Toyota Recalls 420,000 Cars, SUVs and Minivans

Toyota has issued a voluntary recall to a correct a potential defect with the power steering pump. The recall affects about 283,000 Toyota and 137,000 Lexus vehicles in the U.S, the company says.

In the recall are V-6 models of the following vehicles:

• 2004 Toyota Avalon
• 2004-05 Toyota Camry
• 2004-05 Toyota Highlander
• 2004-05 Toyota Sienna
• 2004-05 Toyota Camry Solara
• 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
• 2004-05 Lexus ES 330 
• 2004-05 Lexus RX 330
• 2006 Lexus RX 400h

No four-cylinder models are involved in the recall, Toyota says.

Toyota's U.S. Production Returns to 100%

Toyota confirmed that production at its North American plants has returned to normal this week. The news comes after nearly five months of slowed production due to limited supplies from the automaker’s Japanese part suppliers. Toyota’s 13 North American plants make the company’s best-sellers in the U.S., including the Camry, RAV4, Corolla, Highlander and Sienna. In all, nearly 70% of the cars Toyota sells in the U.S. are made in North America.

The recovery is ahead of schedule; Toyota originally stated that it didn’t expect to get everything up and running again until November or December at the latest.

The company will now focus on replenishing dealer inventories with overtime and Saturday shifts at some plants. Toyota expects there to be a 15% increase in its supply in the last three months of 2011.

The company also says that construction work on its 14th North American assembly plant, a Corolla factory in Mississippi, is almost complete. Production will begin there in October, employing 2,000 workers. 

Toyota Rebounds Past its Recall Woes

A year ago, amidst the backdrop of recalls, stop sales and sensational headlines, the Toyota brand reported a sales decline of 10.3%. That’s worse than the company’s overall performance, which also includes Scion and Lexus sales.

This year, the opposite is true. Toyota has bounced back with a 48.5% sales gain while Lexus dragged down the company’s performance to a 41.8% gain. We detailed some of Lexus’ problems earlier today.

But what fueled Toyota’s sales?

How Good Are Toyotathon's Deals?

After checking out multiple dealership regions, Toyotathon is a good opportunity overall if you’re looking for a 2011 model year vehicle or if you’re trying to lease.

The recently redesigned 2011 Highlander already has a $500 cash-back deal and an attractive lease rate of $319 per month. In fact, all of Toyota’s lease rates – the automaker has traditionally leaned harder on this option – are excellent.

All the lease deals ask for less than $2,000 due at signing, so you’d pay a lot less upfront compared with some competitors, especially for Toyota’s pickup, minivan and crossovers. In some regions, such as Southern California, there’s a “$0 Down Payment, $0 Security Deposit, $0 Due at Signing, $0 1st Month's Payment” regional deal for folks who lease.

If you’re financing, most models offer 0% to 2.9% for 60 months.

With nearly 60% of Toyota’s inventory now 2011 model years, most remaining 2010s have lost their incentives. The outgoing 2010 Corolla gets $1,000 to $1,250 cash back on it; remember that the model was refreshed for the 2011 model year. The redesigned 2011 Avalon and Sienna both have $1,000 cash-back deals, too.

Most of the deals below expire Jan. 3.

Some Toyota Camrys Need Extra Repair After Recall

Toyota has informed its dealers that more repairs may be needed to correct work done in relation to the recalls involving stuck accelerator pedals, according to Reuters.

The affected models include the 2007-10 Toyota Camry and the 2005-10 Toyota Avalon, the same models involved in the original recall of 2.3 million vehicles in the U.S.

In some vehicles, a bracket holding the accelerator pedal in place may have been damaged. In the affected vehicles, dealers may have mistakenly stripped bolts from the structure during repairs. Dealers weren’t originally made aware as to how to separate the bracket, which may have caused the stripping, Reuters reports.

Toyota says the secondary damage is very rare, and the bracket will be repaired free of charge. Dealers were notified Tuesday, but there is no information about when owners will be notified. This latest notice comes one day after a large service bulletin was issued for the Toyota Prius over a coolant issue.

