Toyota Faces Massive Ad Buy to Rescue Brand

Panel cites 'complacency' at automaker

(NEWSER) - Toyota has serious institutional flaws that pose a threat to the safety of its vehicles, finds an independent review out today. The problems stem from a “sense of pride at being number one” that can become “arrogance and foster complacency,” says the report, conducted by a panel the firm convened a year ago to review its safety practices. The Toyota North American Quality Advisory Panel spoke with Toyota executives, academics, industry analysts, and a range of others, but was unable to deduce the cause of sudden acceleration in some cars. More»

Picture talking pill bottles and constant monitoring, writes Alex Poulos

(NEWSER) - If you think ads are inescapable now, just wait a few decades, writes Alex Poulos in the Boston Globe . Future generations will laugh at our primitive tech know-how; the question is “who will laugh last. And I’m afraid it won’t be the consumer,” he writes. Expect ads that are:

• “Intrusive.” The backs of cabs will have scrolling ads, and pill bottles will have audio messages when you open them.

Fuel leaks spark yet another massive recall

(AP) - Toyota is recalling nearly 1.7 million vehicles around the world for various defects that may cause fuel leakage—the latest in quality control woes for the Japanese automaker. The company says it is recalling a wide range of models, including the IS and GS Lexus luxury models in North America and the Avensis sedan and station wagon models in Europe. More»

Ford highest-ranked carmaker overall, Toyota falls

(NEWSER) - American automakers scored higher marks on quality than their foreign rivals for the first time since the JD Power survey began in 1986, the Detroit Free Press reports. A dozen Ford models ranked in the top three in their segments, making it the highest-ranked automaker overall. Ford's namesake brand ranked fifth, and General Motors had 10 brands in the top vehicle rankings. More»

GX 460 SUV flips in routine testing, magazine warns

(NEWSER) - The 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV is so dangerous that Consumer Reports has given it the rarely used "Don't Buy" designation, the magazine said today. The vehicle, which retails for about $52,000 to $57,000 , responded so badly "when pushed to its limits on a handling course" during routine testing that CR's experts believe it could wind up in a rollover, reports the Los Angeles Times . Toyota, which owns Lexus, says it's "mystified by the results." More»