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Toyota Motor Sales Earns 10 Awards in 2007 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study Lexus Leads Nameplate Rankings for 13 Years in a Row 08/09/2007 August 9, 2007 – Torrance, CA - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today placed first among all corporations and earned 10 segment awards in the 2007 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS), more than any other manufacturer. The study tracks the number and type of problems owners have with their three-year-old vehicles. Lexus was the top nameplate for the 13th consecutive year with 145 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). In the study, Lexus received five segment awards, Toyota earned four awards, and Scion received one award in its first year of eligibility. "There are many studies conducted throughout the year, but VDS remains one of the most significant measures of long-term vehicle quality and reliability. Any studies that don't take into consideration the durability of a vehicle over an extended period of ownership are not true indicators of overall quality and customer satisfaction," said Jim Lentz, TMS executive vice president. "Internal studies show that dependability is consistently the top purchase reason for Toyota, Lexus and Scion buyers, and we will continue to prioritize quality as our product offerings and sales volume increase." For the 13th-consecutive year, the Lexus LS premium luxury sedan was the top-performing model in the industry. With a score of 94 PP100, it was the third straight year the LS 430 achieved a score less than 100 PP100. The Lexus LX 470, which topped the Large Premium Multi-Activity Vehicle (MAV) segment with a score of 135 PP100, had the fewest PP100 of any light-truck in the study. Other Lexus segment leaders include the GS 300/430 (110 PP100) in the Midsize Premium Car segment, the SC 430 (119 PP100) in the Premium Sporty segment, and the GX 470 (142 PP100) in the Midsize Premium MAV segment. Overall, every Lexus car or luxury utility vehicle either led its segment or finished in the top three. For 2007, Toyota ranked sixth overall with 178 PP100, an improvement of 1 PP100 from 2006. First-place winners in their segments include the Tundra in the Large Pickup segment with 151 PP100; RAV4 in the Compact MAV segment with 158 PP100; Tacoma in Midsize Pickup with 143 PP100; and Sequoia in the Large MAV segment with 218 PP100. Scion finished above the industry average and ranked 16th overall with 220 PP100. The Scion xA earned first place in the Subcompact segment with 207 PP100. J.D. Power's VDS finds long-term durability continues to be an important consumer factor. The number of problems an owner experiences affects their repurchase intent, vehicle recommendation, and impacts their vehicle's retained value. VDS is the latest of numerous surveys indicating that Toyota and Lexus quality continues to improve.

I guess it all depends on what you consider worthwhile. If you want Supra performance, don't waste your time...it's a front drive four cylinder car, and without a completely new drivetrain, you're never going to be under 16 seconds or so in the quarter mile. However, if you just want to have a little fun, an exhaust system might give you a nice sound, an intake might contribute to the nice sound and give you a couple hp (and maybe a little help with mpg). You're probably best off just dressing it up a little...maybe some wheels, a spoiler if you don't have one already, maybe tint the windows and upgrade the stereo. You may also want to consider some minor suspension modifications to stiffen it up a bit. Maybe a strut tower brace to help with handling. One thing to consider before you spend ANY money on modifications: anything you do mechanically to the car will probably void the factory warranty. For example, many of the aftermarket intakes come with a pre-oiled filter, and can pull the lubricant into the MAF sensor and kick codes...definitely not covered by warranty. Some modifications you could do without voiding your warranty: anything made by TRD and installed by a Toyota dealer. Check www.trdusa.com for parts that'll work for your car.

Thanks for the invite...wish it was a little closer to Vegas!! Have fun!!

Couldn't find anything at all, sorry. If I still had my Camry, I'd take it apart and check for you...but I'm guessing you're probably right.

Try this: http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t100756.html Took me forever to find, darn it. Couldn't even find it in the official repair manual! Good luck, and let me know how it goes.

Glad I could help!

Thanks for the post!

I really think it's a belt...can you pop the hood while it's running, and try to isolate the problem a little more precisely?

Probably just the paint on the deck lid.

Did you check all the belts? Is there any possibility that it's coming from a wheel? Does the transmission feel like it's shifting differently?

It's permanently attached...a couple bolts, and some 3M type double-faced tape.

Usually a broken timing belt is pretty disastrous, so the $175 is a pretty awesome price. Let him fix it...but plan on buying quite a few parts.

