Archive for ToyotaAvalon

Jul
29

Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 7.29.10

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Review: 2010 Honda Civic Si HFP not fast, is curious In a world where sport compacts are mainly turbocharged hatchbacks, can the Civic Si still hold its own? Regrets, I’ve Had a Few: Jonny Lieberman bids farewell to Autoblog Before Lieberman leaves for an editorship at Motor Trend, he reflects on his time at Autoblog and lists off a few things he would’ve done differently. Toyota to recall 373,000 2000-2004 Avalon sedans in U.S. over faulty steering locks More recalls from Toyota and this time it includes over 300,000 Avalons equipped with faulty steering locks.

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 7.29.10

Filed under: Sedan , Government/Legal , Recalls , Safety , Toyota 2003 Toyota Avalon XLS – click above for high-res image gallery Toyota Motor Corporation’s recall woes have resurfaced today with official word that the company will recall some 373,000 second-generation Toyota Avalon models built between the 2000 and 2004 model years. According to the Japanese automaker, the full-size sedans’ steering lock bars can crack, eventually leading to a break. If that failure occurs, the steering column interlock system can become difficult to unlock when parked, potentially disabling the vehicle. Worse, if the driver is in a right-hand turn with “sufficient lateral acceleration,” under very specific conditions, the damaged lock bar can actually engage, locking the steering wheel and disabling steering control of the vehicle, a condition that increases the likelihood of an accident

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BREAKING: Toyota to recall 373,000 2000-2004 Avalon sedans in U.S. over faulty steering locks

Filed under: Minivan/Van , Sedan , Safety , Luxury The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just announced that a total of three new Toyota vehicles have been given Top Safety Pick awards. Both the 2011 Toyota Avalon and 2011 Toyota Sienna were awarded the institute’s highest ratings in front, side, rollover and rear crash tests. The 2010 Lexus RX also nabbed a Top Safety Pick nod. All of the vehicles come with electronic stability control as standard equipment – another parameter for receiving the award.

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Three Toyotas latest to earn IIHS Top Safety Picks

Filed under: Safety , Videos , Toyota Click on the image above to watch the video after the jump We’ve seen demonstrations that show how to stop a vehicle experiencing unintended acceleration before, but this newest video from Consumer Reports demonstrates just how crucial a brake override function can be in stopping a throttle gone wild. CR engineer Jake Fisher lines up a pre-recall 2010 Toyota Avalon and a post-repair Camry to compare and contrast the amount of time it takes to bring a vehicle at full throttle to a stop. Hint: There’s a big difference.

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Video: Consumer Reports makes the case for brake override for all

Filed under: Car Buying , Minivan/Van , Sedan , Toyota , Specialty , Luxury 2011 Toyota Avalon – Click above for high-res image gallery Toyota has officially announced pricing for the updated 2011 Avalon which made its public debut at this year’s Chicago Auto Show . Additionally, pricing has been released for the Sienna with Auto Access Seat, which is the first factory-installed power access seat available in a minivan. The Avalon, which goes on sale later this month, starts at $32,245, which is the same starting MSRP as the outgoing 2010 model. Higher-grade Limited models start at $35,485, which represents an increase of $200 over the 2010 model

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Toyota prices redesigned Avalon, Sienna minivan w/Auto Access Seat [w/video]

Filed under: Car Buying , Government/Legal , Recalls , Safety , Toyota Consumer Reports may be ready to offer a vote of confidence in Toyota , depending on the outcome of the Japanese automaker’s current Congressional Hearings on Toyota Safety here in the United States, says CR Senior Director David Champion. At the end of January as news was starting to pile up regarding reported cases of unintended acceleration and the subsequent recalls of nine Toyota models (totaling 2.3 million vehicles), CR decided to pull its Recommended rating from the Toyota Avalon , Camry , Corolla , Highlander , Matrix (and its twin, the Pontiac Vibe ), RAV4 , Sequoia and Tundra . Says Champion, “We’re looking at a daily basis at the recalls. We want to be sure that the recalls are being performed.” Assuming that Toyota’s efforts to repair faulty gas pedals remain on track, it would seem CR has enough faith in the automaker to give back its coveted Recommended ratings

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Consumer Reports may restore Toyota “Recommended” ratings next week