2008 Toyota Tundra Sr5 Extended Crew Cab Pickup 4-door 5.7l on 2040-cars

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Consumer Reports calls on Toyota to recall older Camry Hybrid models

Consumer Reports is calling on Toyota to issue an official recall of 178,000 Camry Hybrid sedans from model years 2007 to 2011, claiming that a pair of issues affecting the brakes are so dire they demand a more official action than what the company has undertaken so far.
The first issue, as CR tells it, relates to a clog in the brake-fluid reservoir filter, which if left untreated could lead to a number of dashboard warning lights. The "front brake assist could be temporarily lost," too, according to Toyota's own notice to dealers and owners of affected models. The company has issued a "service campaign" that will fit a new brake-fluid reservoir free of charge to any affected model brought to a dealer by June 30, 2017.
The other issue plaguing the fuel-sipping Camrys is being treated via a warranty extension, and focuses on the ABS brake actuator, a particularly expensive (both in terms of parts, at $1,000, and labor, around $3,000) item that is necessary for the anti-lock braking to function. There's also a related issue with the brake pedal's "stroke sensor," which like the actuator can lead to a very difficult-to-depress brake pedal. The warranty extension increases the coverage of the actuator to 10 years or 150,000 miles (whichever comes first).

These are the fastest-selling new cars of 2024

Automakers finally appear to be back on their feet after a few years of severe instability, but that hasn’t helped all of them in the sales department. iSeeCars recently released its study on the fastest- and slowest-selling new vehicles and found that some companies are moving vehicles off dealersÂ’ lots at more than twice the pace of others. Toyota was the fastest-selling new car brand between October 2023 and March 2024, moving vehicles in an average of 39.6 days. Surprisingly, Alfa Romeo came second, averaging 41.8 days on the market. Last year, we saw a list of the fastest-selling individual nameplates overall, as opposed to this study that's ranked by brand. Fastest-selling new cars of 2024 Toyota: 39.6 days on the market Alfa Romeo: 41.8 Cadillac: 43.4 Honda: 44.2 Jaguar: 44.4 Kia: 47 Hyundai: 47.1 Subaru: 49 BMW: 49.1 Mazda: 53.1 The brands moving inventory the fastest show a strong value and desirability for buyers. iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer noted, “Fast-selling brands like Toyota and Honda represent mainstream consumers seeking maximum value for their new-car dollar. Conversely, high-ranking luxury, low-volume brands like Alfa Romeo, Cadillac, and Jaguar reflect both their limited supply as well as high demand from affluent buyers willing to snap these models up shortly after they arrive on dealer lots.” Of course, there is no light without darkness, and on the other side of the list are a handful of brands struggling to move inventory. Lincoln was the slowest-selling new car company, with an average of 82.6 days to sell. Infiniti was close behind at 79.8 days, and Buick took an average of 79 days to move units. iSeeCars noted that new EVs take much longer to sell than their hybrid counterparts, at an average of 70.6 days on the market in March 2024, compared to just 49.5 for hybrids. Some of the fast-selling new brands also made the used car list. Used Hondas sold the fastest, only sitting on dealersÂ’ lots for an average of 26.1 days. LexusÂ’ used cars sat for 26.3 days, and Toyota moved its used inventory in an average of 27.4 days. By the Numbers Green Alfa Romeo Cadillac Toyota Car Buying

Automakers paying Chinese dealers for lower-than-expected sales

The Chinese dealers vs. foreign manufacturers story won't quit. It began with a story on the struggles faced by FAW-Toyota joint venture dealers, with supposedly 95 percent of the showrooms losing money, and 10 percent of them doing so poorly that they'd have to exit the business. The problem is mandated sales targets, most set when the country's economy was racing. Now that things have slowed, China's dealers are swimming in unsold cars and the costs to keep them. In the case of FAW-Toyota, dealers asked Toyota to hand over 2.2 billion yuan ($355 million) to help address the situation. That was followed by a report noting the issues that Honda, BMW, and Nissan dealers are having with the same issue, revealing that the Chinese Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) had taken the highly unusual step of writing to the Chinese government to complain. Now Reuters reports that CADA is not only pressing its case even harder, it's being open about it: it announced that BMW agreed to pay dealers 5.1 billion yuan ($820 million) to alleviate poor profits last year. Unnamed sources said Audi has thrown 2 billion yuan into the kitty for subsidies, and Daimler has contributed "about 1 billion yuan" to its dealers. The battle isn't just about 2014, but how business will be run in 2015 as well: Chinese Porsche dealers have requested the automaker lower its 2015 target of 64,000 cars, which would be a 40-percent increase on its 2014 sales of 46,931 vehicles. One analyst called it "shocking" that the CADA has taken its fight public, while CADA comments continue to imply that dealers have been railroaded to the cliff's edge without recourse. "Due to the difference in status," it's deputy secretary said, "individual dealers are not willing to, or don't dare to, talk frankly with the carmakers...." Both parties need one another, so they'll figure out a way to make it work – but that could mean acknowledging the Chinese market is behaving more like a mature one, not an emerging one. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images Earnings/Financials Audi BMW Porsche Toyota Car Dealers Luxury