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Toyota
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prius
death of the suv
Car Sales Plummet: Automakers Just Don't Make The Cars You Want
CNNMoney says that consumers are avoiding gas guzzling SUVs and buying... nothing! whaddayaknow. More »
complaints
Toyota's Roadside Assistance Leaves You Stranded Out Of Gas
Reader Chris spent some extra money on a Toyota extended warranty which comes with free roadside assistance in the event his vehicle breaks down or runs out of gas. Unfortunately, that's what happened to Chris' girlfriend one day when she ran out of gas on a Cleveland freeway. She called roadside assistance for help, but when the rescue driver finally arrived he'd only brought a half-gallon of gas, not enough to get her RAV 4 started. Since the roadside assistance terms allow for 3 gallons of gas she asked the driver to bring additional gas to which he replied, "They don't pay me enough for that," and drove off. Chris' letter, inside... More »
heartless
Poor Howard Castleman. All he wanted was a little PR for his car dealership. Castleman planned to give four scholarships to students at Patterson High School in Baltimore, but instead of honoring Castleman's charity by inviting the media and displaying his dealership's banner at the senior's farewell ceremony, the school instead decided to honor a long-time teacher who recently died of a heart attack...
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Castle Toyota Rescinds Scholarships After Students Decide To Mourn Their Dead Teacher Instead Of Staging A Commercial
Poor Howard Castleman. All he wanted was a little PR for his car dealership. Castleman planned to give four scholarships to students at Patterson High School in Baltimore, but instead of honoring Castleman's charity by inviting the media and displaying his dealership's banner at the senior's farewell ceremony, the school instead decided to honor a long-time teacher who recently died of a heart attack...
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vehicle sales
Honda Civic Now Best Selling Vehicle In The Country
The era of the pickup truck is over. For the first time in 15 years, the Ford F-Series has lost its position as the nation's top selling vehicle. The new king is the Honda Civic, followed by three other economy models. That's right: the F-Series plummeted to fifth place in sales last month. More »
high mileage
High Gas Prices Transform Geo Metros From Weak To Chic
The formerly mocked and neglected Geo Metro is finding new popularity amidst high gas prices. According to CNN, the Geo Metro is making a spectacular comeback, especially on eBay. You might be surprised to learn that the Geo Metro and Toyota Prius get nearly the same gas mileage. Now consider that a Metro can be found for about $7000 compared to a new Prius which costs $21,000+, it becomes easy to see the attraction. Details, inside... More »
worst company in america
Round 30: Clear Channel vs Toyota
This is Round 30 in our Worst Company in America contest, Clear Channel vs Toyota. Vote which sucks more, inside...
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rust
Toyota Announces Tacoma Buyback Program For Severe Rust Corrosion
If you own a Tacoma made between 1995 and 2000, Toyota would like to inspect it free of charge—and if the rust corrosion is severe enough, they will either repair the truck on their dime or buy it back as a vehicle in "excellent condition" no matter what state it's really in. Toyota announced this a little over a month ago and said thy would start sending letters to Tacoma owners in the weeks to come, so if you haven't received yours yet, be on the lookout for it. More »
Snapshot of the economy: Small car sales up in March, SUV sales down. Those experiencing the biggest deltas? Toyota Yaris:up 83.2%, Nissan Titan: down 44.9% [Kicking Tires]
complaints
Dealer Sells Car Touting Safety Features It Doesn't Actually Have
Ben writes:
A friend of mine bought a 2005 Toyota 4 Runner for about $25000. When he went to the dealer, he told them that safety was a big concern as he has small children, and he wanted to get as many safety features as he could on the vehicle he was going to buy. The saleswoman showed him the 4 Runner he ended up buying and pointed out that it had side and curtain airbags, which were listed on the sticker. He bought it, and a week later he took it to get inspected. It turns out that it does not have the side and curtain airbags that are listed on the sticker. He went back to the dealership and spoke to the manager who offered him a few free oil changes, and tried to tell him that that year didn't even come with those airbags so what was he complaining about. What should he do? They already got rid of the truck he traded in, and is thinking that the dealer owes him some cash back on the deal.Classic bait and switch. If your friend wants to take the guy to the mat, he could try to ask for a rebate for what he feels the cash value of those safety features are. I recommend the tactics described in the post, "How To Kick A Scammy Car Dealer In The Nuts."
(Photo: Getty)
recalls
Toyota Recalling 15,600 2007 Tundra Pickup Trucks
Toyota has announced that it is recalling 15,600 Tundra 2007 Tundra four-wheel-drive pickup trucks because "a rear propeller shaft may separate at the joint." More »
complaints
Reader Falls Victim To Spot Delivery Dealership Scam
Andriy writes:
It seems as I'm falling a victim to a Yo-Yo Car Financing | Spot Delivery Scam from a car dealer...More »I purchased a new Toyota (scion) vehicle at a dealership exactly 2 weeks ago. I drove away. The total price was $20600 - I left a $500 down-payment. 13% APR in my contract. $470 payments for 60 months. Finance manager pressured me into purchasing GAP and extended warranty (around $2100 total) saying that banks would likely grant me a loan if I show them I'm serious about investment. Well, my credit is sub-prime (620 FICO) with few accts that are almost falling off and 2 recent ones for a few hundred bucks. But I still smelled something fishy though...
whoops
Computer Glitch Causes Toyota Prius To Fail Georgia Emissions Test
If you bought a Toyota Prius and have been trying to pass an emissions test in Georgia, you're probably pretty stressed out right about now. More »
unintended acceleration
Toyota To Recall Floor Mats In 2007 Lexus And Camry
Toyota is recalling optional "all-weather" floor mats used in the 2007 Lexus and Camry because they could slip and trap the accelerator pedal. This, quite obviously, would be very, very bad. More »
security
Researchers Hack Remote Keyless Car Entry Devices
Researchers have figured out a way to hack remote keyless car entry devices. The threat to the consumer is minimal, it takes several hours to crack the code, but it does give one pause, especially considering that if the Keeloq's manufacturer added a few simple measures they could render the exploit nearly useless. More »
branding
Coca-Cola Is The "Best Brand," Microsoft Beats Apple
Coca-Cola has come out on top of the "Best Brands" Harris Poll for the first time ever. Sony, the leader for the past 7 years slipped to number 2. More »
cars
Automakers Offer Unadvertised Incentives To Recent Graduates
Recent graduates shopping for a new car may be eligible for incentives offered by several automakers. The incentives are rarely advertised, unknown even to most dealers. More »
toyota