Toyota Says Camry Recall Can Prompt Secondary Fix (Reuters)

Consumer Reports Restores Recommendations on Recalled Toyotas

Today, Consumer Reports reinstated its recommendations for eight Toyota models the automaker recalled last January due to concerns over sudden acceleration.

The Toyota Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sequoia and Tundra met the requirements for Consumer Reports' coveted “recommended” status before the recall, but the publication stopped recommending the vehicles after Toyota recalled and put a “stop sale” on the affected models.

Consumer Reports says it has monitored the recall situation carefully, and, judging from its analysis, decided that the safety concerns diminished enough to restore the designations because new versions of said Toyota models came with a new accelerator pedal that prevented sticking problems; most of the recall models have been fixed; and all 2011 models come with a brake override system. In addition, the publication notes it has seen a drastic decrease in consumer complaints about sudden acceleration on Toyotas since January.

Overall, 1.8 million of the 2.3 million recalled vehicles have had the potentially affected part repaired or replaced.

Consumer Reports reinstates recommendations on eight Toyotas (Consumer Reports)

2010|Toyota|Avalon

2010|Toyota|Camry

2010|Toyota|Corolla

2010|Toyota|Highlander

2010|Toyota|Matrix

2010|Toyota|RAV4r

2010|Toyota| Sequoia

2010|Toyota|Tundra

Recall Alert: 728,544 Toyota and Lexus Vehicles

Toyota is recalling 728,544 vehicles, including the 2005-06 Avalon, 2004-06 Highlander, 2004-06 Lexus RX 330 and 2006 Lexus GS 300, IS 250 and IS 350 to replace a brake master cylinder seal. A small amount of brake fluid could leak from the master cylinder, leading the brake warning lamp to illuminate. Drivers could experience weaker brake response as a result.

Toyota has recalled over 7 million vehicles in the U.S. over the past two years for problems with floormats, brakes, gas pedals and most recently steering. Using incentives to drive sales, the automaker had been trying to come back from the image hit it took because of the numerous recalls.  

In this most recent recall, if the warning lamp is illuminated and the vehicle is driven without refilling the master cylinder brake fluid reservoir, the driver will notice a spongy or soft brake pedal feel. Braking performance could gradually decline.

Owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified of the recall by mail in early November. Toyota and Lexus dealerships will replace the brake master cylinder cup with a newly designed one for free.

For more information, owners can call Toyota at 800-331-4331 or Lexus at 800-255-3987.

Toyota Announces October Incentives

Throughout the summer Toyota offered fairly generous incentives on its vehicles to compensate for its flagging sales, which were caused by a deluge of safety recalls.

For October Toyota’s incentives are fine-tuned to get rid of its remaining 2010-model-year inventory and other slow-moving vehicles. These incentives are good through Nov. 1, but it’s important to note that some regions and dealer groups have opted out of the incentive programs, changed the terms or shifted incentive money from one model to another that’s weak in their specific region.

For instance, the Los Angeles region has an incentive on some models of no down payment, no security deposit, no money due at signing and no first month’s payment deal. The Chicago area has a $1,000 cash-back offer for recent college grads when they buy or lease select Toyotas as well as special lease rates.

To find detailed incentives, go to buyatoyota.com for the current offers in your area.

Below you’ll find a list of incentives on current Toyota vehicles.

Cars.com Podcast: 2011 Toyota Avalon, 2011 Scion tC, 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet

We tackle two redesigns and one new offering in this week’s podcast. The Toyota Avalon seemed to impress, but the Scion tC didn’t. And the E-Class Cabriolet? Who wouldn’t like it for a balmy summer night drive? If you’re considering purchasing any of the three, you’ll want to hear what the editors discovered during their test drives.

You can download the podcast via iTunes here or an MP3 file here.

2011 Toyota Avalon Video

The 2011 Toyota Avalon is a comfort cruiser. For 2011, the Avalon’s front and rear ends were updated, and it was given a new interior. Despite some minor quibbles over the Avalon’s small trunk, Cars.com editor Mike Hanley explains how the recent updates make the Avalon an attractive alternative to other entry-level luxury sedans. Check out the video to see if the new Avalon has what it takes to compete with cars like the Lexus ES 350. If you want to learn more about the Avalon, read Hanley’s full review here.

2011|Toyota|Avalon