Toyota Recalls 14,480 Vehicles Over Fuel Pump Fault 

A potentially deadly fuel pump fault has triggered the recall of thousands of Toyota C-HR vehicles. The flaw could cause serious engine bay fires resulting in death or injury.  If drivers can smell a fuel odour that is a warning sign.  The recall is for 14,480 vehicles sold between 2019 and 2023. “The internal components of the fuel pump may wear and fracture the welded area of the fuel pump, which could lead to a fuel leak in the engine compartment,” the federal Department of Transport recall said. “A fuel leak in the engine compartment may result in an engine bay fire. “A vehicle fire could increase the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants, other road users or bystanders.” C-HR Petrol (NGX10 & NGX50) variants are the makes at risk and this includes the C-HR 2WD 1.2L Petrol model, and the C-HR AWD 1.2L Petrol model. Owners of those vehicles should book in for a free fuel pump replacement.  ‘Toyota will contact affected owners in writing, requesting they make an appointment at their preferred Toyota dealer who will inspect and if necessary replace the fuel pump, free of charge,’ the recall notice said.  Similar fuel pump issues also plagued the model before a 2021 recall was ordered for 7669 affected vehicles sold between 2019 and 2021. Last week hundreds of Toyota Klugers were recalled after a major safety issue was found with the vehicle’s airbags. The safety issue affected 625 vehicles in the range of the 2023 Kluger Petrol models TXUA70 and TXUA75. The safety issue also extends to several other variants of the car’s model including the Kluger 2.4L Petrol 2WD, Kluger 2.4L Petrol AWD, Kluger Hybrid 2.5L.  An alert which was put out by the Department of Infrastructure and Transport said the airbags inside the vehicle have the tendency to get loose over time. ‘The driver side airbag wiring harness connection may become loose over time. As a result, the airbag warning light will illuminate and the driver side airbag will not deploy,’ the alert says. The issue could stop the airbags from working if the listed models of the car are involved in a crash.

Toyota Suspends Production In Japan

Toyota has announced the partial suspension of its production in Japan following an explosion at one of its supplier’s plants. The incident occurred at a Chuo Spring factory in Aichi Prefecture, prompting Toyota to halt ten production lines across six of its factories. While the suspension is expected to be temporary, the automaker is conducting assessments to determine when production can safely resume. This disruption comes after Toyota briefly halted its domestic production due to a server issue. The company has 14 assembly plants in Japan, where it manufactures vehicles for both domestic and international markets. While these recent setbacks are inconvenient, Toyota’s reputation for quality and efficiency suggests that they will likely be able to recover quickly and continue meeting the strong global demand for their vehicles. Toyota remains a cornerstone of Japan’s manufacturing industry, and any disturbances in its operations have implications for the broader economy.

Toyota to begin production of longer-lasting EV batteries by 2026

Toyota has announced exciting advancements in batteries for electric vehicles (EVs), which are pointing to longer battery life by as early as 2026. The breakthrough occurred on two fronts: increased optimization of lithium-ion batteries and advancements in solid-state batteries for EVs. Findings for lithium-ion batteries will result in increased battery life and shorter charging time, common concerns among prospective EV buyers. Current EVs allow for approximately 330 miles on one charge, while the updated battery could handle up to 621 miles. Solid-state batteries would take that even further, allowing for approximately 745 miles on one charge. Created for items like pacemakers and smartwatches, they are similar in structure to lithium-ion batteries but historically have not been durable enough to support EVs. Toyota’s new breakthrough could put EVs with solid-state batteries on the market by 2027, and they have mentioned zeroing in on a more affordable manufacturing process — leaning more on automated processing than human labor on an assembly line. Currently, it costs about half as much to power an electric car as it does a gasoline-powered vehicle. Public charging costs are expensed by the minute — meaning that with the breakthroughs in battery life, owning an EV will become even more affordable. On top of that, there are federal and local monetary incentives depending on where you live, and EVs require less maintenance overall. EVs also leave a much smaller impact on the environment. Just one electric car on the road can save 1.6 tons of pollution annually, while gas-powered vehicles produce, on average, over 10,000 pounds of harmful gases per year.