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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.

Toyota offered $146.5 million to build Lexus ES in Kentucky

Toyota posted a media advisory yesterday saying that Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota, and Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota North America, would be making a production announcement tomorrow in New York City, and Automotive News reports that the automaker will be announcing a plan to domestically produce the Lexus ES. According to the report, numerous plants are competing to build the ES in North America, and the State of Kentucky has offered the automaker up to $146.5 million to build the luxury sedan at the Georgetown, KY assembly plant.
If Georgetown gets the ES, which has been built in Japan since its debut in 1989, it would be built alongside the Toyota Camry, which is somewhat ironic since in our review of the 2013 Lexus ES350, we wrote that this ES finally says "goodbye to its Camry roots." In order to get the whole amount offered, the article states that Toyota would have to invest $531.2 million and hire 570 full-time workers at the plant, which doesn't sound all that unreasonable since the plant would require an additional 50,000 units of annual production, not to mention the fact that the Georgetown facility is already at its capacity for building the Camry.

2014 Lexus CT shows new face on each side of the Pacific [w/video]

Earlier today, Lexus officially took the wraps off its 2014 CT 200h at the Guangzhou Motor Show, and now we've gotten a chance to inspect the updated hybrid hatchback right here at the LA Auto Show.
As expected, the most prominent change made to the CT's styling is the addition of Lexus' signature spindle grille. Additional changes include new wheel options and revised front and rear fascias, but our favorite update to the car is to the headlights, where there is no longer a gap in the middle of the LED running lights. The luxury hatchback has also received some changes to the cabin, including an updated instrument gauge cluster, a new fixed nav screen that replaces the previous folding unit and a freshened combination of cabin materials.
No changes have been made to the CT's hybrid powertrain, meaning the model will carry on with a 134-horsepower 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder paired with a drive motor and an electronic continuously variable transmission. Fuel economy ratings likely won't stray too much from the 2013 model's 43 miles per gallon city and 40 mpg highway ratings.