Congratulations Erica and John!

Road Trip: 'The Toyota City Diaries,' A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Safety and Quality Efforts

One of the great guiding traditions here at Toyota is “genchi genbutsu”, which roughly translates into “go and see where work is done in order to gain fuller understanding.” Very much in that spirit, Toyota is conducting a safety and quality news media tour of our global headquarters in Japan this week.

This tour will offer a group of about a dozen top-level automotive reporters and analysts a deep dive into a wide variety of Toyota’s safety and quality processes, including our company’s technology, innovation, procedures and plants. Specifically, it was designed to provide an unprecedented level of “behind-the-scenes” access to the nuts and bolts of how Toyota helps ensure the safety and quality of its vehicles in engineering and development.

I’m particularly looking forward to visiting what many consider to be the most advanced automotive facility in the world, the Higashi-Fuji Technical Center. Here, we will try out a NASA-style driving simulator and witness a vehicle crash test, among other activities. It promises to be pretty big on the “wow factor.”

Over the next several days, I’ll be posting stories about some of our experiences and the things I am learning. I look forward to sharing them with you.

Kristen Tabar
General Manager, Electronic Systems
Toyota Technical Center, Michigan, USA

Toyota Sets Start-Up Date for Mississippi Plant

New Plant to Build Corolla Beginning inFall 2011

BLUE SPRINGS, Mississippi (June 17, 2010) – Toyota is resuming construction of its Mississippi plant, which will soon hire 2,000 team members and build the Corolla compact sedan beginning in the fall of 2011.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour plans to visit Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi (TMMMS) today to meet with Northeast Mississippi community leaders and Toyota officials.

This decision to begin production with Corolla enables TMMMS to open as quickly as possible. Also, by beginning production with Corolla, nearly all Corolla for this market will be built in North America. Some of the Corolla for North America have been built in Japan since April.

“Toyota appreciates the patience of Gov. Barbour and all Mississippians, but we first needed to fully utilize our existing facilities as the economy slowed. Now it’s time to fulfill Toyota’s promise in Mississippi,” said Yoshimi Inaba, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor North America. “Toyota remains committed to making vehicles where we sell them and to maintaining a substantial manufacturing presence in North America.”

The TMMMS building is essentially complete. Most of the remaining work involves the installation of equipment. The administration office is already occupied by about 60 team members. Details about the hiring process will be divulged later this summer.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) established operations in North America in 1957 and currently operates 13 manufacturing plants. There are more than 1,800 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealerships in North America which sold more than 2.05 million vehicles in 2009. Toyota directly employs more than 35,000 in North America and its investment here is currently valued at more than $23 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design. Toyota's annual purchasing of parts, materials, goods and services from North American suppliers totals more than $25 billion. Toyota currently produces 12 vehicles in North America, including the Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sienna, Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra, Venza and the Lexus RX 350. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Toyota Motor Sales Earns Six Segment Awards to Lead All Manufacturers in J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Initial Quality Study

• Lexus Ties for Most Segment Awards of Any Nameplate
• Production Facilities Earn Top Honors in Asia and North America
• Recent Recalls Impact Overall Toyota Ranking

TORRANCE, Calif., June 17, 2010 -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced that its Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands received a combined six segment awards in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS), more than any other manufacturer.

“We are very pleased to have earned the six segment awards and by the strong showing of our Lexus brand and the Scion xB in the 2010 IQS,” said Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer, TMS. “However, the 2010 study was conducted at the height of intense media coverage of Toyota’s and Lexus’ recalls earlier this year, so we anticipated an impact on this specific ranking of these vehicles.”

Lentz continued: “The IQS 90-day feedback is one measurement – along with warranty claims, long-term durability, resale value and buyer loyalty – that helps us gauge the overall quality of our products. We stand behind our strong performance in these and other areas and remain firmly committed to ensuring the superior quality, safety and long-term value of our cars and trucks.”

Lexus LS Shows Fewest Quality Problems in the Industry

Lexus ranked fourth among all nameplates in the 2010 IQS with 88 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). Among individual models, the Lexus LS earned the distinction of fewest quality problems in the industry, with just 55 PP100.

Lexus also captured three segment awards to tie for the most awards of any nameplate in this year’s study. These include the Lexus GS for Midsize Premium Car, the Lexus GX 460 for Midsize Premium Crossover/SUV, and the Lexus LS 460 for Large Premium Car. This is the third year in a row that the LS had placed first in its segment and the 10^th time in 13 years that the LS has been at the top of its segment.

Toyota Receives Two Segment Awards, but Recent Recalls Impact Overall Rank

Reflecting heightened customer awareness of Toyota’s recent recalls, the Toyota nameplate PP100 increased in this year’s study by 16 PP100 to 117 PP100 resulting in a ranking of 21.

