Auto Trends

Tacoma Sale 018, originally uploaded by roverboy

Toyota has announced today that it will be recalling a total of 3.8 million of its vehicles, including the 2007-2010 Camry, 2005-2010 Avalon, 2004-2009 Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350, 2006-2010 Lexus IS250, and IS350.

Their greatest number of recalls prior to this was nearly 900,000 vehicles in 2005, due to front suspension defects on their Tacoma, Tundra, Sequoia, Landcruiser, and 4-Runner (May 2001- December 2003).

The 2005 issue was a serious issue involving the ball joints which tended to wear quicker than expected, causes steering issues, that could lead to a loss of control of the vehicle. Today’s recall, is a serious one, yet involves such a simple fix, that just about any consumer should be able to handle this one on their own.

The process of recall repair is as simple as these three steps:

1. Walk out to Toyota vehicle and open drivers side door.

2. Reach down and grab the drivers-side floor mat, and yank it out.

3. Do not put mat back in vehicle!

This simple recall is due to an issue reported by Toyota that involves the drivers-side mat binding itself underneath the accelerator pedal, causing it to snag and interfere with normal vehicle operation (mainly, unwanted acceleration). These accessory mats are reportedly too large for the floor area, and have already caused four occupant deaths in at least one Lexus ES.

This will be Toyota’s largest recall in its history as an automotive manufacturer, and could very well also be one of the simplest recall fixes in history! Of course, this do-it-yourself fix is only temporary, as Toyota will replace the mats once the recall notices are official. How much this will cost Toyota is unknown, but the real fear is how much it could damage their brand recognition for the future.

Source: The Car Connection

1981 Honda Accord, originally uploaded by ullyeus86

Yesterday I posted on the popularity of used vehicles in the current automotive market. However, just the same as that $1 toilet paper, used vehicles are not all created equal. Some used vehicles are at a much higher demand than others. Owning one of the high demand used vehicles is like holding a joker in your palm when you go to shake hands with the dealer.

Used trade-in’s are all doing particularly well in the current economy, but these are the top 10 used vehicles that many dealers covet (or I should rather say drool over) when dealing with trade-in’s this September, 2009…

Honda Accord-
Honda Accord’s have become a top selling vehicle in the US, both used and new. They are comfortable, sporty, affordable, and well balanced on the road. While the newer Accord’s have a bit more performance than the old, used models continue to be top performers in today’s market.

Honda Civic-
Honda Civic is the compact version of the Accord, as far as quality and affordability goes. These vehicles have really grown in popularity as the “green” movement continues to urge consumers to use less gas, while spewing less emissions.

Nissan Altima-
The Altima is the ultimate in practicality and quite possibly one of the best handling sedans out there for the price. It has not changed much over the past seven years, and if you prefer horsepower to handling, the 2002–2006 240-hp 3.5-liter V6 is still not a bad way to go.

Toyota Camry-
The 2002-2006 Camry remains a solid choice for buyers. It is roomy, dependable, safe, and yes, very practical. Buyers continue to even be interested in the 90’s generation Camry, considering 100,000 miles is considered only the half life of these sedans.

Toyota Corolla-
While the Corolla has lost some of its overall luster since its golden days, it is still a popular vehicle for used car buyers. The Corolla is affordable, long lasting (200,000-plus miles), and continues to log excellent fuel economy.

Jeep Grand Cherokee-
Those in the market for a good all around SUV, are usually not disappointed by the simple but functional offerings of the second generation (1999-2004) JGC. Reviews were most always flattering, focusing the majority of their praise on the 4.7-liter V-8 with 235 horsepower.

Chevrolet Tahoe-
Between the years 2000-2006, the Chevrolet Tahoe was one of the best made full-size SUV’s out there. It could comfortably transport up to 9 passengers, and featured two powerful engines (4.8-liter 285 horsepower, 5.3-liter 295 horsepower) that continue to provide impressive response even to today’s standards.

Dodge Charger-
A million cops can’t be wrong. 2006 brought the Charger back into the Dodge line-up, but this time it had a much more practical and family based appeal than the original muscle car. As sedan’s go, the Charger offers a lot of bang for the buck, although the V6 has a lot less buck for even less bang.

Ford Mustang-
As muscle cars go, the Ford Mustang was pretty much the only choice after the Chevrolet Camaro went by the wayside in 2002. The current (5^th generation) arguably has gained the most appeal since the 1970 302 Boss and Mach 1. The 2005-plus Mustang GT is still a top choice and a great buy with its 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque.

Nissan Maxima-
The sixth generation Maxima (2004-2008) is a reasonably popular vehicle today. While it hasn’t quite come close to the popularity of the Accord, most educated buyers know that it is still a great all around used vehicle. They came with two trim levels, the SL and the slightly sportier SE.

Sources:
Cars.com
MyRide.com

Used Cars 4562, originally uploaded by Great Laker

Times are tough. The recession has found its way into just about everyone’s life to some degree. One of the top selling consumer stores this year has been the quintessential dollar store. It is here that consumers find deals on everything from toilet paper to toothpaste, all at the healthy budget price of just $1.

Despite the troubled automotive industry, the deals on new vehicles may have been pretty good overall this summer, but not quite good enough to lure the true econo-shoppers. What many penny pincher buyers are turning to when they need a new vehicle, are used vehicles.

Popularity of Used Vehicles
Auto News reports that used car sales have increased from 36.5 million to 39 million just this year alone, and there does not appear to be any signs of this slowing down. In fact, dealers are running out of used cars and they are clamoring to get their hands on more of them.

Not only are used cars selling like hotcakes, but due to minimal new car sales, there are actually less trade-ins available on the market these days. This brings about the concept of supply and demand. Used vehicles are high demand, they are in minimal supply, so therefore they are becoming an ever increasing hot commodity.

While consumers seem to prefer used cars, many dealers share the same enthusiasm. Dealers can often receive higher profits on popular used vehicles than a modestly priced new ones. What this has caused is a veritable treasure hunt for used cars.

Got a Used Vehicle You Don’t Want… Now Maybe the Time to Sell
Traditionally, vehicle trade-ins at dealerships are not particularly profitable. You can most always get several hundred to thousand dollars more on a personal sale than a trade-in. This has changed a bit however, as dealers are finding the incentive to pay more.

Dealers are selling used vehicles for top dollar (comparative to years past), making them a much more attractive part of the overall “deal”. One might even go as far to say that dealers are desperate for used vehicles. Auto News reports that it is not an uncommon practice today for dealers to scour the classified ads for used consumer vehicles to buy.

What this all means, is if you thought Cash For Clunkers was a great trade-in incentive, you might find better incentives this month (assuming you have a popular used vehicle in reasonably good shape). Sometimes good things come to those who wait, and this might prove to be one of those times!