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Great Gift Ideas At Truck Cruisin!

According to the 2008 Light Truck Report released by the Specialty Equipment Market Association, Tundra Owners spend an average of $1,338 modifying their trucks. SEMA says that’s more than Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, GM, and Dodge Ram owners spend.

POPULAR AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES

Industry surveys post different popularity results, but certain Accessories always seem to appear in the most-wanted lists. In no particular order these include:

• Cold-Air Intakes
• Custom Wheels
• Exhaust Upgrades
• Suspension (Lift Kits,Shocks,Etc.)
• Brake Upgrades
• Performance or Off-Road Tires
• Towing Accessories
• Bedliners

All of these Accessories and More… are available in Great Detail through a number of purchase choices at TruckCruisin, www.TruckCruisin.com , a One-stop Source For Truck and Vehicle Accessories With Choice Site Options.

There are those who think that Toyota has taken a  nose-dive  that could take years to bounce back from. …We’re thinking a month or so.

Even with mysterious gas-pedal issues, claims of deadly “sudden acceleration” incidents, and the global recall of more than 8 million vehicles, millions of drivers continue to consider Toyota the gold standard for automobiles, with quality and reliability that exceeds others.

What’s different about Toyota, though, is that it knows how to recover quickly. The automaker has deep pockets and tons of talent. Executives work around the clock to  lead Toyota through the worst crisis in its history, and sooner rather than later the company will regain control and get back on the pavement. It will end up a better company than before. Meanwhile, Toyota automobiles could be a smart buy, with dealers offering discounts and other incentives to get things moving. If the price seems right, there are several other good reasons to buy a Toyota:

Safety concerns are exaggerated. The problems are serious, but political posturing in Washington and media hype have created the impression that every Toyota is dangerous. That’s ridiculous. The sudden-acceleration incidents at the center of the controversy have been “linked” to 34 deaths over the past decade or so. Toyota has sold more than 20 million vehicles in the United States during that time. By those numbers, rough math suggests the odds of a sudden-acceleration fatality in a Toyota vehicle are on the order of 1 in 600,000–not exactly a death wish for somebody buying a Toyota. And those odds could end up much lower. Deaths now considered linked to sudden acceleration could later be proved to have been caused by something else–including drivers who were pressing the gas pedal instead of the brake. No driver wants to admit doing that, but the fact is, it happens.

None of that is meant to disparage people who have been killed or hurt in a Toyota, and recent revelations depict a company that seemed unsympathetic to genuine complaints from customers. But the acceleration problem could turn out to be far less widespread than current hysteria suggests. It’s worth recalling that the Audi sudden-acceleration incidents in the 1980s–at first thought to be related to vehicle flaws–were later proved to be entirely the fault of drivers. Meanwhile, by virtue of its woes, Toyota is probably paying more attention to safety right now than any other automaker, to include the extraordinary step of shutting down factories to retool the gas-pedal assembly in many popular models. Toyotas coming off the assembly line these days are probably subject to more quality control than most other cars on the market.

Recalls aren’t the whole story. Being forced to recall millions of vehicles is a big deal, but Toyota still seems to perform better than other automakers when it comes to the kinds of complaints that lead to recalls. Data analyzed by Edmunds.com, for example, show that there have been many more complaints lodged against Toyota for sudden acceleration since 2005 than for any other automaker. But overall, Toyota has drawn far fewer complaints than most competitors, which is consistent with its once sterling reputation. Edmunds found that over the past 10 years, Toyota accounted for just 9.1 percent of all complaints filed with the government, even though it racked up 13.5 percent of all car sales. So despite the acceleration issue, Toyota still performs better than most in terms of complaints.

Toyota’s not alone. Internal documents showing that Toyota boasted of saving $100 million by avoiding a series of recalls make the Japanese automaker seem singularly sinister. But all automakers try to avoid recalls. Toyota just happens to be the one that got caught boasting about it, since it’s the company under investigation right now–and subject to subpoena. And all carmakers know that the Obama administration is “not industry friendly,” as another embarrassing Toyota document put it. Obama, like Bush, is requiring steep improvement in fuel economy, which will force all automakers to invest heavily in new engine technologies. That arguably hurts the Detroit automakers most, since their fleets get the worst gas mileage and they have the farthest to go. And anybody who still has doubts should ask Rick Wagoner or Fritz Henderson if the Obama administration is industry friendly; they were both forced to resign as CEO of General Motors, in the midst of the company’s bankruptcy and federal bailout.