Interesting article... Toyota Advances Plug-In Hybrid Development With Partnership Program Involving UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, California Energy Commission And Air Resources Board 07/25/2007 July 25, 2007 – Torrance, CA - Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., (TMS) today announced that it will provide Toyota plug-in (PHEV) hybrid prototypes to the Advanced Power and Energy Program at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), as part of its on-going sustainable mobility development program with the two UC campuses. Also, today, Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) announced that the Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport has certified prototype plug-in hybrid vehicles for use of similar testing on Japan public roads. Toyota has a long history of working collaboratively with both universities on the development of advanced technology and alternative-fuel vehicles, including demonstration and research programs involving fuel cell vehicles, gas-electric hybrids and pure electric vehicles. This next phase of its sustainable mobility partnership involving plug-in hybrid vehicles will be conducted in conjunction with the Alternative Fuel Incentive Program jointly developed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC). The goal of this program, which was authorized under California Assembly Bill 1811, is to incentivize the use and production of alternative fuels and vehicles. "Our goal with this program is to evaluate various advanced vehicle technologies, as well as key factors such as infrastructure, intelligent transportation systems, and urban design," says Dave Illingworth, senior vice president and chief planning officer for TMS. "The Toyota Prius convinced mainstream consumers on the merits of hybrids. Although there is much work to be done with plug-ins, we see this pilot program as a significant step in the advancement of the technology." A conventional gas-electric full hybrid system, such as that found in the Toyota Prius, is powered by both an electric motor and a gas engine. The system operates in pure-electric mode, pure-gas mode, or a combined gas-electric mode. The electric motor is powered by a dedicated battery pack that is kept charged by electricity generated by the gas engine and the vehicle's re-generative braking system. The fact that the hybrid battery never needs to be plugged-in to a recharging station has been one of the primary selling points with mainstream consumers. Based on the current-generation Prius, the PHEV prototypes will be powered by oversized packs of nickel-metal hydride batteries that effectively simulate the level of performance Toyota expects to achieve when it eventually develops its own more advanced, compact and powerful battery systems. The prototype PHEV system is designed to operate in a similar manner to the current Prius, switching from pure-electric mode, to gas-engine mode to a combined gas-electric mode. The big advantage is that the PHEV's prototype battery pack is capable of storing significantly higher levels of electricity, supplied by "plugging into the grid" for periodic recharging sessions. With significantly more electric power in reserve, the vehicle will be capable of operating in pure-electric mode for longer periods of time and at much higher speeds than the current Prius. This will result in substantial gains in fuel economy and a major reduction in total tailpipe emissions of smog-forming gases, over current conventional hybrid systems. Given its commercial success, it's no surprise that the further advancement of hybrid technology is a top priority for Toyota. As of the end of May 2007, cumulative sales of Toyota hybrid vehicles worldwide topped the one million mark, a global sales number the company hopes to hit annually in the early 2010s. The U.S. market accounts for more than half of Toyota's first million hybrid sales—604,693 vehicles from the first Prius sold in 2000 through June 2007. And despite decreasing tax credits, demand continues to climb. An analysis by The Detroit News showed Toyota accounted for 80 percent of the U.S. hybrid market in May, a month that saw TMS' hybrid sales jump more than 100 percent over the previous May. The company's hybrid sales for the first six months of 2007 are up 69 percent over the same period last year. "The cost-benefit of hybrids is becoming more apparent with climbing gas prices," says Jim Lentz, TMS executive vice president. "We anticipate combined sales of Toyota and Lexus hybrids in the United States to reach a quarter million units this year." The price of gas isn't the only reason people purchase hybrids; many are concerned about reducing dependence on foreign oil and tailpipe emissions. A recent study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory says hybrids have saved close to 215 million gallons of fuel in the United States since their introduction in 1999. Additionally, Toyota estimates that over the past decade, hybrids worldwide have emitted approximately 3.5 million fewer tons of CO2 than gas-powered vehicles of the same class.

What year is your car? Trim level?

Looks great! I think you need window tint, and that should just about finish off the appearance mods. Nice job!

Thanks for the great post...I imagine some of that could be useful info for many people! (glad to hear it's fixed!)

Check the wheels/tires. Do you have a bent rim, aftermarket rims, or a flat spot on a tire? Are your tires balanced correctly?

Thanks for the invite!!

It's more of an addiction actually...I find myself looking at cars again about every 8 months or so, and I've been very fortunate in being able to sell all my cars and not take too much of a loss on them, so that is definitely helpful. (The new IS-F is coming around the first of the year...anybody want to buy a GS350? :D ) I've forgotten which brand of tint is on my GS, but I do remember it's a carbon tint. A lot of tints are metallic based tints, and can interfere with navigation, which would be tremendously annoying. The carbon tints also won't turn purple like some of the cheap tints will after a few years. It seems to me that SolarGuard may have been the brand I used on my old Camry, and it worked out just fine. When you're deciding on how much to spend on tint, I guess it just depends on how long you're going to keep the car, and if you have navigation or not. Just make sure you find a good installer, and check the laws in your state to find out what level of tint is legal.

Not much modification on the GS yet...just some minor nav reprogramming, stickier tires, tint, XM... I don't know how long I'll keep it because I have a tendency to change cars every year or two so I'm not making many upgrades. The bike's been lowered; the Porsche has been lowered, with wheels, spoiler, and tint.

Sorry...I don't have any idea on which are good for ride comfort. I only look at tires for their performance & handling qualities.... I believe the ratings on DiscountTire.com, DiscountTireDirect.com, and TireRack.com are pretty reliable.

You're not going to lose much ride quality until you move up to a 19 or more. You'll still have plenty of sidewall on a 17'. Some of the ride quality depends on your tire type too...don't forget about that.

Thanks for the post...the user-unfriendly nav system is a source of great irritation to many. It seems to me that just the annoying disclaimer screen at startup should be enough to take Toyota off the hook for any potential liability from people using nav and driving. For a company that is otherwise really great, this is a glaring black mark against Toyota. The first two things I do everytime I get into my GS350 are to turn off the VSC (10 seconds holding the button down...and you have to be stopped or reversing) and to overide the Navigation so I can use it for even very simple, safe things while on the road. For example, I can't even program an alternate route if I'm caught in a traffic jam and moving at 5 mph. It should be my choice as to whether or not I can use the feature while driving, not a big brother type thing. It's right up there with seatbelt and motorcycle helmet laws: I always wear my seatbelt, I always wear my helmet...but I don't think it should be mandated by someone else. Okay, I'm going to stop now before I start ranting even more...this Nav thing really irritates me.

How's the tread on your tires? The system kicks in when it senses the tires slipping. It may be time for new rubber.... I don't think the transmission would have anything to do with that issue.

From what I understand, there aren't any real mechanical problems with the transmissions...just slightly rough shifts. Beautiful car though...congratulations! I'd move up to at least a 17" myself; just make sure you keep the same diameter tire. Also, if you have tire pressure monitors, make sure you get wheels that are compatible with the sensors or you're going to have an annoying little light on in your dash forever.