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Toyota recalls 690,000 Tacoma trucks for rusty leaf springs, fire risk

Toyota has announced that it will be issuing a recall of 690,000 Tacoma pickups from model years 2005 through 2011. The affected vehicles include both the four-wheel-drive model and the two-wheel-drive PreRunner (but not the standard 4x2 pickups), which may have a rather serious problem with their rear suspensions.
In some cases, corrosion and stress could cause one of the three or four leaves in the rear suspension's leaf springs to fracture. While the trucks can still be driven with a broken leaf, Toyota is concerned that it could move out of position and impact other components in the rear of the truck, with a particular focus on the fuel tank. Needless to say, but a piece of metal continuously impacting anything, let alone the fuel tank, is cause for concern.
As of this writing, there have been no reports of crashes, injuries, fires or deaths due to this problem, although that won't stop Toyota from informing all affected customers of the issue. Those 690,000 owners will need to report in to dealers for inspections and, if necessary, repairs.

Toyota's hydrogen fuel cell Mirai isn't good enough to be a Lexus

It looks like the first hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle from Lexus will be faster than previously advertised, but it will get to the market slower than expected. It's all part of the paradox involved with Toyota looking to broaden its fuel-cell technology beyond the Mirai. Either way, the first Lexus fuel-cell vehicle is slated to start sales by the end of the decade, said Auto Express, citing comments from Alain Uyttenhoven, head of Lexus Europe. Uyttenhoven noted that it'd take an SUV to provide enough space to accommodate the packaging for the Lexus fuel cell powertrain. That comment may imply that the hydrogen-fueled powertrain from Lexus will offer similar performance to that of the Lexus RX450h hybrid SUV. That model delivers 300 horsepower and boasts a 0 to 60 mile-per-hour time of about seven seconds. Such a mill would be a departure from what we'd previously reported on Toyota's plans to expand its fuel-cell technology to its Lexus luxury badge. With Toyota believed to be planning to unveil as many as three fuel-cell models in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the Japanese automaker said early last year that it may have a Lexus fuel-cell vehicle available as soon as 2017, while reports suggesting the model would be a Lexus LS-based sedan. Additionally, the Mirai's fuel-cell powertrain had been believed to be the platform for the proposed Lexus fuel cell from the moment that model started sales in California last year. Apparently, though, the Mirai's 152-horsepower powertrain, coupled with a full-tank range that would be about 20 percent less than the 300-mile Mirai, isn't up to snuff for Lexus duty. Related Video: News Source: Auto Express via Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Jonathon Ramsey / AOL Green Lexus Toyota Hydrogen Cars mirai

Toyota's refreshed Sai is a Lexus HS by any other name

Toyota first launched Lexus in the United States back in 1989, but it wasn't until 2005 that it brought the luxury marque home to roost. But don't think that Toyota didn't find a way of selling many of its premium models in the Japanese Domestic Market in the meantime. The Lexus LS was sold as the Toyota Celsion, the ES as the Vista and Camry Prominent, and the SC as the Soarer. (We could go on, but you get the point.)
These days Lexus sells in markets around the world, including Japan, but Toyota still spins off its own versions of Lexus models to sell domestically as well. Like the new Sai, for example. Sharing its platform, hybrid propulsion and much more with the Lexus HS (which you may remember as the world's first dedicated luxury hybrid until it was pulled from the market early last year), the Sai was introduced to Japan at the same time as the HS was rolled out around the world. Now nearly four years on the market, Toyota has given it a bit of a refresh.
Boasting a far more aggressive front end and a restyled rear, the revised Sai features LED headlights, 16-inch alloys and a higher-quality interior in which JDM buyers will find a new center console and trim, along with an optional 10-speaker infotainment system. Toyota also boasts that the new Sai is made of 20-percent Ecological Plastic and recycled resin.