Wilsonville Toyota

3/9/2010 from pressroom.toyota.com

Media reports, citing a Wall Street Journal article, have incorrectly reported that Toyota plans to announce a new recall for the 2004-2009 Prius to address the potential risk for floor mat entrapment of accelerator pedals.
 
There is no new recall being planned for the Prius to address this issue.  To be clear, the 2004-2009 Prius was part of Toyota's November 2, 2009 announcement of a voluntary safety recall campaign to address floor mat entrapment in certain Toyota and Lexus vehicles.  This announcement can be found at our press room at: http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/lexus/toyota-begins-interim-notification-112086.aspx.
 
Other models involved in this previously-announced recall include 2007-2010 Camry, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2007-2010 ES 350, 2006-2010 IS 250, and 2006-2010 IS 350.  On January 27, 2010, Toyota expanded the campaign to include the 2008-2010 Highlander, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Venza, 2009-2010 Matrix and 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe.
 
The remedy process for these vehicles began at the end of 2009 and is occurring on a rolling schedule during 2010.  Owners of the involved vehicles that have not yet been remedied are asked to take out any removable driver's side floor mat and not replace it with any other floor mat.
 
Owners who have further questions are asked to visit www.toyota.com or www.lexus.com or contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus Customer Assistance at 1-800-255-3987.

3/8/2010 from www.usnews.com

Although Toyota has taken a nose dive, it will recover, writes Rick Newman in U.S. News and World Report. And he offers five reasons to buy a Toyota vehicle: "Safety concerns are exaggerated, recalls aren't the whole story, Toyota's not alone, the cars are still good, and [Toyota offers] white-glove treatment." To read the article, click on: http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/flowchart/2010/03/02/5-reasons-to-buy-a-toyota.html

3/7/2010 from Gawker.com

In the ABC News segment about professor David Gilbert's allegations of unintended acceleration, reporter Brian Ross and his crew fabricated a critical shot of the Toyota's tachometer, according to Gawker.com. Gawker contends that ABC then inserted the shot into a sequence that shows Ross driving the car in a way that manipulated reality for dramatic effect to suit his story line. "The tachometer footage is faked," Gawker said.
 
To read Gawker's report and its update about a reedit by ABC, click on: http://gawker.com/5486666/how-abc-news-brian-ross-staged-his-toyota-death-ride.

3/5/2010 from www.cnnmoney.com

Toyota is rejecting a university professor's test that claims to show that electronic throttle systems on Toyota cars could cause unintended acceleration saying the test was simply not realistic.

Dr. David Gilbert of Southern Illinois University performed a demonstration of how the problem could occur in an ABC News broadcast in late February. Later, Gilbert testified before a Congressional hearing looking into unintended acceleration in Toyota cars.  "Dr. Gilbert's demonstration, as shown on the ABC News web site, amounts to little more than connecting three of the six pedal sensor wires to an engineered circuit to achieve engine revving," said Exponent, a research firm hired by Toyota, in a report obtained by CNN that was prepared for Toyota attorneys.

Some safety consultants have alleged that electronic throttle control, or ETC, systems used on Toyota cars are a likely cause of unintended acceleration problems. Toyota has said it is studying the issue but has not found any fault in the electronic systems that would lead to unintended acceleration in real world conditions. Still, Toyota (TM) has recalled more than 8 million cars for mechanical problems including issues related to the gas pedals.

Gilbert said he had uncovered a potential for a short circuit that could undermine the electronic throttle control system's built in safety checks. The system used on Toyota cars relies on two separate sensors connected to the gas pedal and another pair connected to the throttle valve itself. In order for the system to work, each sensor in a pair has to match. If they don't match in the proper way, an on-board computer immediately senses a problem and the engine power is reduced to idle or it's shut off altogether. Gilbert said that he overrode that safety feature, allowing faulty pedal signals to go to the engine with no problem being detected by the car's on-board computer.

