Recall Alert: 3,235 2009-13 Toyotas

Southeast Toyota Distributors is recalling 3,235 vehicles spanning model-years 2009-13 due to problems with the occupant sensing system, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were modified by Southeast Toyota Distributors to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or head-restraint DVD system. During the installation process, the passenger seat occupant sensing system may not have been tested. This could cause the airbags to not deploy or to deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size, increasing the risk of injury. 

Recall Alert: 2001-04 Toyota Tacoma

Toyota is voluntarily recalling about 150,000 Tacoma pickup trucks to inspect and possibly replace the spare-tire carrier assembly, the automaker announced.

The recalled vehicles were originally sold or are currently registered in 20 cold-climate states and the District of Columbia. In these vehicles, the spare tire is stored underneath the rear bed and suspended by a spare-tire carrier on a metal lift plate. During the manufacturing process, the spare-tire carrier lift plate may not have been sufficiently coated with phosphate. That, combined with prolonged exposure to road salt and other environmental factors, could cause corrosion of the lift plate, causing it to break and detach the spare tire from the vehicle.

In addition to the District of Columbia, the affected states include Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

Toyota said it would notify owners of the recalled vehicles in December. Dealers will inspect and replace the spare-tire carrier assembly at no cost. Owners can call Toyota at 800-331-4331 for more information.

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PickupTrucks.com Ultimate 4x4 Shootout

The mission was simple: find out who makes the best, from-the-factory four-wheel-drive off-road package. PickupTrucks.com pitted four trucks against each other in a decathlon of dirt. Model-year 2012 versions of the Ford SVT Raptor, Nissan Frontier PRO-4X, Ram Power Wagon and Toyota Tacoma Baja went head to head in 10 grueling events.

Click here for the results.

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Toyota Prices Limited-Edition Tacoma TRD T/X Baja Series Package

Toyota's off-road-oriented Tacoma TRD T/X Baja Series Package will cost $5,015, less a $650 factory credit, when it goes on sale this May. The limited-edition model is equipped with a 4.0-liter V-6 engine mated either to a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission. Package-specific equipment includes an upgraded suspension, exclusive wheels and a unique exterior appearance package.

Check out PickupTrucks.com for full pricing info and driving impressions.

Prices Announced for Tacoma TRD T/X Baja (PickupTrucks.com)

Many Automakers' Latch Systems Difficult to Use, Study Finds

Installing a child-safety seat can be a difficult and automakers aren't making it any easier with their Latch systems, according to a new study.

The study evaluated 98 of the best-selling passenger vehicles from the 2010 and 2011 model years and found that only 21 of them had easy-to-use Latch systems. The Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system, which is found in cars from the 2003 model year and on, standardizes the in-car equipment for car-seat installation.

It's supposed to make it easier for parents to get the proper car-seat fit and ensure that the child riding in the car seat is protected in a crash.

Toyota Announces Voluntary Recalls of Camry, Venza and Tacoma

In the first of two recalls Toyota issued today, the automaker is voluntarily recalling approximately 70,500 model-year 2009 Camry sedans and 116,000 model-year 2009-2011 Venza crossovers to replace a faulty stop lamp switch. A total of 186,500 units are affected.  During the manufacturing process, grease may have pervaded the inside of the switch mechanism, increasing electrical resistance.

According to a statement from Toyota, "If this occurs, warning lamps on the instrument panel may be illuminated, the vehicle may not start, or the shift lever may not shift from the Park position. In some cases, the vehicle stop lamps may become inoperative."

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2011 Toyota Tacoma

Equipped with two rear seats and rear-hinged doors, the 2011 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab easily fit Cars.com Family contributor Sara Lacey’s family, but her kids started complaining about it early in the test drive. At the top of their complaint list were the midsize pickup’s uncomfortable rear seats and the difficult-to-open rear doors. In the driver’s seat, Sara found the V-6-equipped Tacoma to be a lot of fun to drive.

2011 Toyota Tacoma Review

2012 Toyota Camry Earns Five-Star NHTSA Rating

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its first batch of 2012 model year ratings this month. Under the stricter guidelines, only three 2012 models — the Chevrolet Camaro, Cadillac CTS and Toyota Camry — have earned five-star composite scores from the safety agency. In fact, as we previously reported, the Camaro is the only vehicle to earn a perfect rating across the board since the new guidelines took effect for the 2011 model year.

NHTSA’s composite scores are composed of five-star ratings for frontal, rollover and a combined side pole and barrier tests. The side pole test, which is new, simulates a 20-mph side-impact crash into a 10-inch-diameter pole or tree at a 75-degree angle just behind the A-pillar on the driver’s side.

The redesigned 2012 Camry earned a five-star overall rating, getting four stars in the frontal test, five stars in the side-crash test and four stars in the rollover test.

MotherProof.com Car Seat Check Recap

The 2012 Chevrolet Traverse is a large seven- or eight-seat crossover with easy access to all three rows. But easy access doesn’t guarantee that child-safety seats will fit easily, as MotherProof.com found out in the latest Car Seat Check. The second row in the Traverse can fit only two child-safety seats, and getting to the Latch connectors is somewhat difficult. The third row’s seat belts are a mixed bag, too. Otherwise, you can fit two car seats in the way back. Continue reading more about the Traverse, and the other vehicles tested in the series, at MotherProof.com:

2012 Chevrolet Traverse: Car Seat Check
2011 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab: Car Seat Check
2011 Dodge Challenger: Car Seat Check
2012 Volkswagen Passat: Car Seat Check

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.