At the same time, the FJ Cruiser received the segment award for the Compact Crossover/SUV, while the Sienna ranks highest in the Midsize Van segment for the second year in row.

With the exception of the Highlander, all of the TMS models involved in the company’s recent recalls experienced an increase in reported issues, while those not involved in the recalls, taken together, showed an overall improvement over 2009.

Scion Continues to Rise in the Ranks

The Scion nameplate moved up again in this year’s study, from 20^th to 18^th with 114 PP100, an improvement of four PP100. The Scion xB earned the 2010 segment award for Compact Multipurpose Vehicle, while the Scion tC improved by 10 PP100 to 109 PP100.

Production Facilities Earn Top Honors

Toyota production facilities once again took the top three honors in the Asia Pacific region for 2010. The Kyushu 2 plant (IS line, ES 350, RX line) earned the Gold Award with 32 PP100; the Tahara 3 plant (GS line, IS sedans, LS 460) earned the Silver Award with 33 PP100; and the Kyushu 1 plant (HS 250h, RX line) earned the bronze award with 37 PP100.

For the North and South America region, the Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, plant (RX 350) earned a Gold Award with 30 PP100.

Toyota Segment Awards Chart

Model	IQS Segment	Problems per 100
Lexus LS 460	Large Premium Car	55
Lexus GS	Midsize Premium Car	75
Toyota FJ Cruiser	Compact Crossover/SUV	83
Lexus GX 460	Midsize Premium Crossover/SUV	84
Toyota Sienna	Midsize Van	102
Scion xB	Compact Multipurpose Vehicle	108

Keeping it in the family!

Floral Arranging Expert Abigail Watkins found this 2009 Scion TC Release 5.0 on our website and became its proud owner without ever setting foot in the showroom! Having had a TC before she was so pumped about acquiring the "RS" that she shot these photos!

Also, she got the word to her niece who is serving with the Marines in Iraq and we're trying to hook her up with her own TC Release 6.0! Stay tuned!

Toyota Demands Retraction and Apology From ABC News Over Manufactured Death Ride

Edmunds.com Announces Million Dollar Prize for Unintended Acceleration

Edmunds.com Announces Million Dollar Prize for Unintended Acceleration

Scion Release Series on Facebook

Letter from the General Manager

Dear Valued Berlin City Toyota of Portland Toyota Customer:

Toyota Motor Sales recently announced that it will temporarily suspend sales and production of eight Toyota models affected by a sticking accelerator pedal mechanism. In rare instances, accelerators may mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position.

Toyota made this decision on their own and not at the specific direction of a government agency – demonstrating it is a manufacturer committed to quality, reliability and customer safety.

Only vehicles manufactured in North America are involved. The vehicles involved are : 2005-2010 Avalon, 2009-2010 Matrix, 2009-2010 Corolla, 2009-2010 Rav4, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2008-2010 Sequoia, 2007-2010 Camry, and 2010 Highlander. VIN numbers that start with “JT” are not involved. We currently have over 150 new Toyotas available that are not affected by this campaign.

The condition is:

Over time, some accelerator pedal mechanisms may become worn. As a result of this wear combined with certain operating and environmental conditions, friction in the mechanism may increase and intermittently result in the accelerator pedal being hard to depress, slow to return or, in the worst case, stick in a partially open position. Toyota is in the process of preparing the remedy for the involved vehicles.

If you experience a sticking accelerator pedal while driving, Toyota recommends:

If you need to stop immediately, the vehicle can be controlled by stepping on the brake pedal with both feet using firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brake pedal as it will deplete the vacuum utilized for power brake assist.

Shift the transmission gear selector to the Neutral (N) position and used the brakes to make a controlled stop at the side of the road and turn off the engine.

If unable to put the vehicle in Neutral, turn the engine off. This will not cause loss of steering or brake control, but the power assist to these systems will be lost.

If the vehicle is equipped with an Engine Start/Stop button, firmly and steadily push the button for at least three seconds to turn off the engine. Do NOT tap the Engine Start/Stop button.

If the vehicle is equipped with a conventional key-ignition, turn the ignition key to the ACC position to turn off the engine. Do NOT remove the key from the ignition as this will lock the steering wheel.

Contact us for assistance.

If you have further questions regarding this recall you can contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331

We at Berlin City Toyota of Portland want to make sure you know we are here to resolve any service issues involving your vehicle. You are the most important aspect of our business. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at Berlin City at 207-321-3477.

Once again we are here to serve you, answer any of your questions and resolve any issues to your complete satisfaction. We appreciate your business, patience and loyalty.

Sincerely,

Eric Johnson

General Manager

Berlin City Toyota Scion Lexus of Portland