Exponent, the research firm hired by Toyota, was able to replicate Gilbert's results but says that the test presents an unrealistic situation that has virtually no chance of happening in the real world. "For such an event to happen in the real world requires a sequence of faults that is extraordinarily unlikely," the report continues.

Exponent was also able to replicate the same sequence of short circuits, with the same result, in other automakers' cars, which would undercut the allegation that the problem would be somehow unique to Toyotas. "Every vehicle from other manufacturers tested by Exponent could be induced to respond with a sudden increase in engine speed and power output," Exponent said in a fact sheet. "These demonstrations in no way indicate a defect with any of the vehicles tested (including the Toyota Avalon and Camry)."

A representative for Southern Illinois University said that Dr. Gilbert has already met with Toyota representatives and that more meetings are planned.

Link to full article: http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/05/autos/gilbert_test_rebuttal/index.htm?hpt=C2

3/8/2010 from www.toyotanewsroom.com

Toyota today raised serious concerns about the validity, methodology and credibility of a demonstration of alleged unintended acceleration in a Toyota Avalon by University of Southern Illinois professor David Gilbert. He presented his findings during a Congressional hearing and on a segment of ABC News. At a news briefing this morning at TMS headquarters in Torrance, Calif., Toyota revealed the results of a comprehensive analysis conducted by the company and engineering consulting firm Exponent. The analysis of Gilbert's findings shows:

1. The Toyota vehicle's electronics were rewired and reengineered in multiple ways and in a specific sequence. There is no evidence to suggest that this highly unlikely scenario has ever occurred in the real world.
2. The electronic systems were actively manipulated to mimic a valid full-throttle condition
3. Substantially similar results can be obtained in vehicles made by other manufacturers.

On hand to discuss these findings were J. Christian Gerdes, mechanical engineering professor at Stanford University and director, Center for Automotive Research at Stanford (CARS); Subodh Medhekar, principal engineer, Exponent; and Kristen Tabar, general manager of Electronics Systems, Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. To read the news release and view related materials, including several videotaped demonstrations, please click on: http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/electronic-throttle-control-154300.aspx.

Wilsonville Toyota was announced as the first Oregon Toyota dealer to earn "Eco-Logical" certification by EcoBiz.org.  This certification recognizes automotive service departments that have reached the highest standards in minimizing their environmental impact.  Wilsonville Toyota Service Dep't Manager Jim Waters said, "We voluntarily go beyond minimum standards to reduce pollution generated by our business."  The Eco-Logical Business program is the first multimedia (air, water, solid waste) automotive services certification program in the nation.  See www.ecobiz.org for more information.

10/20/08--Wilsonville Toyota is proud to put our support behind the new Toyota Rewards Visa card from Toyota Financial Savings Bank. Initial promotions include 0% APR on all purchases for the first 6 months!*

Toyota Rewards include:

• No limit on how many points you can redeem toward your next eligible purchase or lease¹;
• Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at Wilsonville Toyota (or participating Toyota dealerships);
• Earn 1 point for every $1 spent everywhere else that Visa is accepted;
• Receive 2,500 bonus Toyota Rewards Points² upon first purchase--a $25.00 value--redeemable toward your next Wilsonville Toyota dealership purchase including those in our Service or Parts departments;
• No annual fee for the Toyota Rewards Visa card.

*0% introductory rate does not apply to Balance Transfers, Cash Advances, or other Advances as defined in the Cardmember Agreement and is valid for the first 6 billing cycles. Introductory APR will end early and increase to the APR for purchases if your Account is over the limit or closed, or to a Delinquency Rate APR if your Account is delinquent as further described in the Cardmember Agreement.  Payments are applied to balances with lower APR first.
¹ On Approved Credit. Restrictions may be imposed by dealer on use of credit cards related to vehicle purchases or leases.
² First use bonus points will be awarded when you are approved, activate and make a purchase with your Toyota Rewards Visa. Account must be open and in good standing to receive the bonus points. Bonus offer is only available to new Toyota Rewards Visa accounts.

NOTE: Additional restrictions, requirements, and conditions apply.  See Cardmember Agreement at Wilsonville Toyota-Scion for details.