Recall: 185,000 Toyotas for power steering failure

The 2012 Yaris may lose power steering, but only 74 cars in the U.S. are affected.

Toyota is recalling about 185,000 hatchbacks to fix electrical problems that can disable the power steering, according to Reuters and the company.

In the U.S., only 74 cars are affected – the 2012 Yaris hatchback – compared with about 130,000 cars in Japan, where the Yaris is sold as the Vitz. 

Due to moisture and manufacturing problems with the steering computer, which sends signals to an electric motor to assist the wheel, the system can short-circuit and disable the assist altogether. At low speeds without power steering, it will be harder to turn the wheel, and the driver will see a warning light on the dash if the problem occurs, Toyota said.

The rest of the cars are located in Europe, where the Yaris is Toyota's best-selling model. Toyota is also recalling the 2011 Yaris (the current-generation model was released one year prior to the U.S.) and another car called the Verso-S from 2011 and 2012, Reuters said.

Dealers will replace the power steering computer at a date that Toyota has not yet specifid. The 74 Yaris owners in the U.S. can visit www.toyota.com/recal​l or call Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

In June, Toyota recalled 242,000 hybrids worldwide to fix weakened brakes, including about 87,000 in the U.S. In January, Toyota recalled 1.29 million cars, including 752,000 Corolla and Matrix models and 270,000 Lexus ISsedans in the U.S., for airbag computers that could short-circuit and windshield wipers that could detach.  

autos.msn.com

So A Musician, An Autocrosser, And A Model Walk Into a Camry…

The Camry controversy continues! Famed Nurburgring racing instructor and TTAC contributor Mike Solowiow says the Camry SE sucks. Unfamed Ohio circle track racer and occasional Grand-Am pay-driver/equipment-destroyer Jack Baruth says it’s GRRRRRRRREAT!

Clearly this can only be settled with more racetrack testing of Camrys. Which leads to the completely inexcusable actions above.

Your humble author somehow managed to get a completely empty session at Nelson Ledges Road Course. No other cars. Nobody in the flag stations. Totally empty facility, except for a few people driving lawnmowers. I’m not going to say that I snuck in and was almost immediately ejected, because that’s not strictly true. They knew I was going to be there. Kind of. The bottom line is that I’m probably allowed to come back, some time in the 22nd Century.

Given that kind of freedom and a completely awesome 2012 Camry LE featuring a four-cylinder engine and just 28,000 rental gentle miles, I decided to take some friends around the track. You’ll see some outtakes from that session in an upcoming review of the Camry LE. But the way we ended the day was like this: I piled my brother Mark, whom European TTACers can see during his August tour, National ProSolo Champion Marc Pfannenschmidt, and Marc’s wife, a former model and current wedding photographer, in the Camry for a quick chat.

The first thing we discovered is that the Camry can accomplish that relatively rare street-car feat of taking the “Kink” flat-out. Mostly because it’s only doing 108mph when said Kink appears. Still, the car’s basic composure continues to impress, even without the improved steering and suspension response of the SE model.

The second thing we discovered is that the foot-operated E-brake works very well.

The following disclaimers apply: Do not drive a car no-handed at 80mph in a turn. Ever. Not even on a track. You could get killed. Don’t E-brake your car in a turn. Not even on a racetrack. You could get killed. If there had been a single other car on course, none of this would have happened. Drive safe and smart. No texting occurred during the making of this video, but Marc’s wife’s figure does cause distracted driving and caused a guy at a gas station near Garrettsville, Ohio to walk into a pole because he was staring at her going the other way. Your mileage may vary, but my mileage was excellent.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com

3 Steps Forward, 2 Steps Backward

Digsby

IM, Email, and Social Networks in one easy to use application!

http://digsby.com

230 horsepower and 3362 lbs doesn’t sound very impressive on paper. But that’s the last reason anyone buys a BMW 328i. I admit that in my numbers-obsessed adolescence, I was skeptical of the promise of a silky-smooth I6 and the intangible promise of perfect poise and balance. Why not just go straight for the 335i? And then I drove one.

It turned out that yes, the 328i really did deliver on the much vaunted promise of being one of the finest sports sedans in the world. Since then, I have longer for a naturally aspirated, manual transmission BMW. The 328i has always held a certain appeal, though I wouldn’t turn down the E90 330i, with its juiced-up 3.0L I6.

