Inspection of Power Steering Hose Position on Certain 2010 Camry Also Announced

Recalls Underscore Toyota’s Commitment to Address All Vehicle Quality and Safety Issues Promptly and Effectively

TORRANCE, Calif., February 8, 2010 – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc, today announced it will conduct a voluntary safety recall on approximately 133,000 2010 Model Year Prius vehicles and 14,500 Lexus Division 2010 HS 250h vehicles to update software in the vehicle’s anti-lock brake system (ABS). No other Toyota, Lexus, or Scion vehicles are involved in this recall.

The ABS, in normal operation, engages and disengages rapidly (many times per second) as the control system senses and reacts to tire slippage. Some 2010 model year Prius and 2010 HS 250h owners have reported experiencing inconsistent brake feel during slow and steady application of brakes on rough or slick road surfaces when the ABS is activated in an effort to maintain tire traction.

Toyota has responded to owner concerns with a running production change for 2010 Prius that was introduced last month, improving the ABS system’s response time, as well as the system’s overall sensitivity to tire slippage. The production change for the HS 250h is planned for later this month.

“We’re committed to doing everything we can – as fast as we can – to restore consumer trust in Toyota, and these recalls are part of this effort,” said Jim Lentz, President and Chief Operating Officer, Toyota Motor Sales. “We regret the inconvenience this recall will cause to Prius and HS 250h owners, and will do our best with the support of our dealers to make sure that it is conducted in the most trouble-free manner possible.”

Mr. Lentz continued: “As part of the quality improvement program announced by Toyota President Akio Toyoda last week, our company is undertaking a top to bottom review to ensure that our vehicles meet our own high standards of safety and reliability, now and for the future. We are taking steps to implement more stringent quality control across the company, to investigate customer complaints more aggressively and to respond more quickly to any safety issues we identify.”

The recall will allow Toyota dealers to perform the software update on 2010 Prius vehicles sold prior to this running production change. Only Prius vehicles produced since May 2009 and all HS 250h vehicles are subject to this recall. First- and second-generation Prius vehicles use a different ABS system and are not involved in this campaign.

The ABS system on the Lexus HS 250h is similar in design to the Prius. The software adjustment planned for HS 250h production and dealer modification is being finalized and will be announced very soon.

Toyota will begin mailing letters to Prius owners included in this recall next week and HS 250h owners within the next few weeks, to let them know when to bring their vehicles into a dealership. Owners will only receive a letter if their vehicle is involved in the recall.

Separately, Toyota will conduct a voluntary safety recall on approximately 7,300 early production – 2010 model year Camry vehicles equipped with the 4 cylinder engine to inspect for a power steering hose that may be in contact with a front brake tube. This contact could lead to a hole in the brake tube and cause a brake fluid leak, increased brake pedal stroke and greater vehicle stopping distance.

Owners of the involved 2010 Camry vehicles will be notified by mail starting in the middle of February.

Detailed information about these recalls is available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and at the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Toyota Motor Sales, Corporate Communications
(310) 468-5297
(310) 468-7359

Source: Toyota Pressroom

TMC is preparing a plug-in hybrid vehicle which will be based on the 3rd generation “Prius”- ready with a lithium-ion battery which can be charged by means of external power sources like the household electricity. This will be the 1st time a lithium-ion battery is to be utilised in a Toyota vehicle for actuation. Beginning at the end of 2009,
TMC has a program to rent around 200 of the vehicles to assigned users like government ministries, local governments and corporations. TMC conceives that with regard to the variegation of energy sources plug-in hybrid vehicles would be a environmentally suitable vehicle.

This has been made possible by Toyota Financial Services (TFS) entering into partnership with Toyota Motor Sales. The rebate program is available on lease of some select new Toyota vehicles, including the Corolla, Matrix, RAV4, Camry minus the Camry hybrid, Tacoma and Yaris and any new Scion model.

The program of rebate has the following advantages:
•    No down payment has to be paid when availing the financing facility.
•    Also there will be no monthly payments for the first 90 days if the cars are bought for lease.
•    There will be a waiver of Security deposit.
•    Also gracious roadside assistance for one year is available.

The Prius is the top selling gas-electric hybrid in the world. It has a cumulative record sale of 1.256 million units in more than 40 nations and regions. The new Prius is believed to be sold in 80 nations and regions.

But at present the giant automaker is facing a challenge from Honda Motor Co., whose more economically priced Insight has sold rapidly since its introduction in Japan in the month of February.
The price for Pirus in Japan would start at 2.05 million yen, or around $21,600, less than its ancestor model’s Japan base price.

TMC has been energetic in bringing in market-specific fomites into China. The development team of the new Crown conducted a thorough analysis of road situations and driving habits in China. This analysis was undertaken with the aim to perk up ride comfort and safety performance so that a vehicle that broadly meets the demands of consumers in China.

With regard to Camry Hybrid the corporation has announced that it has plans to produce and sell the vehicle in China in the near future.  TMC has placed hybrid systems as a core technology with reduction of CO2 expelling and higher fuel efficiency.  TMC has also brought in hybrid models of the Lexus LS, GS and RX into the China market and intents to popularize hybrid vehicles worldwide.

Toyota is not under pressure and it does not see Honda’s new 2010 Insight compact hybrid as its competitor. The bigger and costlier mid-size Prius no doubt has long been the world’s best-selling gas-electric car.
Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper states that there is serious talk inside Toyota Motor Corp. for releasing a base model of the forthcoming 2010 Prius that is 250,000 yen cheaper around $2,575 at today’s exchange rate than the least expensive 2009 model Prius which is now sold in Japan.

U.S. Plans
The restyled 2010 Prius is intended to go on sale in the U.S. in late May or early June and its price is yet to be announced.
Toyota has planned to hold up make public of the base, or “standard” trim level of the new Prius for 3 to 6 months. The new model is likely to have less standard equipment than the other models and a price that is closer to the Insight’s. The ’09 Prius in the U.S. starts at $22,720 including the destination charge.

The 5 seater plug-in Prius will be one of 10 hybrids which is being sold by Toyota by the year 2012. It utilises a 1.8-litre petrol engine and electric motors for its drive up. During slow city driving it would usually run just the electric power from the lithium-ion battery while the petrol engine flushes in during higher speed driving situations.
It is expected that the new Prius will be on sale in Japan later this year and in Europe at the beginning of 2010, just months after making its Euro show debut at the Geneva Motor Show this week.

The concept Toyota FT-HS is a hybrid sports car that is introduced in 2007 at the North American International Auto Show. This design is designed by Calty Design Research and suggests that it could fill the place of the Toyota Supra. Good to know is that the Toyota FT-HS stands for  Future Toyota Hybrid Sport.

The FT-HS will be a rear wheel drive hybrid that will produce 400 bhp (300kW) and achieve 0-60 mph in around 4 seconds. This all accomplished by 3.5L V6 engine combined with an electric motor in a manner similar to the Lexus GS450h. Unlike the GS (and virtually all other current hybrids), a production version of the FT-HS would make use of a capacitor system designed specifically for quick charging and increased performance. Since the debut of this concept, Toyota has exhibited such technology in the Supra HV-R race car.