The cars are still good. Of 18 Toyota vehicles, seven rank in the top three in their category in the U.S. News Best Car and Truck rankings, including the Avalon sedan, Sienna minivan, Sequoia SUV, and Venza crossover. Five of 12 Lexus vehicles rank in the top three. In its latest quality ratings, J. D. Power & Associates ranks Lexus first and Toyota seventh, out of 37 automotive brands. Consumer Reports named the Toyota Prius one of its 10 “Best Picks” for 2010, despite a recall involving brakes. And CR is poised to restore its coveted “recommended” status to eight vehicles it suspended from its ranking in the midst of the mushrooming recall controversy: the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sequoia, and Tundra. Toyota’s overall quality has slipped from the stratospheric highs of a few years ago, but there are still few automakers that can match its record across their entire fleet.

White-glove treatment. To win back customers and alleviate safety concerns, Toyota will pick up and return some recalled cars, so worried owners don’t have to drive to the dealership. Toyota is also offering rental cars or rides to work to some owners getting their cars fixed. And CEO Toyoda has said that the company must start paying more attention to customers. Toyota certainly has room to rise: It ranks 17th out of 23 on J. D. Power’s customer-service index. If Toyota is serious about rebuilding its business, it has to start by wooing skeptical consumers. That’s a boon for buyers.

Lifetime Warranty Available. Select Toyota dealers around the country sell New Toyota vehicles with an Exclusive Lifetime Warranty with Unlimited Miles and Unlimited Time honorable anywhere in the United States. Find out more about Lifetime Warranty below:

Tacoma and Tundra Owners spend more money per vehicle modifying their trucks than Ford, Chevy, GMC and Dodge owners according to Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA),

The information can be found in SEMA’s 2008 Light Truck Report. SEMA surveyed more than 1,600 light-truck owners to determine the amount of money spent on different products and accessories. All the respondents owned or leased a 2007 or 2008 model-year pickup. The range of products asked about included suspension lift kits, audio upgrades, bedliners and more. Here are the results:

The Cadillac Escalade EXT is skewed quite high because it is a low-volume truck (about 4,700 units sold in 2008) and it’s a popular urban ride, so expensive 24- and 26-inch rims are quite common. More than 70% of Escalade owners earn over $100,000 annually. That’s the highest percentage of wealthy owners for any pickup, according to SEMA.

SEMA says all full-size truck owners spent an average of $1,831 on accessories while compact truck owners spent an average of $835 on aftermarket equipment.

Previous SEMA surveys show that cold-air intake systems, exhaust kits, bedliners, performance fluids and window tinting are among the most popular modifications for pickup owners. Tundra owners have also indicated that supercharger kits, winches and grille brush guards are popular items. Tacoma owners are into ski racks, wheel flares, upgraded brakes and lift kits in addition to the more traditional modifications.

How badly did Toyota’s recalls and Media pounding impact its sales? Only 8.7% …and that was less than what even conservative industry analysts predicted as Toyota’s big sellers still sold.
 
Nearly every other automaker saw sharp sales increases, most likely at Toyota’a expense. Chrysler remained flat, selling a few hundred more vehicles than it did last February. Ford was the big winner, shooting up 43%. GM was up 11.5%, but that included its four defunct brands. The four remaining brands saw sales increase 32%.

Nissan sales were up 29.4%, and Honda was up 12.2%. Subaru and Kia had record-setting February sales, up 38% and up 9%, respectively. Luxury automakers also did well, with Audi, BMW and Mercedes all seeing sales increases of 33.6%, 13.7% and 8.4%, respectively.

How did the top 10 cars list shake out? The Toyota Corolla and Camry both moved up! The Corolla moved from No. 5 to No. 4, and the Camry moved from No. 7 to No. 5. What other cars could do that under such a bombastic pounding. The Honda Accord, took the No. 2 spot from the Chevy Silverado.  The Ford Fusion and Honda Civic also made gains at the expense of the Nissan Altima and Chevy Malibu. The full list is below.
1. Ford F-Series: 32,895
2. Honda Accord: 22,456 (including 2,432 Crosstours)
3. Chevy Silverado: 19,822
4. Toyota Corolla: 16,996
5. Toyota Camry: 16,552
6. Honda Civic: 16,471
7. Ford Fusion: 16,459
8. Nissan Altima: 16,198
9. Ford Escape: 15,156

Toyota gets grilled with negative press and exposure, yet other manufacturers have Recalls in “Truck Loads” that abound and go virtually unannounced!

