By sheer volume of sales, China is the biggest automotive market in the world. 13.6 million new vehicles were sold in China in 2009, compared to only 10.4 million in North America…and that trend is only going to become more pronounced as the world’s economy revs up again.

Note that China’s market is only bigger by volume – the average new car in China costs about a third as much as a new car in the U.S. or Canada, so it will be awhile before the actual value of China’s market exceeds the value of the North American market…but that day is coming. Fast.

In other words, an automaker’s success in the 21st century depends on having an effective presence in China. While Toyota’s unintended acceleration problems might seem important to U.S. consumers, the truth is that the unintended acceleration issue is minor compared to Toyota’s struggles in China. …click here to read more →

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Independent journalist and blogger Michael Fumento doesn’t pull any punches. A quick scan of Fumento’s blog posts regarding the Toyota recall fiasco shows that he’s not afraid to be blunt. He calls Prius driver James Sikes a “media whore liar.” blatant liar. [NOTE: We misquoted Mr. Fumento - our apologies.] He takes big media to task for glossing over key facts and details. He outlines the conflict of interest between GM, Chrysler, and NHTSA. At first glance, Fumento definitely seems “pro-Toyota.”

Maybe so. But a story from Fumento’s past would seem to indicate that he doesn’t have a lot of love for the automaker: …click here to read more →

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Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has announced his office will partner with a local private law firm to sue Toyota USA for selling defective vehicles and deceptive business practices. Here’s what Rackauckas is arguing: …click here to read more →

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Earlier this week, Toyota announced a special service campaign for all 2000-2003 Tundras to replace or repair certain frame components that suffer from rust. Specifically, the campaign covers the rear cross member, the brake line attachment points, and the fuel tank straps, and it supposed to be a national expansion of the existing regional Tundra frame rust recall for the U.S. North East.

However, according to comments from numerous 2000-2003 Tundra owners, Toyota’s existing recall is lacking in transparency and consistency. …click here to read more →

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The Houston Chronicle is reporting that a ring of catalytic converter thieves who targeted new Toyota Tundras has been broken up. While this is good news for a number of Toyota dealerships in the Houston area, it underscores the seriousness of catalytic converter thefts. To many thieves, stealing a catalytic converter is “easy money,” yet for vehicle owners (and their insurance companies) it’s an incredibly expensive problem. …click here to read more →

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Kansas gets a bad rap. People joke about the flat land, wheat fields, and the Kansas City Royals, but we’re guessing these people don’t know about the world-class bird hunting in Kansas, not to mention Kansas City Barbecue. If you live in Kansas and you enjoy bird-hunting, you need five things: …click here to read more →

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