2002 Toyota 4runner 4dr Sr5 Sport 3.4l Automatic 4wd on 2040-cars

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Toyota sudden acceleration class action may cover 22 million owners

A total of 22.6 million current and former Toyota owners have been sent notices that they may be eligible to receive compensation from the automaker for damages related to the unintended acceleration fiasco that has dominated headlines in 2009 and 2010. The total payout may be as high as $1.63 billion, according to The Detroit News.
Steve Berman, a lawyer for the owners, calls the potential deal "a landmark, if not a record, settlement in automobile defects class action litigation in the United States." Still, there's some debate about whether or not Toyota's proposed settlement is fair, as it includes $30 million for safety research and driver education programs - in other words, Toyota seems to be suggesting that drivers need more education on how to drive their correctly working and fully functional vehicles. For those keeping track, Toyota would also be paying lawyer fees of $200 million.
A US District Judge in California is scheduled to hold a so-called "fairness hearing" on June 14 that could decide the fate of this particular settlement. Further courtroom wrangling will be required to hash out any wrongful death suits levied against Toyota stemming from unintended acceleration claims, as those are not part of this class-action suit.

Refreshed 2013 Toyota Landcruiser Prado gets official [w/video]

We'd seen leaked images of the the refreshed 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, now Toyota has deemed it officially ready for the European masses it is aimed at. We can only hope the masses are ready for that grille, probably the most intense of the many changes made to the volcano-eating truck. The new face and its "powerfully projecting vertical bars" were designed to "accentuate the new Toyota's rugged appearance," as if the legendarily capable SUV wasn't rugged enough. Other changes include redesigned headlight clusters, stronger character lines along the sides, new taillights and license plate "garnish" in back, and a slew of new wheel choices. Both the three- and five-door are 20 millimeters longer, all of that in the front overhang, but the approach angle apparently hasn't changed.
The new organization of trims runs from Entry to Legend, Prestige and Executive. The interior has been reorganized with better seats in the second and third rows, a new upper center console, a redesigned panel for controlling on- and off-road driving functions, reworked Optitron meters with a 4.2-inch LCD screen, and new switchgear, fabrics and color schemes. Infotainment has been upgraded with Toyota Touch 2 and Toyota Touch 2 with Go. They mirror your smartphone if said phone happens to be either a Samsung Galaxy S3 or Galaxy Note 2.
On-road driving dynamics have been improve with suspension changes, and a Rear Cross Traffic Alert added to the suite of safety features for maneuvering the beast. When it comes to the Land Cruiser's real reason for being, the five Multi-terrain Select choices and five-step Crawl Control are more easily used with a Multi-terrain Monitor reworked for more clarity.

Toyota recalls 4,000 Tacoma pickups over valve springs

When you build as many cars and trucks as Toyota does, you're bound to run into the occasional recall. In the past month alone, the Japanese auto giant has recalled over 800,000 Camry, Avalon and Venza models over problems with the air-conditioning units, and 10,000 more before that over windshield wiper issues. Now Toyota has issued another recall notice, but this time for far fewer vehicles.
The recall revolves around the engine valve springs in the 2013 and 2014 Tacoma, specifically those fitted with the standard 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine and not the optional 4.0-liter V6. The issue is that the valve springs are prone to cracking and breaking over time, and results from improper maintenance of the manufacturing equipment used by one of the two suppliers that outfit Toyota with the components in question.
All told, some 4,000 vehicles will be subject to the voluntary recall, the owners of which will receive notice by mail. If you think that could be you and want to get a jump on the problem, you can read the announcement below and call Toyota yourself.