For example, Where’s the Press on this one?  Hyundai Motor Co. on Wednesday announced a voluntary recall of its new Sonata sedan in South Korea and the U.S. to fix faulty latches on the vehicle’s front doors. According to the Wall Street Journal, the action – which affects 46,000 cars in South Korea and 1,300 in the U.S. – came after customers in the U.S. complained that, in certain circumstances, the latch gets stuck after the door is opened and then can’t be closed. There have been no accidents or injuries reported to the company in connection with the problem. Hyundai’s U.S. executives received complaints about the door on Monday and decided on Tuesday U.S. time to stop selling the car. Hyundai has about 4,000 units of the new Sonata at its approximately 780 dealers in the U.S. and has sold about 1,300 since the car became available there in January. New latches for the doors will reach Hyundai’s approximately 780 U.S. dealers on Wednesday U.S. time and sales of the car will likely resume later this week. But, Where Is the Media Outrage! 

How about this Honda Recall February 10, 2010, Honda announced it is expanding a previously announced recall to replace an airbag inflator in an additional 438,000 vehicles worldwide, including 379,000 in the United States. The expanded recall includes 2001 and 2002 Accord, Civic, Odyssey, CR-V, and selected 2002 Acura TL vehicles, the statement said. Honda said there have been 12 incidents related to the airbag inflator problem. The recall now affects a total of 952,118 vehicles, with more than 826,000 in the United States.

Did you hear about this Ford Recall just a few months ago? Ford issued the largest single recall in its history Tuesday as drivers of an additional 4.5 million vehicles were alerted about a fire hazard from a faulty switch.

At  about the same time a few months ago Nissan announced this Recall,  Nissan is recalling 2009-2010 Altima and Maxima in the United States after discovering that a suspension glitch could increase the risk of a crash and have serious consequences over the passengers’ safety. In a notification posted on the official website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Nissan explains that the recall concerns 26,398 units manufactured in 2009 and 2010

Of Course Government Motors has got a “Boat Load” of Recalls, Example from 2009,  The possibility of Engine Fires has prompted General Motors to recall nearly 1.5 million passenger sedans manufactured between 1997 and 2003, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Monday. The recall covers certain mid- and full-size passenger sedans under GM’s  Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac brands.

March 2, 2010, General Motors is recalling 1.3 million compact cars in North America to address a power steering problem that has been linked to 14 crashes and one injury, the company said on Tuesday.
The recall covers the 2005-2010 model year Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5 in the United States

Folks, These are all Recent and Current Recall Issues  (And Just A Sampling)…How Many Of You Ever Heard of Them?

We’ve grown accustom to technology applications on a daily basis that were nowhere insight just a few short years ago. Cell phones, Hand-held Computers, IPhones, Go To Meeting Video Conferencing, Ipods, Flat Screen Lcds, Blue-Tooth Hot Spots are all very recent marvels.

All of these things began with a simple thought from someone’s mind. Did that thought originate with some geeky kid autistically gifted in one direction? Or was it someone else….

Take a look at the  Picture Below:

In this futuristic workplace, there’s a videoconferencing box on every desk, and assistants helpfully visualize essential business data on giant screens. All the while, distant smokestacks gracefully pump toxic fumes into the atmosphere. There is reference to records which “appear as if by magic” from automatic files referring to robotic filing cabinets or hard disks. We are also intrigued by the several unmentioned gizmos on the desk. Maybe they include a proto-iPod, a rudimentary Flip, and a pseudo-BlackBerry.

The Image was created by a Futurist circa 1945…Take a look at another illustration below:

“Today’s weapon, tomorrow’s convenience!” The article accompanying this illustration from 1944 explained that the wireless phone was already in use by the armed forces, and would soon become a consumer product; it ended up taking 50 plus years before cell phones became truly common. In this demonstration, a fisherman phones his wife to relay good news about his catch and ask her to invite the neighbors for dinner, and then calls her again from his Car to tell her what time to expect him. He’s using a pocketwatch-like handset on a cord.

