TMS President Jim Lentz Discusses Toyota’s Progress At Automotive Forum

1. TMS President Jim Lentz Discusses Toyota’s Progress at Automotive Forum Toyota dealers have repaired nearly 1.7 million vehicles under the floor mat and sticking pedal recalls, and the company expects U.S. sales to rise up to 35 percent for March versus a year ago, TMS President Jim Lentz told reporters and others in New York Tuesday. "I can't overemphasize the job dealers have done," Lentz said at a panel discussion hosted by the New York International Auto Show. "That's where the rebuilding of trust begins." During the panel discussion and in conversations afterward, Lentz also expressed his confidence in the quality and reliability of the electronics in Toyota vehicles. “We have 40 million cars (worldwide) with electronic throttle controls, and not one case of failure of ETCs that has resulted in unintended acceleration,” he said. Lentz also noted, according to the New York Times, that the company welcomed efforts by specialists from the National Academy of Sciences and scientists from NASA to study whether electronic issues had been involved in instances of unintended acceleration. “The more discussion of science and facts, the better,” Lentz said.

To read the New York Times report on Lentz’s comments and related issues, please click on: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/business/global/31toyota.html.

2. TMC President Akio Toyoda Emphasizes Regional Input in Safety Decisions Speaking at the first meeting of the Special Committee for Global Quality that he heads, TMC President Akio Toyoda said the company will improve internal communication on safety issues. “We discussed several things: an especially important subject was the decision-making process for recalls and other safety matters,” Toyoda said at a news briefing after the committee meeting Tuesday in Japan, according to The Detroit News. “We agreed to build a framework to ensure that regional input receives full consideration in that process.”

To read the Detroit News report on his comments and related matters, please click on http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20103310334.

3. Prius, Two Lexus Models among Forbes’ Toughest Cars on the Road Forbes Tuesday released its list of the “toughest cars on the road,” and despite recent recalls, the Toyota Prius and two Lexus models – the RX SUV and the LS 460 sedan – made it on the list of top vehicles. The Forbes article highlights the Prius specifically, saying, "Anxious drivers may take comfort that the Toyota Prius…is among the country's sturdiest cars.”

To read more about the Forbes list, please click on: http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/29/toyota-prius-power-lifestyle-vehicles-toughest-cars.html.

4. MotorTrend Ranks Camry Best of Best-Selling Midsize Family Sedans While MotorTrend’s editors liked aspects of some of its rivals, they gave Camry top honors because it “Seemingly excels at nothing, yet it really excels at everything.” MotorTrend tested the Camry, Subaru Legacy, Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata. Their goal was to “determine which of these solid-citizen sedans deserves to be a best-seller by best delivering the space, utility, comfort, and quiet that today's families expect.” Among the editors’ comments in a video on the magazine’s web site: “You know, this is a car that just really does everything for the family perfectly.” “…the ride is by far and away the best in this group.” “Everything about this car is very simple, easy and user-friendly, and that’s why we think it’s the best-selling car of all time.” Noting that Camry is involved in the unintended acceleration recalls, the editors said: “Having studied Toyota’s electronic throttle system, we find it difficult to imagine that electromagnetic interference or natural electrical shorts could outflank the system’s double-redundant circuits and parallel control systems, even though wily college professors with patch boards certainly can when TV cameras are rolling.” The magazine concluded, “For now, this Camry remains one helluva sedan that may never sell for less than it is right now.”

To read more the article about the Camry, please go to: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_1005_best_selling_midsize_family_sedan_comparison/2010_toyota_camry.html.

To read the main article, go to: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_1005_best_selling_midsize_family_sedan_comparison/index.html.

5. Fox News Poll: Most Parents Would Let Their Kids Ride in a Toyota Despite numerous news reports questioning the safety of Toyota vehicles, a national telephone poll of 900 registered voters conducted for Fox News found that 73 percent of parents would allow their children to ride in a Toyota, while 26 percent would not. The numbers are even higher among Toyota owners, with 92 percent saying yes and only 7 percent saying no.

To read more, please go to: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/03/30/fox-news-poll-parents-let-kids-ride-toyota/?test=latestnews.