August 10, 2010
Toyota Fast Facts is an update on Toyota and industry news. Please feel free to share this information with family and friends. For more news, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
Government Finds No Electronics Issues So Far in Toyota UA Probes
According to the Associated Press, federal regulators told Congress today that they have not found any evidence so far of electronic issues in incidents of alleged unintended acceleration by Toyota vehicles.
While it is still at an “early period of the investigation,” the U.S. Department of Transportation said it has not found any problems beyond two previously identified in recalls by Toyota – floor mat entrapment and sticking accelerator pedals.
TMS issued the following statement:
We cannot confirm what information was shared by NHTSA with Members of Congress today. However, Toyota's own vehicle evaluations have confirmed that the remedies it developed for sticking accelerator pedal and potential accelerator pedal entrapment by an unsecured or incompatible floor mat are effective. We have also confirmed several different causes for unintended acceleration reports, including pedal entrapment by floor mats, pedal misapplication and vehicle functions where a slight increase in engine
speed is normal, such as engine idle up from a cold start or air conditioning loads.
Having conducted more than 4,000 on-site vehicle inspections, in no case have we found electronic throttle controls to be a cause of unintended acceleration. Toyota is committed to listening more attentively to our customers and continuing to investigate unintended acceleration concerns.
To read the AP story, please click here:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i3CZPJXvtZZ46SY9bcMupivluKswD9HGQG9O0
Chief Quality Officer Chats on Twitter About Customer Loyalty, Recall Repairs
During an hour-long Twitter chat Tuesday, Steve St. Angel, Toyota’s chief quality officer for North America, was quizzed about a host of issues, including news products, the UAW and quality issues.
Here are some excerpts:
“Are there any plans for a Volt-like all-electric?” he was asked, to which replied: “RAV4 will have an all-electric version in 2012. I’ve driven it and it’s a screamer – I love it.”
Asked what, in hindsight, the company would have done differently regarding the recalls, St. Angelo said, “We would have done a better job of communicating with customers, dealers, regulators and employees.”
“I want the GT4 in the USA; please, bring back the Celica,” wrote one participant. St. Angelo wrote back: “If you like your Celica, you’re gonna love the FT-86! Stay tuned.”
“If Venza’s basic fit/finishes were poorly done, but still approved, how do we know if the engineering/mechanics are safe?” asked a participant. St. Angelo said, “I bought one of the first Venzas off the line. 2010 Venza is a top safety pick from IIHS. We try to improve daily.”
“Do you feel Toyota was singled out for the recalls due to the failure of other “American” companies?” he was asked, to which he replied, “At this point it doesn’t matter. We’re safety focused and re-energized to exceed our customers’ expectations for quality.”
Auto Affordability Flat as Recovery Slows, Says Comerica Bank
The cost of buying and financing the average-priced new vehicle, as measured in weeks of median family income, remained virtually unchanged during the past three months, according to Comerica Bank’s Auto Affordability Index. It took 23.6 weeks of media family income in the second quarter of 2010, the same period of time in the first quarter.
The average total cost increased by $200 to $27,950, a 2.7 percent annual rate increase from the first quarter while median family income rose 2.4 percent in the second quarter and the interest rate on car loans fell 20 basis points to 4.1 percent.
“Affordability was flat in the second quarter, as rising expenditures on new cars were offset by lower interest rates,” said Dana Johnson, chief economist at Comerica Bank. “Although the national recovery slowed in the second quarter, consumers were still willing to pay more for new vehicles, albeit on slightly better financing terms than in the first quarter. As a result, affordability was roughly unchanged from the first quarter level.”
Toyota Team Members Offer Testimonials in YouTube Videos
Toyota has posted several short videos on its YouTube channel offering the public some personal insights into the company by Toyota team members. Here are links to those videos:
Toyota Texas Team Members Volunteering
http://www.youtube.com/toyotausa#p/c/7DFACFE6E6C94812/1/a9ZaD1Nw1nY
Toyota Volunteers in San Antonio, Texas
http://www.youtube.com/toyotausa#p/c/7DFACFE6E6C94812/0/BfCy4FvU8ZI
What Toyota Stands For
http://tmalive.tma.toyota.com/bigfile/862010134556/Toyota_StandsFor_30sec.mov
Toyota Principles
http://tmalive.tma.toyota.com/bigfile/862010134556/Toyota_Principles_15sec.mov
Toyota Technical Center Engineers on Quality
http://www.youtube.com/toyotausa#p/c/7DFACFE6E6C94812/8/PG5cIukiOfQ