Each of these depicts a miracle that would transform postwar America. They’re fascinating and entertaining and they sort-of-accurately predict scenarios that eventually came to be, such as the rise of the cell phone…

WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT WE COULD SEE THIS COMING…

By KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL

That vague screeching noise you hear in D.C., the slight odor of burning rubber? That’s the government trying to brake its anti-Toyota campaign. It may be a little late.

The Toyota spectacle has become slightly surreal, as a few uncertain questions about “sudden acceleration” morphed into a media and political firestorm over the safety of its entire fleet. It is also proving an interesting case study in the treacherous politics that accompany government ownership of U.S. industry. Washington’s initial enthusiasm in bashing Toyota is beginning to backfire.

There’s no question that in the first, heady days of recall, at least some in the Obama administration and Congress saw advantage in undermining Toyota. The majority owner of Government Motors felt it couldn’t hurt to fan the image of a “foreign” auto maker disregarding the safety of American drivers. Shoppers might just buy a Chevy instead, propping up government investment and bolstering United Auto Worker union jobs. And of course the trial bar would be thrilled by a fat new class-action target.

Vehicle recalls (there were 16.9 million in 2009 alone) are usually handled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration—but the Toyota case was commandeered by Obama Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. He skewered the firm for being “a little safety deaf,” complained it hadn’t been responsive, and bragged it was the government that forced a recall.

“This is a big deal, this is a big safety issue,” he exclaimed as part of the LaHood Vs. Toyota Media Tour. It was, in fact, the “most serious safety issue” of his tenure. It was, to repeat, such a huge, scary, safety deal that his “advice is, if anybody owns one of these vehicles, stop driving it.” Mr. LaHood later claimed he’d misspoke.

Over in Congress, a geographically notable contingent of representatives piled on. Rep. Bart Stupak (D., Mich.) announced an investigation into “dangerous” malfunctions. Toyota was ordered to report to his Oversight subcommittee hearing next week. Rep. John Dingell (D., Mich.) berated the company for taking “two years” to step up and ripped them for not recalling more models.

UAW lobbyist Alan Reuther demanded Toyota make amends by keeping open a unionized factory in California, currently scheduled for closure. Chrysler, GM and Ford started offering cash incentives for car buyers to trade in recalled Toyotas for domestic wares.

The results of this campaign are now making pols queasy. It was inevitable that such a loud attack would lead to questions as to whether the administration was carrying water for the domestic industry. The White House is today fielding as many queries about its role as owner and regulator as Toyota is fielding about recalls.

This thinking also inspired reporters to dig into Congress’s Toyota ties and to question, conversely, whether it can be tough enough. The press dredged up Senate Toyota investigator Jay Rockefeller’s role in landing his state of West Virginia a Toyota plant. Did you know, the head of NHTSA, David Strickland, worked eight years for Mr. Rockefeller? Or that California Democrat Jane Harman, who sits on the House investigating committee, once made money selling stereo systems to Toyota? You do now.

It is also occurring to some Democrats that, while Toyotas are mainly assembled in red states, they are, uh, sold in blue ones. In addition to idled Toyota factory workers, Toyota dealerships and suppliers are getting hit by the company’s sharp drop in sales. Some of these folks even live in Michigan.

The angry phone calls to Washington only increased last week when four governors—three Republicans and Kentucky Democrat Steve Beshear—sent a sharp letter to Congress, accusing the administration of a “conflict of interest.” They unsubtly noted that many recent recalls were “as serious as or more serious” than Toyota’s.

This sent the media digging into the recall record of U.S. auto makers, which may have to revisit their own safety issues. Some politicians are worried about Japanese retaliation against U.S. auto makers.

All of which accounts for Washington’s recent piping down. Mr. LaHood devoted a lot of this week to touting stimulus grants. Quite a few Democrats have gone mute, leaving the issue to NHTSA and wishing it would go away. Some lawmakers are even stepping up to defend Toyota.

Yet having revved up the drama, the administration is now all but obliged to take action against Toyota, say with civil penalties. Mr. Rockefeller and other Democrats with ties to the carmaker are under pressure to get rough. And if Toyota bungles Washington as badly as it did the initial recall PR, this could go on a long time.

