Toyota Issues Voluntary Recall on 94,000 2011MY Sienna Minivans

Toyota said on Monday it will conduct a voluntary safety recall of some 94,000 units of its new 2011MY Sienna minivan (built before early November 2010) because of a potential problem with the brake light switch bracket. According to the Japanese automaker, due to the proximity with the parking brake, the stop lamp switch bracket could be deformed by the driver’s foot during parking brake operation.

The company said that depending how deformed the bracket becomes, the brake lights may remain on or, if the deformation is significant, the brakes could become partially engaged due to contact from the bracket, resulting in brake drag with associated brake noise, brake vibration, and/or illumination of the brake warning light.

"No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles are involved in this recall, and Toyota is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition," the Japanese carmaker said in a statement.

Owners of the affected Sienna models will be notified about the recall in mid-January 2011, but the fix won't take place before late February due to the lack of parts.

"Owners will receive a second notice by first class mail in approximately late February, once replacement parts become available, and asked to make an appointment with any Toyota dealer to have the remedy performed at no charge," Toyota said.

From Toyota Press Release:

Customer FAQ for Sienna Stop Lamp Switch Bracket Recall

1. Which models are involved in the recall?

Toyota is recalling approximately 94,000 2011 Model Year Sienna vehicles produced before early November 2010. No other vehicles are affected by this recall.

2. What is the condition that prompted Toyota to take this action?

Due to the proximity of the stop lamp (brake light) switch bracket to the parking brake pedal when the parking brake is fully applied, the bracket could, in limited circumstances, be deformed by the driver’s food during parking brake operation.

Depending on the amount of bracket deformation, this condition could cause the brake lights to remain on. If the deformation is significant, the brakes could become partially engaged due to contact from the bracket, resulting in brake drag with associated brake noise, brake vibration, and/or illumination of the brake warning light. If this condition is not noticed and the vehicle continues to be driven, braking effectiveness could be reduced.

3. Are there any warnings that this condition has occurred?

Depending on the amount of stop lamp switch bracket deformation, drivers may notice the rear brake lights remaining “ON” and/or the brakes remaining slightly applied, resulting in brake drag with associated brake noise, brake vibration, and/or illumination of the brake warning light.

4. What is Toyota going to do to remedy this condition?

As part of this recall, Toyota dealers will replace the bracket assembly, which includes the stop lamp switch bracket, with a new one that has been redesigned to take into account the proximity of the component to the parking brake pedal.

5. Is the repair covered by warranty? Will I have to pay any money out of pocket for this repair?

This repair will be performed at no charge to the customer.

6. What should I do if my brake warning lamp is currently illuminated?

If a customer’s the brake warning lamp has illuminated, he/she is asked to please make an appointment with a local Toyota or Lexus dealership for diagnosis. If the condition is confirmed, the dealer will temporarily move the stop lamp switch bracket back to its designed position. The customer will be requested to return to the dealership when the remedy parts become available, as directed by their recall notice.

7. Does Toyota have any record of accidents or injuries related to this defect?

Toyota is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this defect.

8. What should I do if I still have questions or concerns?

If you still have questions or concerns that have not been addressed here, please contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

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Question: Will Ford keep the Flex, and Moreover, Should it?

Ford has barely been moving half of what it predicted at the low end of annual Flex sales. However, since its platform is so spread out through the FoMoCo portfolio, the Flex helps spread some costs around while giving Ford a big people-mover. But there's more to the Flex than just being a box on wheels, and not enough people get it yet.

With the new Explorer "SUV" coming out, people are insinuating that the Flex could be put down if it can't start pulling more of its weight. Some argue that the two vehicles are much too similar, both seating seven, offering AWD, and being "aimed squarely at families".

Yes, they are family cars, but for different kinds of families. Two related products with two unique customers? My goodness, good thing Ford has a marketing division.

What the naysayers don't seem to understand is that the Flex was never meant to be anything even close to Explorer competition. Those are two entirely different stories, different books, different genres. While the Explorer is still being pimped as an SUV, the Flex is Ford's answer to "What comes after the minivan?" (There's your marketing campaign, Ford). It's a stylish, premium successor to a class of vehicle that embarrassed a generation and created the dreaded Aerostar/Windstar/Freestar lineup.

In terms of character, the Flex has a lot things going for it. It is instantly recognizable, shrugged off its class's lame-o stigma, and it isn't called a minivan. Those three "bonuses" may also be its biggest problems, making it too different from its competition.

Minivan buyers, in my experience, don't seem to be interested in much more than basic functionality with some bells and whistles thrown in; that's fine. The minivan is a great tool for getting the kids to school, the dog to the groomer, and grandma over for Sunday dinners.

These are people who - no matter what the commercials push on you - usually don't need to stand out too much. Cool parents in a Toyota Sienna? Yeah, right. Ford wanted to change all that, and therein lies the problem. It scared people away by taking that big step away from friendly territory. Now they're paying for it, with Honda and Dodge slaughtering the Flex in sales.

Personal opinion: to make the transition a little easier while retaining its heritage and remaining familiar to consumers, Ford should have kept the sliding doors. They were never the problem with the minivan: everything else was.

There's no doubt the Flex will survive in the short term; as Mark Fields says, "[The Flex] is bringing in some very, very unique customers to our brand," making it significant for the time being. But can Ford's premium tourer stick around for dessert? It's up to marketing to find and convince those minivan owners or family types who are ready to take a step beyond minivan and try something different. For the sake of automotive funk, they better.

By Phil Alex

Source: Freep

What's One More? Toyota Announces Voluntary Safety Recall on 1998-2010 Sienna Minivans

In what is shaping up to be a huge corporate nightmare, Toyota today announced that it will launch yet another voluntary safety recall, this time involving approximately 600,000 first- and second-generation Sienna 2WD minivans sold in the U.S. to address potential corrosion in the spare tire carrier cable.

The Japanese automaker said that the recall affects certain 1998 through 2010 model year Siennas that have been primarily driven in cold climate areas with high road salt use.

Here's how Toyota describes the problem: "Continued prolonged exposure to road salts may cause excessive corrosion of the carrier cable in some of these vehicles. In the worst case, the carrier cable may fail and the spare tire could become separated from the vehicle, a road hazard for following vehicles that increases the likelihood of a crash."

The company said that it is currently working to develop a remedy for this condition adding that until it finds a solution, owners of the affected Sienna minivans will receive an interim notice instructing them to bring their vehicle to a dealership for a preliminary inspection.

Toyota Debuts Auto Access Seat for U.S. Market 2011 Sienna

Toyota chose the 2010 Detroit Show to unveil an Auto Access Seat designed for use in the all-new 2011 Sienna minivan, which goes on sale in the States in February 2010. The Auto Access Seat offers owners a transportation solution for elderly and disabled passengers or for that matter, anyone who may need assistance getting in or out of a vehicle.

The seat, which features a one-touch operation and has a lift capacity of up to 330 lbs, rotates 90 degrees and can be lowered to within 19 inches of the ground to further facilitate easier passenger transfers at the exact height required. It also allows up to four inches of slide travel and reclining of up to 24 degrees once the passenger is inside the car.

While we've seen most Japanese automakers offering this option in their domestic market models, Toyota is the first automaker in North America to offer a factory-installed, rotating, power ascending/descending lift-up seat in of its vehicles.

The Auto Access Seat will be available on Sienna LE and XLE models with the seat fabric matching the vehicle interior fabric. Toyota said that it will come with a three-year/36,000 mile factory warranty.