Category Archives: Toyota

Honda and Toyota expected to bounce back after earthquake sooner than anticipated

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Posted in Toyota

When the Japanese earthquake first hit, many analysts believed that the major automakers in Japan – Honda, Toyota and Nissan – wouldn't be back to full production levels until the end of the year. That was seemingly confirmed by the automakers themselves in their projections.

However, it's now been revealed that Honda and Toyota may be back to normal levels in the near future. Originally targeting the end of the year as their return to full production, the automakers have been ramping up manufacturing as of late and appear to be well ahead of schedule. That's definitely true at Nissan, which has said that it doesn't anticipate the earthquake to have any lingering effects on the brand.

"April is likely to be the bottom and we might see back-to-normal production levels in July or August," Yoshihiko Tabei, chief analyst at Kazaka Securities, told Reuters. "Some parts suppliers say they are resuming full production in June in time for automakers' summer operations. And the widely anticipated disruption in power supply during summer is not likely to have a big impact on production."

This is good news for car buyers, as less production means higher prices on Japan-only models. Drivers looking for a discount on a new or used car should consider New Jersey State Auto Auction which offers a wide range of both domestics and imports.

IIHS names six small cars as “Top Safety Picks”

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Posted in Ford, Hyundai, Nissan, Toyota

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety routinely tests batches of vehicles to determine its "Top Safety Picks," an award that's been coveted by the automotive industry in the past. The group recently took a look at 13 small cars and crossovers, and found that six were worthy of the prestigious title.

Of the cars tested, only the Ford Focus, Toyota Prius, Nissan Juke, Lexus CT200h, Hyundai Elantra and Honda Civic were able to perform well enough to receive the award. The IIHS maintains that all vehicles must earn the highest rating of "good" on front, side, rear and rollover tests to qualify.

This tough requirement can lead to disappointment for some brands, as the Honda Insight and CR-Z found out in this round of testing. Both cars earned good ratings on all tests except the rollover, where they were merely "acceptable." Similarly, the Scion xD had three good tests, save for an "acceptable" front impact crash.

Other models, such as the Suzuki SX4 and Dodge Caliber, did not fare as well, with multiple tests deemed merely "acceptable" and even a few "marginal" thrown in.

If you're in the market for a safe and reliable vehicle that won't break the bank, check out New Jersey State Auto Auction. They have many "Top Safety Picks" of past and present available at reasonable prices.
 

Report: Japanese automakers stand to lose sales because of earthquake

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Posted in General Auto News, Toyota

New research shows that Japanese automakers stand to lose nearly 200,000 sales to competitors due to the lingering effects of last month's massive earthquake.

Toyota, Nissan and Honda are still dealing with supply chain issues as they try to source parts from manufacturers that were badly damaged by the quake. That's led to a major production slowdown that is affecting their ability to deliver vehicles to the U.S.

Because of this, a new A.T. Kearney report sees U.S. buyers turning elsewhere. In total, the Japanese manufacturers could lose 193,000 new car sales to competitors from the U.S. and Europe. That may sound like a drop in the bucket when the total sales for the year is projected to be above 13 million, but given the extremely competitive nature of the auto industry, the difference is significant.

"It's a pretty big deal in a very highly competitive market," said Dan Cheng, A.T. Kearney's automotive branch head.

New car prices continue to be high because of the limited supply in the wake of the earthquake and high gas prices driving up demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. Drivers looking to save money should head to New Jersey State Auto Auction and shop used cars, which are typically much cheaper.
 

First pipeline-supported hydrogen station opens in California

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Toyota

Automakers have always said that the key hurdle for adoption of hydrogen vehicles is a refueling infrastructure, and the country took a baby step forward today with the launch of the first pipeline-fed hydrogen refueling station, located in Southern California.

California has been an early adopter of the technology, and there are estimated to be a few hundred hydrogen-powered vehicles on the road. Honda leases the FCX Clarity, a hydrogen car, to drivers in SoCal for this reason.

Obviously, that doesn't leave a very big market for customers. Refueling stations do exist, but they are not fed by a constant pipeline. This new facility, located amid a cluster of automotive companies like Toyota, will not only be open to customers, but it will provide hydrogen free of charge. That's right – hydrogen car owners in this part of the country can essentially drive for free.

Other than that, the station will mainly be shared by the major automakers as they develop test fleets for their upcoming hydrogen vehicles. Honda's FCX Clarity may be the best-known model now, but Toyota, Hyundai and GM all plan to have a commercially-available hydrogen model available by 2015.

In the meantime, drivers looking for fuel-efficient, eco-friendly vehicles may want to check out the used cars at New Jersey State Auto Auction, which offers a wide range of models.
 

Prices rise for fuel efficient cars

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Posted in General Auto News, Toyota

A new report from Kelley Blue Book (KBB), the used car pricing guide, is showing rising values for fuel-efficient models, as more Americans look for vehicles that will help them save some money at the pump.

The KBB Market Report for May 2011 indicates that these cars are in high demand and are driving up used car prices very quickly. As compared to January of this year, prices on average are up 20 percent across the fuel-efficient market segment. And with gas prices remaining high, KBB doesn't predict that these prices will be dropping off anytime soon.

For example, the report shows that drivers looking to buy a used Toyota Prius will be paying $3,800 more than they would have in January, due to a combination of both the gas crisis and an expected short supply of the vehicles because of the Japanese earthquake. The Ford Fusion saw a similar price jump at $1,800 over its January value.

Of course, the pendulum swings both ways, and dealers are also paying a lot more for fuel-efficient vehicles. If you've been thinking about trading your Prius or another fuel-efficient car, there's no better time to do so, as you could end up getting a great deal.