Toyota has not yet laid off a single one of its 34,000 U.S. workers, but that may change. Only a year ago, Democrats were wailing about economic damage if GM or Chrysler went bust. They forestalled that with government ownership. They, and Toyota, are now dealing with the all-too-easy-to-predict political behavior that followed such meddling in the private economy.

Here’s a Tutorial Article about how Our Perception of Our Automobiles is influenced by specific assigned vehicle sounds or “Signatures” and how Vehicle Sound Signatures are used to Market Our Vehicles to Us.  

Vehicle sound is one of the primary drivers of consumer perception of overall vehicle quality. Tuning a sound signature requires research, where listeners in audio laboratories are queried about what attributes create positive impressions of a vehicle’s sound.

The two areas of the vehicle that tune the sound of the engine are the engine induction system and the exhaust system. By applying engineering expertise to analysis of consumer market research, companies such as Visteon, Inc. provide vehicle manufacturers with carefully calibrated engine induction systems that deliver unique Acoustic Sound Signatures.

These cost-effective solutions help manufacturers differentiate their vehicles, reinforce Positive Brand Images, and Market their Vehicle Models.

Vehicle-specific Signature Tuning
Consumers of different types of vehicles expect different types of sounds from their vehicles, and Automotive Acoustic Engineering suppliers recognize the importance of meeting these expectations.

For instance, sports car drivers expect a deep, V8-engine sound while owners of work trucks expect a heavy, rumbling sound. Some passenger-car owners prefer just enough rumble so that their vehicle sounds sporty. Luxury buyers, on the other hand, prefer silence. Sound Engineers like Visteon, Inc have experience working with vehicle manufacturers to deliver the desired Sound Signature consumers want from their vehicles.

Providing this type of acoustic distinction is more important, and even more difficult, when working with broad vehicle platforms that support multiple brands and vehicle types. In these cases, it becomes important to maximize common components for cost efficiency while providing the different outputs required for creating brand distinction. For example, the new 2011 Toyota Avalon Sound Signature  is very quiet and smooth as silk, where the new Tundra is smooth yet with a very seamless “Powerful” sound.

Calibrating Sound
After consumer preferences are assessed and documented, vehicle manufacturers establish sound targets for specific vehicle makes and models. While sound attributes can be calibrated to support the specific needs of a vehicle or brand, they also have a direct relationship to performance of the engine.

Sound Engineering Companies such as Visteon use unique applications of Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) and other analytic tools, that allow engineers to fully comprehend the trade-offs between performance and acoustic tuning, and allow them to optimize the system to meet necessary targets without adversely impacting engine performance. These tools also allow Engineers to support manufacturers by providing sound files of the predicted sound, so it can be verified that the consumer desired sound is being created.

Systems-level Expertise
Additionally, specific systems-level understanding of engine induction helps engineers understand how other engine induction components, such as the intake manifold, air cleaner and air inlets, can impact vehicle noise, vibration and harshness. This expertise helps engineers optimize placement of devices such as Helmholtz resonators and quarter-wave tuners. However, the requirements of the customer can call for more tuning than standard resonators and wave tuners provide, so companies such as Visteon, Inc. are developing even more sophisticated solutions. These new technologies merge a company’s knowledge of engine induction systems, automotive electronics, and the total vehicle into systems that can change Acoustic tuning.

By James B. Meigs, Editor-in-Chief, Popular Mechanics

To judge by press accounts and statements from government officials, those innocuous-looking Toyota sedans and SUVs in millions of American driveways are somehow kin to the homicidal ‘58 Plymouth Fury in the Stephen King novel “Christine”—haunted by technological poltergeists and prone to fits of mechanical mayhem. In the midst of three major recalls, Toyota has been hammered by daily newspaper and TV pieces suggesting it has been slow to address safety problems. U.S. transportation secretary Ray LaHood announced that anyone who owns one of the recalled vehicles should “stop driving it.” (He quickly backpedaled on that pronouncement, but warned, “We’re not finished with Toyota.”) Displaying a previously undisclosed concern for the safety of American owners of foreign-badged automobiles, the UAW quickly piled on. And now, Toyota’s North American president Yoshi Inaba must submit to ritual humiliation at the hands of the U.S. Congress in a hearing on Wednesday.