The introduction of the turbo-four BMWs has added a certain urgency to that desire, and this article by Road & Track isn’t helping matters. The guys at R&T have come to the same conclusion that many of us have over at TTAC. For all its supposed pace and efficiency, the turbo-4 can’t compare to the purity and sophistication of the I6 powertrain and the hydraulic steering system. I’m off to find one on Craigslist, hopefully not in that eggplant color.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com

TTAC Contest Winner Announced

Ladies and gents, we have a winner for our giveaway of “Icons and Idiots” by Bob Lutz.

Our winner is Chris Archer who sent us this story

I think I deserve to win the Bob Lutz book because I will appreciate reading it but  I don’t have the necessary disposable income to purchase it. I am a 24 year old Navy submarine veteran and currently sell new Ford/Chrysler products at a dealership in rural northeastern Michigan. I have been enamored with automobiles since a young age. This fall I will be taking advantage of the GI bill to attend Michigan Technological University. After I graduate I would like to continue to work in the auto industry. I follow your site religiously. To prove I’m a true lunatic/enthusiast please reference the attached picture of my daily driver 1993 Saab 900S. 

 

Very respectfully,

 

Chris Archer

Digsby

IM, Email, and Social Networks in one easy to use application!

http://digsby.com

Nicely done, sir. We thank you for your service and hope that you enjoy your book. And your Saab.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com

Jeep Consolidates Patriot/Compass Starting In 2014

Digsby

IM, Email, and Social Networks in one easy to use application!

http://digsby.com

Buyers hankering for a more macho alternative to the Buick Encore won’t have to wait too long for something to fill that void. According to Edmunds, an all-new Jeep, similar in size to the Encore, will debut next year.

The Jeep Compass and Patroit will both die in 2014 to make room for a B-segment Jeep built in Italy using a Fiat platform. The most likely donor will be the Small Wide architecture being used for the Fiat 500L, which has provisions for an all-wheel drive system built in to it. It’s a safe bet that it will be very similar to the Fiat 500X (above). Jeep’s Mike Manley cited global markets as the driving force behind this product

“The weight of that market today is outside North America, predominately Europe,” said Manley. “It is growing in China. I think when we launch our SUV here, you are going to see quite significant growth in that segment in the U.S.”

As Manley notes, the small SUV segment is explosive in world markets. Most of the examples sold are two-wheel drive car based vehicles with zero off-road capability, but Europeans couldn’t care less. That means the whole “Trail Rated” business won’t be an issue in Europe, but the Jeep faithful here may have something to say about that.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com

Prius Sales To Fall Short Of Expectations

Digsby

IM, Email, and Social Networks in one easy to use application!

http://digsby.com

Talk about timing: On the day Toyota announced that cumulative sales of the Prius passed the 3 million mark, Reuters says Toyota may fall short of its goal to sell 250,000 of the Prius in the U.S. this year.

“The 240,000 to 250,000 range is kind of where we’re settling our sights for the Prius family,” Toyota’s U.S. sales chief Bill Fay told the wire.

U.S. sales of all Prius models fell 5.1 percent during the first six months of 2013, while Toyota’s overall U.S. sales rose 6 percent. The Prius usually gets a lift from rising gasoline prices. The reverse is also true.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com

Meet The Most American Sedan: The Toyota Avalon

Digsby

IM, Email, and Social Networks in one easy to use application!

http://digsby.com

Red Avalon – now with extra white and blue

Very few car buying decisions are guided by patriotic motivations. And the few there are, are rarely supported by hard data. Which spares us embarrassing moments. “Many of the ‘most American’ cars on dealership lots today are made by Japanese automakers,” says Edmunds. ”The most American sedan, for example, is Toyota Avalon, and the most American hatchback is Honda Crosstour.”

Most American Vehicles
Category	Vehicle	Local Content*
Sedans	Toyota Avalon	80%
SUV/Crossovers	Ford Expedition	80%
Minivans	Dodge Grand Caravan	80%
Hatchbacks	Honda Crosstour	75%
Trucks	Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra	75%
Convertibles	Chrysler 200	74%
Coupes	Chevrolet Camaro	71%
Wagons	Cadillac CTS Wagon, Toyota Venza	65%
* Percentage of U.S./Canadian content based on information reported by carmakers to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) under the American Automobile Labeling Act (AALA).

This is a list of the “most American cars” by segment, using – your tax dollars at work – the definition set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and that of the American Automobile Labeling Act. Under which, by the way, a car would be pure American if it is built from 100% Canadian parts.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com