‘Toyota defense’ frees US man jailed in fatal car crash
A Minnesota man convicted in a fatal car crash was freed from prison after a judge ordered a new trial to examine evidence about Toyota’s “sticky” accelerator pedals, local media reported.

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Driver in fatal Toyota crash is freed from prison
Koua Fong Lee, whose case was reopened in light of Toyota’s sudden-acceleration problems, won’t be retried. He said he was braking before the 2006 crash in Minnesota that left three dead. A man who spent more than 2 1/2 years in prison for a fatal Toyota crash walked free Thursday after his case was reopened and a prosecutor chose not to retry him following the automaker’s widely publicized …

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Defense in fatal Toyota crash alleges mistakes
Associated Press – June 11, 2010 10:24 AM ET ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The defense lawyer for a Minnesota man imprisoned for a fatal crash involving a Toyota says his original attorney made…

Read more on WKBT La Crosse

Ky. woman sues Toyota over deadly crash
A Louisville woman is blaming a Toyota Camry’s unexpected acceleration for a crash that killed her son last year.

Read more on WKYT Lexington

Brand new year calls for an analysis of the previous year’s performance for the benefit of improvement. In the automotive industry, Toyota and Honda stand on the bright side of 2006. Said automakers experienced a rewarding increase in sales. On the contrary, GM and Ford stand on the bleak abyss of the industry because of sales doldrums.

GM reported US sales of 4.1 million vehicles in 2006, down by 8.7 percent from 2005. The decrease is attributed to the shift of market demand in favor of small cars. GM is famed for its sophisticated sport utility vehicles and pickups. Enthusiasts believe that 2005 GMC truck accessories are manufactured with excellence just like other auto parts from the automaker.

Paul Ballew, chief sales analyst of GM said, “It was a challenging one. It’s a year that came in below expectations and deviated from our plans at the start of the year.” In December, GM reported a 13 percent drop in sales. According to the automaker the decline was due in part to sticking with GM’s decision to lower rental fleet vehicles sales and other marginally profitable sales. Ford parts accessories did not show any luring effect. According to some enthusiasts, Ford’s 2006 reports aren’t likely to help the ailing automaker.

Ford also reported sales of 2.9 million vehicles, 7.9 percent down compared to 2005 sales. For the month of December, Ford vehicle sales was down by 12.8 percent – 9.9 percent for cars and 14.0 for trucks.

On the bright side of 2006, Toyota and Honda enjoy a gratifying increase in sales. Toyota’s sales were up by over 12 percent in December and for the entire year. Consumers purchased 2.54 million cars and trucks with the Toyota, Scion or Lexus brand name. Leading Toyota sales is its Camry that retains its title as the best-selling car in America. There are 448,445 Camrys sold in 2006, about 3.9 percent up from 2005 sales. 05 Toyota Camry accessories are playing significant part in making the vehicle a top-seller.

Jim Lentz, executive vice president for Toyota Motor Sales USA said, “2006 was a respectable year for the industry if you consider the strain of erratic fuel prices and a housing bubble on an industry weaning itself from incentives.”

With regards to Honda, its December sales fell by 0.8 percent but its 2005 sales were up by 3.2 percent. According to Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda, the automaker has benefited from having a line-up of fuel-efficient vehicles.

The parking lot of Paramount’s Kings Island was swarmed by hundreds of teenagers with their parents to get a free crash course offered by one of today’s auto giants – Toyota Motor Corp. The 4-hour program by the automaker entitled Driving Expectations featured manifold driving courses and interactive classroom sessions. The highlights of which include the talk about the dangers on the road.

“Toyota hosts the program five times a year in different parts of the country as a way to create a safer driving community,” said Michael Rouse, corporate manager in philanthropy and community affairs. “We make some of the safest cars on the road. But cars are only as safe as the drivers behind the wheel.”

The hands-on portion of the crash course lets the teens and their parents to have a driving experience behind the wheel of brand new Toyota cars such as Prius and Scion. The participants experienced skidding with anti-lock brakes while being disturbed by the passenger as well as surprise elements.

The 2006 Toyota Prius parts have undergone several minor cosmetic changes. To make the new model more desirable, it was given optional features like advanced airbags, an upgraded audio system, a rear-view camera, and a higher-resolution LCD display. Consequently, a Touring Edition is made available in the most recent model. The latter features larger rear spoiler, 7-spoke 16″ alloy wheels with plastic hub cab cover, and a firmer European tuned suspension, standard high-intensity-discharged (HID) headlights and integrated foglights. Further, advanced side-curtain airbags were made standard on all models.

Scion (pronounced SY-en), on the other hand, is designed to be dependent and distinctive. Yet, Scion performance parts deliver a link to Toyota heritage. “Toyota’s formation of genesis in 1998 marked the beginning of a quest to connect with an emerging new buyer group in the marketplace,” says Jim Lentz, TMS vice president, Scion. “Scion will act as a complement to the Toyota-brand banner by targeting an important portion of this consumer group who actively seek out the newest trends in style and innovation. Scion will target consumers who are well aware of, and may even covet, Toyota’s strong heritage of quality.”

The crash course also featured local residents who are car accident survivors. They talked about their past experiences to inspire teens and parents instill safety and precaution in driving. “The Toyota program not only gives teenagers valuable experience in various driving situations, but gives parents the tools they need to become better driving coaches,” says Elizabeth Perry, Toyota’s spokeswoman.