Does Toyota—or any car company—deserve this? Well, if they are knowingly selling an unsafe car, yes. But is that what’s going on here? Not so fast. There’s no question that unintended acceleration  is a serious problem that needs to be fixed. But a little perspective is in order. As Popular Mechanics automotive editor Larry Webster has pointed out, every major carmaker receives occasional reports of sudden unintended acceleration (SUA). In the last decade, the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency logged some 24,000 SUA complaints. Less than 50 of these red flags were investigated. Why so few? The main reason is the nebulous nature of SUA. Often the problem occurs once, never to happen again. It’s tough to fix a defect that can’t be replicated. And then there’s the driver variable. As awful as this is to think about, it’s been shown that sometimes drivers simply mix up which pedal they’re pushing. In the late 1980s, the Audi 5000 was the target of a barrage of SUA allegations, lawsuits and press reports (including a notorious “60 Minutes” episode that was later discredited). Then, as now, there were accusations that mysterious electronic gremlins somehow took over the car. In the end, NHTSA concluded that driver error was the only likely explanation for the incidents.

But many safety concerns do have validity, and every carmaker has conducted numerous recalls involving critical safety features of their vehicles—brakes, steering, airbags, seat belts, and more. Still, the fact that some safety problems don’t emerge until cars have been on the road for months or years is not a sign that automakers are criminally cavalier about safety. Quite the opposite. The safety issues that lead to recalls generally occur in very small numbers, often barely rising above statistical noise. Toyota’s unintended acceleration problem, for instance, involved a handful of cases in literally billions of miles of driving.

As those cases come to light, it is necessary for carmakers to take action, and it is natural for consumers to be concerned. But the intensity of the backlash against Toyota is almost unprecedented. Here’s what is being missed in most of the coverage of the issue: All cars are inherently dangerous. They propel their fragile human cargo at high speeds over unpredictable terrain. They combine thousands of parts that need to interact flawlessly—in environments ranging from Death Valley heat to Fairbanks cold—in order to maintain safe operation. Their radiators contain scalding fluids; their batteries are full of toxic acid; and their gas tanks hold explosive power equivalent to more than 100 sticks of TNT. And, by all accounts, Americans drive those cars faster than ever, on increasingly congested roadways.

Nonetheless, driving gets safer every year. Fatalities per mile driven have fallen more than 25 percent since 1994, in part because cars themselves are safer. Compared to those of 20 years ago, the typical vehicle today has better brakes, better steering and more (not to mention smarter) airbags. Electronic stability-control systems have helped prevent countless accidents. Still, even the best cars are far from perfect. And much of the outrage over Toyota’s troubles seems based on the unrealistic expectation that cars should be infallible. That’s an unattainable goal; even well-designed components can wear out and fail in unexpected ways. Recalls are not a sign that carmakers are indifferent to the safety of their customers. On the contrary, recalls are part of the process by which automakers address safety or reliability issues that are often fairly subtle.

So why did Toyota’s safety issues become front-page news when similar recalls by other automakers barely made the business pages? One is the scary nature of unintended acceleration itself, which taps into our almost instinctual fear that our machines will suddenly turn on us (HAL, anyone?). Another was the horrific 911 call from the passenger of a Lexus that crashed in Santee, Calif., in August of last year. And then there was timing. Toyota responded first to the problem of shifting floor mats (the likely culprit in the Santee crash), and only later to the much more subtle issue of accelerator pedals that are slow to return to idle. Those are two unrelated problems that needed to be addressed separately. Perhaps in a different climate, Toyota could have convinced the public that the accelerator pedal recall was an example of extreme diligence in pursuit of safety. Instead, the second recall struck the public as an admission of culpability—just another shoe dropping in a much larger scandal.

By the time conversation got around to disconcerting glitches in the antilock brake system on Toyota’s high-tech Prius hybrid, there was no containing the outrage. (The fact is, most hybrids exhibit slightly twitchy braking as they try to manage the switchover from the electrical braking that recharges the batteries to the hydraulic braking needed for more aggressive stops. Conditions that engage the antilock braking system only complicate that challenge.) Without the previous incidents, news that Toyota was making a small change in its Prius braking software would have been a non-story. Instead, it completed the trifecta of bad news that has made this Toyota’s annus horribilis.

