Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. announced Monday that Toyota will be extending on a nationwide basis the additional services being provided to Toyota and Lexus customers in New York affected by the company’s recent recalls.

These services, which were announced for New York customers on February 24, 2010, are now available to all Toyota and Lexus owners in the U.S. affected by current recalls involving sticking accelerator pedals, floor mat pedal entrapment, anti-lock brake system software updates, and Tacoma front drive shaft inspection. 

Additional services are being provided to customers concerned about driving their vehicle before the repair is completed and will be tailored to the owner’s individual circumstances.  They may include:

-Expediting scheduling of the repair.

-Pick up and return of the vehicle by a dealership representative.

-Driving the customer to the dealership or to his or her place of work.

-Where necessary, providing other alternate transportation for the customer, such as a rental car, loaner vehicle, or taxi reimbursement for the reasonable period that the customer is unable or unwilling to use his or her car.

“Our 172,000 team members and dealers across North America are continuing to go above and beyond to ensure the safety and satisfaction of all of our customers,” said Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motors Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Services will be provided by Toyota through the dealers at no cost to either the owners of affected vehicles or dealers.

Reimbursement of these expenses is separate from the stipends that the company has provided to dealers in connection with the recalls.

Detailed information and answers to questions about issues related to these recalls are available to customers at www.toyota.com/recall and at the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331 or the Lexus Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-255-3987.

Photo courtesy of diongillard under the Creative Commons License

Here’s an update on the Arizona fleet we recently talked about during an embezzlement scandal.  It seems that the best way to change bad business behavior is with one’s wallet.

Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services (SEABHS) must make some changes or it risks losing a $35 million contract with the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona (CPSA), according to Nogales International.

As automobiles have become more mechanically advanced and consumers’ tastes have grown more refined, the use of on-board computer systems is a modern necessity.  Originally installed to control emissions and fuel-injection systems, computers now control hundreds of operations in current auto models.

The problem with this digital revolution is that the average person no longer has the necessary tools to learn to repair their own vehicles in a pinch, and some computer issues simply cannot be fixed or diagnosed even by experts.  The unpredictable nature of computer problems is what has spurred investigations into incidents such as recent uncontrolled acceleration in some Toyota vehicles. Congressional hearings in the coming weeks will investigate whether the problems are really with the electronic and software systems that control the flow of gasoline into a Toyota Camry or Lexus ES’s engine.

New Hybrid vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion, require large electrical systems that command the engine to regenerate battery power during braking, or even to apply the brakes in the first place.  That amount of software increases the risk of bugs that can damage a car’s performance or even make the car dangerous to drive. 

Ford Motor Co. is telling customers it plans to reprogram certain Fusion hybrids to fix a glitch that can cause consumers to feel they have lost stopping power. Toyota says it is moving toward a similar software fix for braking complaints lodged against the 2010 Toyota Prius.

“We are in the learning curve on these systems,” says David Champion, the head of vehicle testing at Consumer Reports, which first reported on the problems with the Fusion Hybrid last week.

It is important for fleet managers and drivers to pay attention to their vehicles’ performance and immediately address any issues before they worsen.  Your fleet’s safety is your number one priority.

Photo courtesy of philcampbell under the Creative Commons License

Founders of The Lollipop Tree specialty foods store, already facing a lawsuit, got themselves into even more potential legal trouble after they allegedly refused to turn over a company vehicle and attempted to hack into the business computer system, according to Foster’s Daily Democrat.

Automotive Fleet has some new Fleet Safety tips for what to do if you or any of your drivers should experience brake failure unexpectedly.  Pass these along to your drivers for safety’s sake!

AT&T announced the deployment of its 1,000th alternative-fuel vehicle in its corporate fleet. The deployment is part of a $565 million planned investment announced in March 2009 to replace more than 15,000 fleet vehicles with more fuel-efficient models through 2018. AT&T currently operates a fleet of more than 77,000 vehicles.

The 10-year initiative includes an expected $350 million to purchase approximately 8,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles over a five-year period, including the 1,000th alternative-fuel vehicle, a CNG van deployed in Oakland, California. This represents the largest initiative to CNG to date by a U.S. company. AT&T anticipates spending another $215 million through 2018 to replace 7,100 fleet passenger cars with alternative fuel models. According to the Center for Automotive Research (CAR), AT&T’s overall alternative fuel vehicle initiative will:

• Save 49 million gallons of gasoline over the 10-year deployment period
• Reduce carbon emissions by 211,000 metric tons

“In a time of deep economic uncertainty, AT&T is making investments in our corporate fleet that are good for our business, the environment and our economy,” said Jerome Webber, vice president, AT&T Fleet Operations. “The deployment of our 1,000th alternative-fuel vehicle signals a demand for cleaner alternative fuels that are less volatile in cost and that can be tapped here in America, right now.” CAR estimates that the AT&T fleet initiative will create or save – on average – approximately 1,000 jobs per year over the first five years of the initiative.

A recorded presentation about converting fleet vehicles to propane and natural gas will be posted soon in the webinar section of the Mississippi Development Authority Web site, http://www.mississippi.org. 

The webinar, originally presented Feb. 18 by the Mississippi Development Authority on behalf of the Mississippi Clean Cities Coalition, was geared for private and public fleet managers and lasted about 45 minutes. 

Event speakers included Mark Denton, vice president of business development for Blossman Gas, and Bill Calvert, vice president of sales for BAF Technologies. 

The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) is Mississippi’s lead economic and community development agency. More than 250 employees help provide services to businesses, communities and workers in the state.

Photo courtesy of MShades under the Creative Commons License.