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Toyota expands Takata airbag inflator recall

The Basics: Toyota will recall 198,000 examples of the 2008 Corolla and Matrix and the 2008-2010 Lexus SC430. The Problem: The vehicles contain Takata's dual-stage inflators in their front passenger airbags, which could rupture in a crash. Injuries/Deaths: None reported in this population of vehicles. However, experts believe Takata's inflators have links to at least ten fatalities. The Fix: Dealers will replace the part with a newly manufactured one. If You Own One: Toyota will notify owners about the recall by first-class mail in March and will send a remedy letter in June when the parts are ready. TOYOTA EXPANDS TAKATA AIRBAG SAFETY RECALL TORRANCE, Calif., March 2, 2016 – Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. today announced that it is expanding two of its recalls involving Takata front passenger airbag inflators. This will add model years of certain vehicles previously recalled and will cover all remaining dual-stage front passenger inflators of a particular type, as a precautionary measure. Approximately 198,000 Model Year 2008 Corolla and Corolla Matrix and Model Year 2008-2010 Lexus SC430 vehicles will be added to the recalls. The involved vehicles are equipped with a Takata-produced dual-stage front passenger airbag inflator which could potentially be susceptible to rupture when deployed in a crash. All known owners of the affected Toyota / Lexus vehicles will be notified by first class mail. Dealers will replace the airbag inflator or the airbag assembly with a newly manufactured one at no cost. Information about automotive recalls, including but not limited to the list of involved vehicles, is subject to change over time. For the most up-do-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. For any additional questions, customer support is also available by calling Toyota Customer Service at 1-800-331-4331, or Lexus Customer Service at 1-800-255-3987. ###

J.D. Power study sees new car dependability problems increase for first time since 1998

For the first time since 1998, J.D. Power and Associates says its data shows that the average number of problems per 100 cars has increased. The finding is the result of the firm's much-touted annual Vehicle Dependability Study, which charts incidents of problems in new vehicle purchases over three years from 41,000 respondents.
Looking at first-owner cars from the 2011 model year, the study found an average of 133 problems per 100 cars (PP100, for short), up 6 percent from 126 PP100 in last year's study, which covered 2010 model-year vehicles. Disturbingly, the bulk of the increase is being attributed to engine and transmission problems, with a 6 PP100 boost.
Interestingly, JDP notes that "the decline in quality is particularly acute for vehicles with four-cylinder engines, where problem levels increase by nearly 10 PP100." Its findings also noticed that large diesel engines also tended to be more problematic than most five- and six-cylinder engines.

2014 Toyota Corolla

Reprising The Recipe For A Perfect Slice Of Toast
My toaster broke the other week. Halfway through the process of cooking my gourmet Pop-Tart breakfast, the thing crapped out with a small bang, leaving my delicious morning treats trapped inside. To rectify the situation, I ventured out to a big box store, located the toaster aisle, and ran a couple of questions through my mind. Do I need two slots or four? Do I need to spend more than 20 bucks on this thing? Should I just buy a toaster oven to give me a wider range of bachelor-pad cooking functionality? After no more than two minutes of contemplation, I grabbed the cheapest one on the shelf, paid and left the store. The new toaster works just fine.
This sort of unemotional shopping experience is how I suspect people decide to purchase the Toyota Corolla. It's a perfectly fine appliance, and to a good number of people in the world, the bond between a car and a driver is no more important than the connection I feel to my toaster. Does it seat four people relatively comfortably? Does it get decent fuel economy? Is it easy to drive? Reliable? Safe? The Corolla checks all of these boxes, and because of that, Toyota managed to move just under 300,000 examples of the tenth-generation car in 2012 (though that number does include sales of the Corolla-based, now-deceased Matrix) - a vehicle that, at the time, was already six years old.