Crisis managers will no doubt study Toyota’s handling of this issue, looking for lessons in avoiding that company’s predicament. After all, it took years for Audi’s sales to rebound after that company’s trip through the SUA gauntlet. Still, some good did come of Audi’s experience: Today all cars have interlock systems that make it impossible for drivers to move the shift lever out of park unless their foot is on the brake (thus preventing them from shifting into gear while accidentally flooring the accelerator). One likely outcome of the Toyota episode will be a requirement for a similar interlock that automatically disengages the throttle whenever the driver steps on the brake. And that would help make all cars just one, tiny increment safer than before.

It used to be that you had to be a special friend of Toyota — or an area student on a field trip — to score a tour of the Toyota’s Gibson County manufacturing plant in Indiana…That changes Tuesday!

On Tuesday, Toyota opens its new Visitors Center and begins offering public tours on a regular schedule. Previously, tours were offered only to school groups or those with ties to the company.

Toyota says the move will help the public better understand the company, area commerce and tourism. Officials say it will strengthen the Tri-State’s list of attractions.

“We’re very eager to show off this facility,” says a senior vice president at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana. “I think it’ll help people understand the complexity of auto manufacturing.”

The Free Tours begin in Toyota’s Visitors Center. Through text, photos, artifacts, sound and hands-on activities, the center presents the history of the Princeton-area business community, Toyota’s development as a company and explains the manufacturing process. Visitors can try on the protective gear worn by production employees, and they can see a demonstration of the process through which Toyota makes plastic bumpers and dashboards.

A Major Feature Highlight at the Visitors Center is a 2008 Toyota Tundra pickup suspended from the ceiling. WOW!!!…Just look at the picture of it. Various components of the vehicle are pulled apart to reveal how parts fit together. Also in the Visitors Center is a second-floor meeting space that Toyota will offer free of charge to civic and nonprofit organizations.

After visitors watch a short movie, they board a tram for a 20-minute plant tour.

On the tour, visitors watch Toyota employees (and robots) weld, stamp and assemble the parts that create the plant’s Siennas, Highlanders and Sequoias.

At a preview event last week for invited guests, tourism and commerce officials said the tours have been long anticipated.

The Gibson County Chamber of Commerce, said their office regularly receives queries from people asking about Toyota tours. “Everyone is very curious about auto assembly plants. They’re really fascinating,” a spoksman said.

Toyota’s Princeton plant began operations in 1998 — so why wait until now to offer public tours?

The company first wanted to establish itself in the area. “It was something we knew we had to take a little time to grow into,” an official said.

Toyota sees no need to delay the visitors center opening in light of the company’s current recall issues. One of the recalls, involving potentially sticky gas pedals, affects several models, including certain Highlanders and Sequoias. Production at the Princeton plant shut down for a week this month because of the recall.

“We’re focusing on that issue appropriately, but we still have a day-to-day business to run,” Toyota  said.

Here is a Powerful Letter From The Preident Of Toyota Motor Company…

More than 70 years ago, Toyota entered the auto business based on a simple, but powerful, principle: that Toyota would build the highest-quality, safest and most reliable automobiles in the world. The company has always put the needs of our customers first and made the constant improvement of our vehicles a top priority. That is why 80 percent of all Toyotas sold in the United States over the past 20 years are still on the road today.

When consumers purchase a Toyota, they are not simply purchasing a car, truck or van. They are placing their trust in our company. The past few weeks, however, have made clear that Toyota has not lived up to the high standards we set for ourselves. More important, we have not lived up to the high standards you have come to expect from us. I am deeply disappointed by that and apologize. As the president of Toyota, I take personal responsibility. That is why I am personally leading the effort to restore trust in our word and in our products.

For much of Toyota’s history, we have ensured the quality and reliability of our vehicles by placing a device called an andon cord on every production line — and empowering any team member to halt production if there’s an assembly problem. Only when the problem is resolved does the line begin to move again.

Two weeks ago, I pulled the andon cord for our company. I ordered production of eight models in five plants across North America temporarily stopped so that we could focus on fixing our customers’ vehicles that might be affected by sticking accelerator pedals. Today, Toyota team members and dealers across North America are working around the clock to repair all recalled vehicles.

But to regain the trust of American drivers and their families, more is needed. We are taking responsibility for our mistakes, learning from them and acting immediately to address the concerns of consumers and independent government regulators.

First, I have launched a top-to-bottom review of our global operations to ensure that problems of this magnitude do not happen again and that we not only meet but exceed the high safety standards that have defined our long history. As part of this, we will establish an Automotive Center of Quality Excellence in the United States, where a team of our top engineers will focus on strengthening our quality management and quality control across North America.

