if you have any additional questions to call the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331. The Toyota Customer Experience Center hours are: Mon.–Fri. 5:00 am-6:00 pm PST, Sat. 7:00 am-4:00 pm PST.

Visit the Toyota Recall Website here: