2005 Lexus Es330 on 2040-cars

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Toyota investing $750M, adding 600 jobs at 5 U.S. plants

BUFFALO, W.Va. — Toyota on Thursday announced it is investing an additional $750 million at five U.S. plants that will bring nearly 600 new jobs, including the production of two hybrid vehicles for the first time at its Kentucky facility. It marks yet another expansion of the Japanese automaker's U.S. presence, bringing to nearly $13 billion the amount it will spend by 2021. The latest investments are at facilities in Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and West Virginia. Those same facilities were part of a 2017 announcement by Toyota for a $374 million investment to support production of its first American-made hybrid powertrain. Toyota Motor North America CEO Jim Lentz said the latest investments "represent even more examples of our long-term commitment to build where we sell. By boosting our U.S. manufacturing footprint, we can better serve our customers and dealers and position our manufacturing plants for future success with more domestic capacity." Toyota's Georgetown, Kentucky, facility will get a $238 million infusion to produce hybrid versions of Lexus ES 300 sedans starting in May and the Rav4 SUV starting in January 2020, the company announced. It also includes $288 million to increase annual engine capacity at Toyota's Huntsville, Alabama, facility. The plant will add 450 jobs to accommodate new four-cylinder and V6 engine production lines. Last year Toyota and Mazda announced plans to build a $1.6 billion joint-venture plant in Huntsville that will eventually employ about 4,000 people. Toyota also is spending $62 million on equipment to boost production of Toyota and Lexus cylinder heads at its Bodine Aluminum facility in Troy, Missouri, as part of its cost-saving New Global Architecture production strategy to share common parts and components among different vehicles. A $50 million expansion and equipment upgrade at its Bodine plant in Jackson, Tennessee, will add 13 jobs and produce engine blocks while doubling the capacity of hybrid transaxle cases and housings. And Toyota will add 123 jobs and spent $111 million to expand its plant and purchase equipment in Buffalo, West Virginia, to double the capacity of hybrid transaxles. Previously, Toyota also announced a $600 million investment at its Princeton, Indiana, plant to increase the capacity of its Highlander SUV and to incorporate the new production strategy, and $170 million to launch the 2020 Corolla on a new production line in Blue Springs, Mississippi.

Lexus recalling 3,000 NX 200t CUVs for faulty brake system part

Lexus is recalling about 3,000 examples of the 2015 NX 200t in the US because of possible damage to the ABS actuator during assembly. On vehicles with the faulty part, the anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control might not function properly. If the ABS is activated while driving, it could cause "a loss of vehicle stability," according to the company. No crashes, injuries, or fatalities have been reported. According to company spokesperson Cindy Knight to Autoblog, affected owners will receive notification by mail of this problem in early July. Dealers will inspect the actuator on the NX200t and will replace it, if necessary. Related Video: LEXUS RECALLS CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2015 NX VEHICLES TORRANCE, Calif., May 27, 2015 – Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. today announced that it is conducting a safety recall of approximately 3,000 model year 2015 Lexus NX 200t vehicles. The involved vehicles are equipped with an Anti-Lock Braking system (ABS), Traction Control System (TRAC), and Vehicle Stability Control System (VSC) which are controlled by the ABS actuator. There is a possibility that a component inside the actuator could be damaged during assembly and later not operate properly. Under some driving conditions, if the ABS is activated, this could cause a loss of vehicle stability, which can increase the risk of a crash. To date, Toyota is not aware of any crashes, injuries or fatalities caused by this condition. All known owners of the involved Lexus vehicles will be notified by first class mail. Lexus dealers will inspect the ABS actuator and if necessary replace it with a new one. Information about automotive recalls, including but not limited to the list of involved vehicles, is subject to change over time. For the most up-do-date recall information, customers should contact Toyota Customer Service at 1-800-331-4331, or Lexus Customer Service at 1-800-255-3987. Customers can also access current information on open safety recalls for their vehicles by visiting www.toyota.com/recall or http://www.safercar.gov/ and entering their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). ###

2022 Lexus LX 600 brings the new Land Cruiser to America

Toyota fans have been disappointed by the fact the 300-series Land Cruiser isn't coming to the U.S. But the good news is that its Lexus-badged twin will still make the trip. The 2022 Lexus LX 600 is based on the new Toyota, but with the typical styling and feature updates to make it an even more plush luxury SUV. With the Land Cruiser as the basis, the LX 600 is basically the same under the skin. It's powered by a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 making 409 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. The platform is the TNGA-F, and it uses body-on-frame construction. Suspension design is double-wishbone at the front with a four-link solid rear axle. The Lexus features adjustable ride height and suspension stiffness. The former adjusts automatically between low for easier access, normal for pavement driving and two lifted heights for off-roading. And to assist with off-roading, the Lexus gets Crawl Control off-road cruise control, multiple terrain modes including an automatic one, and surround cameras that even show under the truck to help avoid banging together rocks and vulnerable parts of the car. Styling is quite evolutionary, so much so that you might have trouble telling the new LX 600 from its LX 570 predecessor at a glance. Telltale differences include the thicker bars on the grille that don't have a surround, as well as larger side grilles and a slightly slanted rear window line. The F Sport, an all-new trim for the LX, gets a different black mesh grille that makes a big difference to the exterior. The F Sport also gets enormous 22-inch forged aluminum wheels, plus a mechanical limited-slip rear differential. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The LX 600's interior is quite distinct from the Land Cruiser, and the centerpiece is its dual-screen infotainment system. The upper touchscreen measures 12.3 inches and handles audio, navigation and other vehicle settings and information displays. The lower 7-inch touchscreen is mainly used for climate control and comfort settings. The interface and operating system for the infotainment is the same system that has made its debut in the completely redesigned Lexus NX. In our experience, it's a massive improvement over past Lexus systems, though not quite a class-leader. For LX buyer's looking for maximum opulence, another new trim level is the Ultra Luxury.