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Judge halts Toyota unintended acceleration cases, triggers time for settlement negotiations

So far, the lawsuits brought forth against Toyota for unintended acceleration have gone both ways: the automaker was found not at fault in a 2009 California crash and liable for a 2007 crash in Oklahoma. Both cases involved a Camry and resulted in fatalities. With a big chunk of these UA cases (around 200) set to his the docket of US District Judge James V. Selna in Santa Ana, California, Bloomberg is reporting that the judge has halted the lawsuits until March after Toyota and its lawyers have had extra time to try and settle the cases.
According to the article, Toyota is looking to take care of the cases out of court with an "intensive settlement process." Having already paid out $1.6 billion in "economic loss" suits, this latest settlement process is aimed at the wrongful death and personal injury cases allegedly associated with unintended acceleration. A hearing for the settlements will be held on January 14 with conferences on the matter commencing in February. There is no word as to when lawsuits may start back up if settlements can't be agreed upon.

Lexus recalls 2016 RX over knee airbag assembly

The Basics: Lexus will recall 5,000 examples of the 2016 RX 350 and RX 450h. The Problem: The driver's knee airbag module may not have been properly manufactured, and this issue could affect the airbag's deployment. Injuries/Deaths: None reported. The Fix: Lexus dealers will inspect and replace the driver's knee airbag assembly. If You Own One: Customer notifications will begin in March. More Information: Toyota spokesperson Cindy Knight tells Autoblog that this issue is not related to the upcoming Takata airbag inflator recall expansion. Related Video: LEXUS RECALLS CERTAIN 2016 RX 350 AND RX 450h VEHICLES TORRANCE, Calif., January 27, 2016 – Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. today announced that it is conducting a safety recall of approximately 5,000 Model Year 2016 Lexus RX350 and RX450h vehicles. The involved vehicles are equipped with a driver's knee airbag module that may not have been properly manufactured. This could affect the performance of the airbag and increase the risk of injury in a crash. All known owners of the involved Lexus vehicles will be notified by first class mail. Lexus dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the driver's knee airbag assembly free of charge. Information about automotive recalls, including but not limited to the list of involved vehicles, is subject to change over time. For the most up-to-date Safety Recall information on Lexus, Toyota and Scion customers should check their vehicle's status by visiting http://www.toyota.com/recall and entering the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Safety Recall inquiry by individual VIN is also available at the NHTSA site: safercar.gov/vin. For any additional questions, customer support is also available by calling Lexus Customer Service at 1-800-255-3987. ###

Lexus pushing upmarket as others move down, LF-LC production hinted [w/video]

Jeff Bracken, Lexus' US group vice president and general manager, knows his company lost its position as America's biggest luxury brand back in 2011, and it's a mantle that his employer probably won't be getting back any time soon. That's because Lexus is electing not to follow the luxury segment's downmarket trend any more than its $32,500 CT 200h hybrid hatchback. "Since we won't be going down below $30,000, it will be very difficult for us to ever regain luxury leadership," Bracken admitted on Autoline After Hours late last week.
Rivals Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi all have new low-end entries on sale or in the wings to entice new buyers and fortify their CAFE scores, but Lexus has Toyota and Scion to capture sales underneath its lineup. Instead, Bracken hints that Lexus is going upmarket and higher-performance, fueling ongoing rumors of a LFA successor, or perhaps a new offering based on the lauded 2012 LF-LC coupe concept shown above, a production version of which could also slot in where the unloved SC convertible left off. "We need to begin bringing to market luxury performance... higher performance vehicles. IS-F certainly was the beginning of that, maybe on the lower end," says Bracken.
Later in the online video interview show, Bracken gets even more candid: