1989 Toyota Land Cruiser Base Sport Utility 4-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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Toyota issues multiple recalls for 6.4 million vehicles worldwide

It looks like 2014 may go down as the year of recalls. We were already at a record pace, and now it seems Toyota is recalling 6.39 million vehicles worldwide, including about 30 of its models for a variety of problems. None of the faults have caused any injuries or fatalities, but there have been two reports of fires caused by a defective engine starter motor.
Toyota's numbers show 1.772 million vehicles being recalled in the US, but that includes some overlap because the Yaris is being repaired for multiple faults. According to The Detroit News, there are 2.36 million affected models in all of north North America, 1.09 million in Japan and 810,000 in Europe, plus smaller numbers in other regions.
Among the vehicles recalled in the US are 1.3 million units of the 2009-2010 Corolla, Matrix and Tacoma, the 2008-2010 Highlander, the 2006-2008 Rav4 and 2006-2010 Yaris. The problem is that the driver's airbag module is attached via a spiral electrical cable. The connections on the cable can be damaged when the steering wheel is turned, which deactivates the airbag and causes the airbag warning light to come on. Toyota is replacing the cable with an improved part, but it's still making preparations to begin the repair. The company is sending affected owners notifications in the mail. According to The Detroit News, an unspecified number of Pontiac Vibe vehicles are also included in this recall because it shares the part with the Matrix.

eBay Find of the Day: Harley-Davidson powered Toyota Prius [w/video]

Sometimes we pluck cars from the listings of eBay Motors because they're old and interesting, some for being simply lovely, some for rarity and some for pure fun. And sometimes we pick eBay Finds of the Day, because they're hacked apart Toyota Prius' with Harley Davidson V-twin-power; concocted by the same mind that brought you innumerable Jalopnik articles and is partially responsible for the joy that is the 24 Hours of LeMons. This time it's that last one.
A fairly subtle tweet from long-time Jalop contributor and well-regarded grease monkey, Murilee Martin, hipped us to this crazy Frankenstein Prius. Built from the bones of a 2008 Toyota and the heart of a 1986 Harley-Davidson Sportster 883, the motive portmanteau is, well... it's a thing.
Toyota's advanced Hybrid Synergy Drive has been unceremoniously wrenched and snipped out of the engine bay, making room (via an artful hole in the hood) for the towering, bored out V-twin. Or, as the maestro himself puts it:

Toyota raises Japanese base wages for first time since 2008

Toyota is on track for record profits, and in return, its Japanese workers are receiving their first increase in base wages since 2008, plus higher pay based on seniority and a larger bonus for 2014. The Japanese automaker predicts the average laborer will net a 2.9 percent income gain.
The average Toyota employee will earn 2,700 yen ($26.28) more each month, a 0.8 percent increase from last year. Workers will also receive about 7,300 yen ($71.09) more monthly based on seniority and promotions. Finally, the company's union pushed through a median bonus of 2.44 million yen ($23,768) for 2014, the highest in 6 years.
The pay boost comes as Toyota forecasts a record 1.9-trillion yen ($18.5 billion) profit for the fiscal year ending on March 31, according to Bloomberg. It has been helped by the Japanese government's efforts to weaken the yen on international markets and expand inflation. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been asking businesses to increase compensation to end years of deflation and offset upcoming higher sales taxes. Honda and Nissan have also raised their wages there in recent months.