Continuing from their previous car recall program, Toyota has now begun recalling additional vehicles. (more…)

As a sign, written in the stars, the first Hilux Legend 40 rolled of the production line on the same day that Chuck Norris celebrated his birthday. (more…)

Toyota South Africa Motors (TSAM) today announced the vehicles to be included in its recall service campaign to correct the accelerator mechanism in these cars.

The list of affected vehicles is the result of an exhaustive technical study which covered all Toyota vehicles on sale in South Africa. The affected passenger vehicle models are:

Toyota Corolla (February 2007 to January 2010) – 45 040 vehicles

Toyota Auris (June 2006 to January 2010) – 6 665 vehicles

Toyota Verso (October 2008 to January 2010) – 841 vehicles

This equates to a total of 52 546 Toyota vehicles that will form part of this campaign.

Recall service campaign – Corolla, Auris and Verso

The Corolla, Auris and Verso will be recalled as part of a service campaign to correct a potentially faulty accelerator pedal mechanism. This is done as a pro-active precaution and is based on the fact that the mechanism is similar in operation to those which have proven faulty in other regions.

In these regions the mechanisms, in severe circumstances, have deteriorated and become harder to depress, slow to return to idle or have, in just a handful of cases, become stuck in a partially depressed position.

In more detail the problem relates to the operation between the mechanism’s friction shoe that provides pedal feel and ensures pedal stability, and the adjoining surface.

The corrective action will take the form of a small precision-cut steel plate that will be placed in the assembly to alleviate the friction between the friction shoe and adjoining surface. This will prevent the problem from surfacing in vehicles equipped with this steel bar for the life of the vehicle.

Toyota will start contacting customers of the affected vehicles immediately. All Toyota dealers in South Africa and the countries that TSAM serve will be involved. These include Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Reasons for the recall service action in South Africa

Toyota South Africa Motors chose to participate in this worldwide recall service action as a precautionary measure. The action will take place despite the fact that the problem has not surfaced to the same effect in the hot and dry climate of South Africa.

TSAM has, since the first announcement of its participation, received a small number of requests from concerned owners and will study each individual instance to understand whether the problem has indeed surfaced locally.

“We would like to apologise to all Toyota vehicle owners for the uncertainty and inconvenience that this process may have caused. We value the trust and confidence that Toyota owners have put in our brand over the past five decades and we will do everything in our power to honour that,” says Dr Johan van Zyl, President and CEO of TSAM.

Actions taken

Toyota South Africa Motors and its nationwide dealer network will immediately start contacting owners of the identified vehicles to inform them of the recall service action. Owners will be given the opportunity to contact

their nearest Toyota dealer at their convenience and schedule a time for the insertion of the steel bar. Repairs will start from 23 February 2010.

The corrective action should take less than an hour, but could take longer if the dealer is experiencing very high levels of service calls. It is important to note that the full cost of the corrective process will be borne by Toyota and that no owner will be required to pay, regardless of the state of his or her service plan, warranty or the ownership status of the vehicle.

As further support to the campaign concerned customers can visit www.toyota.co.za or phone the

Customer Contact Centre on 0800-139-111 for up to date information on the recall service campaign.

Source: Toyota

DETROIT, January 11, 2010—Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A, Inc., today unveiled the FT-CH dedicated hybrid concept at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.  The FT-CH is a concept that would address Toyota’s stated strategy to offer a wider variety of conventional hybrid choices to its customers, as it begins to introduce plug-in hybrids (PHVs) and battery electrics (BEVs) in model year 2012, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCHVs) in 2015 in global markets.

“Within the next 10 to 20 years, we will not only reach peak oil we will enter a period where demand for all liquid fuels will exceed supply,” said Jim Lentz, TMS president.   “A century after the invention of the automobile, we must re-invent it with powertrains that significantly reduce or eliminate the use of conventional petroleum fuels.  One of many alternatives is through what is commonly called the electrification of the automobile.  By far, the single most successful example of this has been the gas-electric hybrid.

The CH stands for compact hybrid as in compact class and it’s a concept that can best be defined by comparing it with the mid-size class Prius.  The FT-CH captures the spirit and functionality of a car that thrives in the inner-city environment; sized right to be nimble, responsive and maneuverable.

Source: Toyota

Toyota South Africa ended 2009 with a market share of 23% for the year. The company’s share of the market peaked at 26,3% in March, the highest penetration seen in the past two years and followed this up with a 25,9% share in December. Toyota’s total domestic sales in 2009 were 90 701 units in a total market of 395 230 vehicles.

“As South Africa felt the full impact of the global financial crisis during 2009 and saw total vehicle sales drop of sharply from the 533 387 units of 2008 to 395 230 units for 2009, a decrease of 25,9%,” says Johan van Zyl, the President and CEO of Toyota SA. The last time the South African Motor industry experienced this level of trade was in 2003 when 381 456 vehicles were sold.

