The Detroit Free Press reports that Toyota has settled a class-action lawsuit brought against it by owners of Toyota and Lexus models who were refused warranty work after a buildup of oil sludge destroyed their engines.
Many owners who suffered sludge-related engine damage under warranty were informed that a lack of proper maintenance had voided them, even if they had followed Toyota’s recommended maintenance schedule. Up to 4 million vehicles from the late 1990s and early 2000s are at risk for sludge buildup, including the Toyota Camry shown at right.
The terms of the settlement include a third-party evaluator to determine what (if any) compensation owners of affected vehicles are entitled to. Toyota is also paying the owners’ legal expenses.
But Toyota refuses to acknowledge any flaw in the design of the sludge-prone engines, even as they admit that frequent maintenance may not prevent sludge buildup.
A Toyota spokesman told the Free Press that reliability is one of the automaker’s “top concerns,” and that customer satisfaction is another.
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Remember when gas was expensive? The days when we were seeing hybrid concepts by the dozen, fuel-cell vehicle concepts being developed every month, and when maybe (just maybe), the automakers were trying to find alternatives to behemoth SUVs? Even Lexus was developing a hybrid supercar. Memories of NYIAS 2003, perhaps?
Funny thing is, gas prices were lower back then! What does today’s unveiling of Lexus’ V10-powered LF-A concept mean to the automotive industry? In one sense, enthusiasts should be receptive to Lexus’ realization that the enthusiast community has been ignored by the marque since the demise of the SC300/400 models of the 1990s. But in another sense, does this mean that the horsepower/cylinder wars have pushed fuel efficiency to the back burner once again?
In 2003, Lexus introduced the V8-powered LF-Sh concept, a breakthrough in hybrid technology for larger vehicles. This year, they arrived in Detroit with a V10 naturally aspirated engine making over 500HP. It has also been given a green light for the production line, and may appear in 2008 to compete for sales with Porsche and Aston Martin. Has the American consumer “forgotten” that fuel prices are still sky-high compared to prices a few years ago? Are people willing to simply accept that gas may once again break the $3/gallon barrier? Strong sales of SUVs that are lucky to achieve highway mileage of 20MPG might suggest just that, but in this case, the American makes are pushing more electrified vehicles (like the Chevy Volt) and German makes are slowly grooming the American market for newer, faster, cleaner diesel offerings - VW and Mercedes are already offering versions of their popular Passat, Jetta, and E-Class models here.
2007 should have been a breakout year for new, technologically advanced hybrid systems from brands such as Toyota, known for manufacturing vehicles that achieve good fuel mileage. This should have been the year when German makes heavily marketed their efficient new diesel offering to the U.S. consumer, and a year when American makes focused on changing their image from producers of guzzling monsters to attractive, well-built, well-handling cars. Instead, it appears we’re left with a $100,000 V10 vehicle that no one will buy, and a plug-in electric Chevy that will probably never make it to the market.