2010 Toyota Matrix Hatchback Auxiliary Input Tpms Rear Defrost Traction Control on 2040-cars

Auto blog

5,000 Toyota Prius V models recalled due to airbag issue

Toyota has issued a recall of roughly 5,000 Prius V hybrids. All of the affected vehicles are from model years 2014 and 2015. The problem with the hybrid MPVs centers on its Occupant Classification System. According to the company, the OCS is responsible for activating and deactivating the passenger's side airbag, and in the affected models, the system may not have been calibrated correctly. Should a crash occur, the passenger front airbag may not deploy. The company reports there have been no injuries or fatalities related to the OCS faulty calibration. Owner will be notified and will, naturally, be asked to report in for a free recalibration. TOYOTA RECALLS CERTAIN 2014-2015 MODEL YEAR PRIUS V VEHICLES TORRANCE, Calif. – Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., today announced plans to conduct a safety recall of approximately 5,000 Model Year 2014-2015 Prius V vehicles. In the involved vehicles, the front passenger seat is equipped with an Occupant Classification System (OCS), which activates / deactivates the passenger seat air bag system depending on the weight of the seat occupant. There is a possibility that some OCS's may not have been calibrated properly during the vehicle manufacturing process. Under some conditions, this could result in no deployment of an airbag, increasing the risk of an injury to a front seat passenger in the event of crash. Toyota is not aware of any injuries or fatalities caused by this condition. Owners of the involved vehicles will receive a notification by first class mail. Toyota dealers will recalibrate the Occupant Classification System properly. Detailed information is available at www.toyota.com/recall and by calling Toyota Customer Service at 1-800-331-4331. ###

BMW could have a fuel cell vehicle by 2020

The Ultimate Driving Machine may start emitting water vapor, which may not thrill gearheads but could be good for the environment. BMW may have a hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle to sell as soon as the end of the decade, UK's Auto Express says, citing people familiar with the process that it didn't identify. And the model will likely be sold within the i sub-brand that includes the i3 electric vehicle and the i8 plug-in hybrid. "We are working on fuel cell development, but we are not able to comment on vehicle plans at this stage or timing at this point," BMW spokesman Dave Buchko wrote in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen on Thursday. Chatter about a potential BMW fuel-cell vehicle has been getting louder in recent months. Late last year, Autocar reported that BMW was mulling using Toyota's fuel-cell system for a version of what would be called the i5 (all the better to quietly cruise the interstate running up and down the West Coast, we guess). BMW and Toyota have been working together on accelerating the development of fuel-cell technology since 2013. Toyota has since made good on the effort of selling fuel-cell vehicles by introducing the Mirai in Japan last year and is preparing to start sales in California later this year. But BMW has been mum, so far. Featured Gallery 2014 BMW i3: First Drive View 33 Photos News Source: Auto Express via Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Green BMW Toyota Hydrogen Cars i5

Toyota investing $200M in Southern manufacturing

Over the past two years, Toyota has invested more than $2 billion at its North American production facilities, and it apparently doesn't plan on stopping there. To keep up with recent strong sales, Toyota is investing an additional $200 million at its engine plants in the Southern US to increase production capacity of its V6 engines.
The bulk of this money ($150 million) will go to expand Toyota's engine plant in Huntsville, AL, which is currently responsible for supplying engines - four-cylinder, V6 and V8 - to eight of Toyota's 12 domestically produced vehicles. That includes the best-selling Toyota Camry (shown above).
Toyota didn't say exactly what improvements are being made to the plant, but this follows last year's $80 million investment in the plant that is set to be completed by next year raising the engine capacity to 750,000 annual units including 362,000 V6s. The remaining $50 million will go to the casting plants of Toyota-owned Bodine Aluminum in Missouri and Tennessee, which supply engine blocks and cylinder heads to the Huntsville engine plant as well as others in Kentucky and West Virginia. Scroll down below for the official press release.