Second, to ensure that our quality-control operations are in line with best industry practices, we will ask a blue-ribbon safety advisory group composed of respected outside experts in quality management to independently review our operations and make sure that we have eliminated any deficiencies in our processes. The findings of these experts will be made available to the public, as will Toyota’s responses to these findings.

Third, we fully understand that we need to more aggressively investigate complaints we hear directly from consumers and move more quickly to address any safety issues we identify. That is what we are doing by addressing customer concerns about the Prius and Lexus HS250h anti-lock brake systems.

We also are putting in place steps to do a better job within Toyota of sharing important quality and safety information across our global operations. This shortcoming contributed to the current situation. With respect to sticking accelerator pedals, we failed to connect the dots between problems in Europe and problems in the United States because the European situation related primarily to right-hand-drive vehicles.

Toyota will increase its outreach to government agencies charged with protecting the safety of motorists and passengers. I have spoken with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and given him my personal assurance that lines of communications with safety agencies and regulators will be kept open, that we will communicate more frequently and that we will be more vigilant in responding to those officials on all matters.

In recent years, much has been written about what we call “the Toyota Way” — the values and principles at the heart of our company. Chief among these is our unwavering commitment to continuous improvement: going to the source of a problem and fixing it. While problems with our cars have been rare over the years, the issues that Toyota is addressing today are by far the most serious we have ever faced.

But great companies learn from their mistakes, and we know that we have to win back the trust of our customers by adhering to the very values on which that trust was first built. The hundreds of thousands of men and women at Toyota operations worldwide — including the 172,000 team members and dealers in North America — are among the best in the auto industry. Whatever problems have occurred within our company, the strength and commitment to fix them resides within our company as well.

You have my commitment that Toyota will revitalize the simple but powerful principle that has guided us for 50 years: Toyota will build the highest-quality, safest and most reliable automobiles in the world.

The writer is president of Toyota Motor Co.

We recently read that New Orleans Police are investigating the shooting injuries of a man and two women in the French Quarter during the Super Bowl 2010 celebration.

The Super Bowl shooting  in New Orleans occurred at approximately 12 a.m. Monday at the intersection of Iberville and Bourbon Streets.

A 25-year old man sustained a wound to his right ankle and two women, both in their 30s, were shot in their left legs. Police say all the victims were treated and released.

It’s interesting that the odds of getting shot in a crowd in New Orleans are considered to be 1,199 to 1. The odds of experiencing rapid acceleration in a Toyota are 13,500 to 1.

The Super Bowl Shooting in New Orleans is barely anywhere in the news at 1,199 to 1 odds. However, Toyota acceleration at 13,500 to 1 odds is being pounded in the media almost every hour….

Something Wrong Here….

Electric Power Steering (EPS) is replacing hydraulic power steering in many new vehicles today.

One of the advantages of electric power steering is that it eliminates the power steering pump, which can use as much as 8 to 10 horsepower under load. This improves fuel economy while also eliminating the weight and bulk of the power steering pump and hoses. Getting rid of the hydraulics also does away with fluid leaks and the need to check the power steering fluid. Electric power steering is also quieter than hydraulic systems because there is no pump noise and no fluid flowing through hoses and valves. But the most noticeable difference is in handling and steering refinement.

Electric power steering can be fine tuned with a precision that is hard to match with hydraulic controls. By monitoring the driver’s steering inputs, vehicle speed, and other suspension dynamics, the system can provide just the right amount of steering feel and effort to match rapidly changing driving conditions. EPS can deliver extra effort when you need it, and reduce steering effort when you do not need it. It can even provide steering assist when the engine is off.

When the driver turns the wheel, a steering sensor detects the position and rate of rotation of the steering wheel. This information along with input from a steering torque sensor mounted in the steering shaft is fed to the power steering control module. Other inputs such as vehicle speed and inputs from the traction control or stability control systems are factored in to determine how much steering assist is required. The control module then commands the motor to rotate a certain amount, and a sensor on the motor provides feedback to the control module so it can monitor the motor’s position.

Better yet, because an EPS system is software driven, it is possible to tap into the steering module and modify steering effort and feel. This can be done with a factory scan tool on some applications, and with aftermarket “tuner” scan tools and software.