“Going into the fourth quarter of 2009 we suggested that the industry could break through the 400 000 mark for the year. That forecast came within a slim margin of being realised and we believe that 400 000 was the real potential of the market for the year and was only impeded by distortions in reporting typically seen in December and January.

“Looking ahead, we see the potential for slow growth in the industry off this relatively low base through 2010. We will be looking for an improvement in sales of at least 5% if we fully realise the bonanza offered by the excitement generated by the soccer world cup. Our volume forecast going into the new year is 415 000.

“While South Africa certainly felt the impact of the global recession, prudent fiscal management in previous years provided a degree of insulation that saw us somewhat better off than a number of more developed countries. While this may have lessened the impact on domestic sales, it could not protect the motor industry from the sharp drop of in export sales as global demand for vehicles collapsed.

Source: Toyota

LOS ANGELES (Dec. 2, 2009) – Toyota unveiled the all-new, third-generation Sienna minivan at a media conference today at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto show.

The Toyota Sienna is well known as a transportation solution for moving people and cargo comfortably and efficiently. The third-generation Sienna will look and drive more like a sedan, conform to new ideas about personal comfort, easily accommodate cargo, and handle big loads.

The 2011 Sienna has been reinvented to handle these needs as it shifts to a more expressive and dynamic vehicle with a stronger profile, high shoulder character and responsive handling.  With state-of the art features and rewarding driving dynamics, it is a vehicle that car-lovers will find satisfying to drive.  Sienna will offer new models, including a sporty SE and a four-cylinder powertrain, as it continues to be the only offering in the segment with an all-wheel-drive option.

“The all-new Sienna is an example of Toyota’s commitment to lead the marketplace as it anticipates consumers’ needs and changes in lifestyle,” said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Division, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.  The third-generation Sienna combines a contemporary style with features not previously seen in a minivan, and a fun-to-drive spirit that will surprise many, along with the flexibility, spaciousness and features that have defined the segment.

Source: Toyota

The all-new Land Cruiser Prado from Toyota comes to South Africa just weeks after its international debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Essentially a clean sheet design, this latest mid-sized Land Cruiser SUV follows the tried and tested formula of a strong, all steel body mounted on a ladder type frame for the highest level of durability in tough operating conditions – the type of conditions that have led to the Land Cruiser brand laying claim to the title “Master of Africa”.

The design brief for the new Prado required that any increase in overall size be kept to a minimum to preserve the excellent agility and manoeuvrability of the current model and retain its true mid-size SUV character. In keeping with this brief overall length increases by 45mm and overall width by 10mm. The height of the new Prado is reduced by 20mm compared to the model it replaces and this provides for enhanced aerodynamics and thus improved fuel economy.

Styling features that create a powerful image for the new Prado include the belt line positioned 20mm higher, the extension of the engine cowl 45mm further forward, and a raised bonnet line. These features also provide for improved visibility and situational awareness for the driver.

Within the new external envelope the Prado design team has improved interior space and utility. The length of the cabin is increased by 35mm, it is 5mm wider, and the space between the driver and the front passenger is increased by 30mm.

Sliding second row seats provide for “walk-in” entry to the third row of seats and for increased leg room for passengers in the second row of seats. The floor level is lowered around the third row of seats to improve foot space and seating posture. The third row seats can be stored under the floor when not in use for improved luggage area utility.

With its full complement of electronic driver and safety aids the new generation Prado sets new standards for vehicle control in its class.

The British motoring public has shown itself eager to embrace the latest advances in cleaner, fuel efficient, full hybrid power by signing up in their thousands to buy the all-new Toyota Prius.

By the time of Prius’s official on-sale date a week before its launch in South Africa, more than 2,000 advance orders had been taken.

A glance at the list of vehicles traded in under the scheme reveals the breadth of appeal of new Prius: in a sublime-to-the-ridiculous array of past-it machinery, owners have given up everything from a Jaguar Sovereign and Mercedes-Benz SL to a Nissan Sunny and Fiat Tipo to be among the first to drive the new full hybrid Prius.

The ECB system on the Prius is 18% lighter and 31% more compact than conventional systems. When the vehicle is travelling at a speed greater than 55 km/h and the ECB determines that emergency braking is taking place an Emergency Brake Signal system automatically blinks the stop lights to alert vehicles behind and reduce the possibility of rear-end collisions.

The new Prius has front and side airbag protection for the driver and front passenger, a knee airbag for the driver, and side curtain airbags. The front passenger airbag can be deactivated with a dashboard mounted warning light to indicate deactivation.

Source: Toyota