2004 Toyota Highlander on 2040-cars

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Toyota giving away its first hydrogen car in US

California isn't Nevada, but Golden State residents are nonetheless being given a chance to make a small bet on what may be a large prize, courtesy of Toyota. The Japanese automaker will start selling its first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles on the West Coast late next year, and before that, Toyota would like to pick up some positive publicity by giving America's first one away to one lucky Californian. Toyota is working with the Environmental Media Association, a nonprofit that melds celebrities with sustainability-related causes, on the promotion. The upshot is that folks can go to Bidding For Good and buy a $100 ticket to be eligible for the prize. Heck, people can get a half-dozen ducats for $500. What a deal. The winner will be announced October 18 at Warner Bros. Studios. Last month, Toyota unveiled a television commercial that proclaimed 2015 as the potential turning point for fuel-cell vehicle adoption. Toyota will start selling the FCV in Japan next April for about $69,000. Toyota says the fuel cell vehicle will be able to go about 300 miles on a full tank of hydrogen and, aside from some water vapor, will not have any emissions. Read more in Toyota's press release below. How the West Was Won: Toyota Offers Chance to Be a Fuel Cell Pioneer TORRANCE, Calif., Oct. 8, 2014 – It's hard to be a trendsetter in places like Los Angeles or San Francisco, but one lucky Californian will blaze that trail when they park a new Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV) in their garage. Toyota and the Environmental Media Association (EMA) are offering a historic opportunity to own the company's first zero-emission hydrogen vehicle when it arrives in California in late 2015. Toyota is the first major auto manufacturer to give away a fuel cell vehicle to an individual owner. As the infrastructure to support the vehicle is currently only available in the golden state, prize applicants must be California residents. Residents can purchase opportunities to win at www.biddingforgood.com for a cost of $100 per ticket or $500 for six. All monies raised will benefit programs of the EMA, a nonprofit 501(c)3 dedicated to harnessing the power of celebrity and the media to promote sustainable lifestyles. The winner will be announced at the 24th annual EMA Awards, presented by Toyota and Lexus, on Oct. 18 at Warner Bros Studios. The EMA awards honor individuals within the entertainment industry for efforts to promote environmental messages.

2013 Toyota RAV4

A Nicer View Than Ever Of Middle Of The Road
When we had our first shot behind the wheel of the 2013 Toyota RAV4, the overall judgment from Managing Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski could be summed up in a sentence along the lines of, "Eh, not bad." The truth is that the compact crossover segment, now filled with not-so-compact offerings, is as cutthroat as any in the industry these days. When a heavyweight player like the RAV4 comes to market with a new generation, it is not at liberty to start from a clean sheet, lest it throw cold water on a vehicle that sells tens of thousands of units globally every month. Like De La Soul says, "Stakes is high."
If the choices in the marketplace were still largely limited to the Honda CR-V, as was the case when this market niche was green, the Toyota offering might actually seem like the exciting choice. But with new players offering better dynamic thrills (Mazda CX-5), cool turbo motors and fancy technology (Ford Escape), or even crunchy cred (Subaru Forester), the small crossover shopper is really spoiled for choice in 2013.

Toyota recalls 337,000 RAV4s and HS250h models for tie rod failure

UPDATE: The post has been updated with additional information from NHTSA. The Basics: Toyota is recalling 337,000 2006-2011 model year Toyota RAV4 crossovers built between October 31, 2005 and September 7, 2010 as well as 2010 model year Lexus HS250h cars built between July 6, 2009 and August 26, 2010. The Problem: When either an affected RAV4 or HS250h is given an alignment and the tie rod adjustment nut on the rear control arm isn't tightened properly, the threads on the tie rod can start to rust. If this happens, the nut may break off and throw off the alignment drastically and suddenly. This isn't a case of the car simply pulling to one side, either. This would seriously upset the balance of the car and could cause the driver to lose control and crash. This is also the third time these vehicles have been recalled for the same issue. Injuries/Deaths: It's unknown if this control arm issue has resulted in any injuries or deaths. Autoblog reached out to Toyota for more information, but a company representative told us that the company isn't able to discuss injuries or deaths caused by this issue (if any) at this time. Based on information from NHTSA documents, it does not appear that any crashes, injuries or deaths have been attributed to the defect addressed in the current recall. The Fix: The dealer will completely replace the rear suspension assemblies at no cost to the owner. The tie rods and nuts will also be coated in epoxy to prevent future rusting from occurring. According to Car and Driver, the previous recalls involved tightening nuts, coating decent tie rods in epoxy and completely replacing rusted ones. The car magazine reports that further complaints were filed and the company is now replacing all components regardless of condition. If you own one: Toyota will notify owners of affected cars by mail. Owners can also check whether their cars are affected by entering the VIN at safercar.gov/vin. Owners with questions can also reach Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2012 Toyota RAV4 View 16 Photos News Source: Car and Driver, Toyota, National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationImage Credit: Toyota Recalls Lexus Toyota Safety lexus hs 250h lexus hs250h