Toyota predicts production woes until December

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Posted in Toyota

Toyota has issued a statement warning consumers and dealers that its production levels will likely not return to normal until November or December, as the fallout from the Japanese earthquake continues to take its toll.

The automaker says that its factories in Japan are currently operating at 50 percent of their normal output, while American plants are at 30 percent. The primary reason is a lack of parts: many suppliers that the automaker relied upon were heavily damaged in the earthquake. While Toyota's plants were largely spared by the disaster, getting the parts to make the vehicles has proven difficult.

"To all the customers who made the decision to buy a vehicle made by us, I sincerely apologize for the enormous delay in delivery," Akio Toyoda, the company president, said in the statement. "Our entire company is committed to solving the problems before us so that we can achieve production recovery even one day sooner."

The shortage could cause vehicle prices to spike over the summer when cars are in short supply. If you're in the market for a vehicle, you may want to consider buying now. New Jersey State Auto Auction offers a wide variety of cars for sale at affordable prices.

Toyota warns dealers of possible shortages

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Toyota

Automakers and dealers continue to deal with the aftermath of the recent earthquake in Japan, and the latest word is that car dealers may be facing some seriously short supplies come summertime.

Up to this point, most of the news revealed by automakers has been with regards to temporary plant closings and stoppages in production. While not a good sign, these announcements did not directly confirm that dealers could expect a shortage of vehicles for the coming months. However, Toyota has released a memo that speaks to exactly that fact.

"Toyota will be producing new vehicles at significantly reduced levels," Bob Carter, group vice president of U.S. sales, wrote in a memo to dealers. "What we don’t know are vehicle production levels for May through July. The potential exists that supply of new vehicles could be significantly impacted this summer."

The memo does it make clear whether the issues are only affecting Toyota or all automakers. Toyota will lose production of at least 35,000 cars and trucks at its North American factories due to stoppages in March and April. It's unclear how many cars will be lost because of production stoppages in Japan.

Drivers interested in a used Toyota or any other vehicle may want to head to New Jersey State Auto Auction soon, before the model that they have their eye on ends up becoming tough to find.

Toyota unveils Scion FR-S

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Toyota

Toyota has released new images of its Scion FR-S rear-wheel drive sports car, while confirming that the vehicle will be coming to the U.S. in 2012.

First known as the FT-86 Concept, the car originally appeared at an auto show in 2009, with no timetable for production. The car is the result of a joint venture between Toyota and Subaru to develop a 2 + 2 coupe to fill a hole in their lineups. Toyota's version of the vehicle has an aggressive, swooping front end and sleek styling, inline with the youth-oriented Scion brand. No performance information has been released, but it will reportedly be priced at $25,000 to compete with models like the Camaro and Mustang.

Subaru has not yet unveiled its production version of the vehicle, only showing off the chassis at the recent Geneva Auto Show with a translucent body that is unlikely to be seen in the final design. According to Edmunds, it may only be available in Europe.

Waiting for Toyota to release this new coupe will likely take some time, but if drivers are sold on this sleek-looking vehicle already, they might want to consider purchasing a used car in the meantime. New Jersey State Auto Auction offers a wide range of cars for sale at low prices that can easily tide drivers over until the FT-86 hits.
 

More Japanese automakers announce changes due to earthquake

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Toyota

More news seems to be coming in every day on the effects that the Japanese earthquake has had on automakers around the world, and analysts are still not sure quite how widespread the problems will be. However, recent word from the automakers involved seems to indicate that issues will continue for quite some time.

"We have no idea how bad this really is. The one thing I'm absolutely certain of is that everything is completely uncertain," Rebecca Lindland, veteran auto analyst at IHS Automotive, told USA Today.

Although the full extent of the complications may not be completely known, automakers have given some indication of what the future problems could be. Honda announced that it will be adjusting production levels at many of its North American factories, in some cases slashing hours in half. Subaru also announced that it will be cutting production at many plants.

Toyota, meanwhile, has said that workers should expect "some production interruptions" at the manufacturer's North American plants, although it has yet to make any official announcements. Still, the automaker took steps to address the shortage of critical parts that many manufacturers seem to be suffering from. Toyota has placed restrictions on dealers ordering parts for their repair shops, hoping to cut down on franchises panicking and "hoarding" parts.

With production levels down, it's possible dealers could be seeing vehicle shortages in the near future. Drivers planning on purchasing a vehicle may want to act sooner rather than later.
 

Japanese automakers recovering from earthquake effects

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Posted in Auto Industry News, Toyota

After the devastation of the March 11th earthquake forced many automakers to suspend production, speculation has run rampant over what the effects would be on the auto industry. Some analysts believe that the disaster will amount to nothing more than a minor hiccup, while others predicted some major shortages for popular models.

Several of the big-name Japanese automakers recently provided updates on their production schedules in the wake of the disaster. Toyota has announced that it will resume production on the Prius and two Lexus hybrid models based on the same platform, somewhat quelling fears of a shortage on the popular hybrid. The automaker predicts that some U.S. plants may have to shut down temporarily, however, as getting parts to the factories may be difficult.

Nissan, meanwhile, is telling its dealers to expect normal, routine service from the company. The automaker is taking orders for May as normal and doesn't anticipate any delays in the delivery of models. The company also says that most dealers have a healthy stock of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles already.

Honda is continuing to suspend production at its two major auto production plants through April 3rd, when it will reassess the situation.

Drivers in the market for a Toyota, Nissan, Honda or any other vehicle may want to shop at New Jersey State Auto Auction, which offers various models from all of these brands at affordable prices.