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Toyota recalls pre-collision system on Avalon and ES models

Toyota is recalling 31,000 US examples of the 2013-2015 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Lexus ES350, and ES 300h because the Pre-Collision System could potentially cause an accident. According to the company, it's possible for the safety aid to misidentify a steel joint or plate in the road as a hazard and apply the brakes. The sudden, unexpected activation could lead to a crash. Toyota spokesperson Cindy Knight told Autoblog that the company has reports of two accidents in the US related to this issue, and there are also two alleged injuries. The company has no reports of fatalities. Toyota is taking a serious approach to deal with this problem. First, the company plans to disable the system on these sedans. Once the parts are available, dealers will replace the system with improved components. The company doesn't yet know when these repairs will begin, but owners should receive notification of the recall in November, according to Knight. Toyota isn't alone in needing to tweak safety equipment. Ford faced a similar issue when the company recalled 36,857 examples of the 2015 F-150 because passing a large, reflective semi could inadvertently activate the collision warning system. An update for the adaptive cruise control module software fixed the problem. TOYOTA RECALLS CERTAIN AVALON AND LEXUS ES VEHICLES TORRANCE, Calif., November 3, 2015 – Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. today announced that it is conducting a safety recall of approximately 31,000 Model Year 2013-2015 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Lexus ES350 and ES300h sedans. In the involved vehicles, under certain situations, the PCS (Pre-Collision System) could interpret a steel joint or plate in the roadway as an object that triggers PCS activation. If this occurs, the PCS warning buzzer sounds and the system may apply the service brake automatically. Unexpected braking could increase the risk of a crash. For all involved vehicles, the PCS function will be disabled as an interim remedy. As the permanent remedy, Toyota dealers will replace PCS components with improved ones. 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 Toyota, Lexus or Scion vehicles, customers should check their vehicle's status by visiting 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.

Lexus compact crossover based on the UX could debut in Geneva

We have but one line to go on, from Car magazine's section on Lexus in the rundown of Geneva Motor Show reveals: "Baby SUV not yet confirmed, but word is that a Lexus small crossover based on UX concept is due." Actually, there's a tad more than hearsay to add to that line: Lexus International EVP Yoshihiro Sawa said one year ago that the carmaker already approved a production version of the UX, and that it is "not so far away." The trail goes cold there, though, when trying to divine what a civilian UX would look like. The production model should borrow its platform and some organs from the Toyota C-HR, which rides on the TNGA bones also shared with the Prius. Yet the UX concept, shown at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, warped so many dimensions it belongs in the coming Avatar sequels or a " Time Bandit" reboot. Chapeau to the designers for compressing so much action in so little space; at 173.2 inches long, 74.8 inches wide, and 59.8 inches tall, on a 103.9-inch wheelbase, the UX concept was a smidge larger than an Audi Q3, a smidge smaller than the Mercedes GLA. A retail crossover based on the concept would need to give up 93 percent of the UX's character, but that remaining 7 percent would still be powerful — especially when you add a big ol' spindle grille. We expect the Lexus baby CUV to come to America, but that's not confirmed. Lexus did trademark the names UX 200, UX 250, and UX 250h with U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2016, and Jeff Bracken, Lexus' North America group VP and GM, said, "Our dealers are all over us to produce that concept vehicle." And why not? Crossovers constitute the majority of Lexus' U.S. sales, and Lexus seriously seeks the younger buyers who can't get enough compact crossover bait. And the production UX would provide a new entry-level vehicle to challenge entrants in the GLA and BMW X1 class, where the Germans and other carmakers are minting money. Lexus has pledged not to sell a vehicle in the U.S. for under $30,000, but it's got room to play with between that floor and the $35,985 Lexus NX. Related Video:

Why Lexus shies away from plug-in hybrids

Lexus may have softened its stance a bit from the anti plug-in vehicle ads the Toyota luxury badge ran last year, but at least one executive from the company casts a pretty critical eye towards the concept as a way to cut both emissions and refueling costs. In fact, Lexus doesn't really buy the fact that buyers of plug-in hybrids are really looking to save both gas and the environment, Green Car Reports says, citing an interview at the recent New York Auto Show with Lexus executive Mark Templin. Templin also said hydrogen fuel-cell technology may be a better way to edge towards zero emissions. Templin decried plug-in hybrid technology because it adds weight to vehicles, which contributes to poor emissions figures in the process. He added that plug-in vehicle buyers are motivated more by potential tax credits and solo driving rights in high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes than cutting back on fuel use. Last summer, Lexus ran an supposedly tongue-in-cheek print ad poking fun at how long it takes to charge a plug-in vehicle and how using air conditioning can shorten a car's charging range. Last spring, Lexus had to backpedal from an anti-electric ad it ran that had serious mistakes about hydrogen infrastructure. News Source: Green Car Reports Green Lexus Toyota Hybrid PHEV