WIRE REPORTS

Stocks Hitting 52-Week Lows: TM, PSS, ETJ, RLD NewsyStocks.com Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM): Shares of the company hit a new 52-week low of $67.56 on Thursday. TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION is a Japan-based company mainly ... Bizjournals.com Honda sales fall 33% without 'Clunkers' program Bizjournals.com Japanese competitor Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE:TM) reported a 34 percent drop, while two of the three Detroit-based automakers posted monthly declines. ... and more » Most German Stocks Gain; Daimler, BMW Shares Advance, Deutsche Bank Falls Bloomberg BMW's namesake brand increased US sales 1.6 percent in August and beat Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus nameplate as the top US luxury brand for the third ... and more » Auto sales plummet in August The Keene Sentinel Toyota Motor Corp., General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co., the world's three largest automakers, reported bigger sales declines than analysts projected as ... and more » Asian Equities Up for Second Day in a Row on Risk Appetite after Strong ... CFD Trading Honda Motor gained 1.9% to 2859 yen, Nissan Motor added 3% to 664 yen while Toyota Motor Corp. lost 0.3% to 2850 yen. Equities in Hong Kong rose for the ... and more » First St. Petersburg Bond in 5 Years Spurs Municipal Market: Russia Credit Bloomberg The city, a production hub for carmakers including Toyota Motor Corp. and Hyundai Motor Co., had a 10 percent jump in local manufacturing output and ... and more » S. African Strike May Shut Toyota, Mercedes and BMW BusinessWeek 2 (Bloomberg) -- A two-day-old strike by workers at South African auto-parts companies may force plants owned by Toyota Motor Corp., Bayerische Motoren ... and more » Report From Europe: Markets Treading Water After a Big Up Day Seeking Alpha (blog) (GM), Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) and Honda Motor Co. (HMC) all reported declines of 25% or more while Ford Motor Co. (F) saw its sales drop 11%. ... and more » Japan Minister Warns China on Business Rules Wall Street Journal Earlier this year, a wave of strikes disrupted local production at Japanese manufacturers, including Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. ... and more » GM, Toyota and Ford Gain in China Wall Street Journal Toyota Motor Corp. and its local Chinese joint ventures sold 77200 vehicles in China last month, up 16% from a year earlier. Japan-based Toyota's overall ... and more »

DAILY REPORTS

Aug 30 Toyota worker held in theft of chewing gum A Toyota Motor Corp. employee was arrested on suspicion of shoplifting two packs of chewing gum at a supermarket and injuring a security guard in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, police said. The police quoted Shigeru Saito, 57, an engineer, as saying, "I didn't do it." Saito is suspected of stealing two packs of chewing gum, worth about ¥600, from the supermarket Sunday and pushing down a 33-year-old female security guard. (Japan Times) Aug 29 Japan beyond the Ginza Nintendo, Sony, Sega, Canon, Nikon, Toshiba, Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan -- these are just some of the brands that helped build Japan's reputation as a leader in cutting-edge technology. But this ancient country is also home to centuries-old traditions, which endure despite the hi-tech revolution that has taken place around them. The contrast between old and new is what makes Japan a truly fascinating country to visit. (Toronto Sun) Aug 28 Toyota recalls 1.1 million cars over 'any speed' stall Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday it will recall about 1.13 million Corolla and Matrix vehicles because of an engine defect that federal regulators said could cause cars to stall "at any speed without warning." Toyota said in a statement it will recall the vehicles for the model years 2005 to 2008 in the United States and Canada following at least three reported accidents due to the defect. The action adds to record recalls in the past year by Toyota, including more than 8 million vehicles worldwide for flaws tied to unintended acceleration. (Japan Times) Aug 24 Prius gets humming device to give pedestrians ears-up Toyota's Prius hybrid is becoming a little less quiet with a new electronic humming device the automaker hopes answers complaints from pedestrians who can't hear the top-selling car approaching. The ¥12,600 speaker system, which will be installed under the hood of the third-generation Prius, sets off a whirring sound designed to be about the same noise level as a regular car engine so it isn't annoying, Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday. (Japan Times) Aug 21 Honda's U.S. output protects profit Honda Motor Co. became the first Japanese automaker to build cars in the U.S. 28 years ago in part to fulfill a long-held goal of founder Soichiro Honda. The company's success in shifting production is shielding profits from the yen's advance to a 15-year high against the dollar. A record 89 percent of Honda and Acura-brand autos sold in the U.S. through July were built in Honda's plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, up from 82.2 percent a year earlier. Rivals Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. each made 68 percent of vehicles sold in the U.S. at North American plants, according to the carmakers. (Japan Times) Aug 18 Nissan to give temps some stability Nissan Motor Co. will forgo using job-placement agencies and start directly hiring all temporary nonengineering staff in phases beginning in October in an apparent effort to provide employment stability to workers in line with a labor office request, company officials said Wednesday. Nissan's move may spur other companies to rethink their hiring practices, analysts say, although Toyota and Honda say they have no current plans to follow suit. (Japan Times) Aug 6 Toyota's Japan hybrid sales top one million Toyota Motor said Friday that its hybrid vehicle sales in Japan had topped the one million mark and worldwide it had sold 2.68 million of the vehicles by the end of July. Toyota, the front-runner in hybrid cars that use two power sources -- a gasoline engine and another source such as an electric motor -- launched the Prius, the world's first mass-produced hybrid car, in 1997. The world's biggest automaker later expanded use of its hybrid system to mini-vans, SUVs and rear-wheel-drive sedans. (AFP) Aug 4 Japan's automakers recover but challenges remain Japan's top automakers reported strong results for the quarter ended June as they reap the benefits of a rebound in global demand, but concerns such as a strong yen cloud their outlook, say analysts. The top three automakers, Toyota, Honda and Nissan, saw quarterly profits surge on-year as the industry recovers from the lows hit in a financial crisis that forced the companies to scale back production and slash thousands of jobs. (AFP) Aug 3 Toyota to boost auto sales ratio for emerging markets to 50% Toyota Motor Corp. aims to raise its global sales ratio for areas other than Japan, Europe and the United States from the current 40 percent to 50 percent, a senior company official said Monday, noting the top Japanese automaker's focus on emerging economies as key sources of potential growth. (Mainichi) Aug 2 Toyota to blitz emerging markets Toyota Motor Corp. aims to raise its global sales ratio for areas other than Japan, Europe and the United States to 50 percent from the current 40 percent, a senior company official said Monday, noting the automaker's focus on emerging economies as key sources of potential growth. "There is no such thing as being profitable in developed nations while not being profitable in emerging economies," Executive Vice President Yukitoshi Funo said, indicating the firm will take steps such as cost reductions to attain its goal without sacrificing profitability. (Japan Times) Jul 27 First half saw car output shift into high gear The nation's automakers on Tuesday reported sharp increases in global production for the first half, and for June in particular with Toyota seeing a 16.2 percent surge, underlining a recovery in demand from a dismal plunge a year earlier. Toyota Motor Corp. said it produced 739,683 vehicles in June as sales grew in Japan and abroad and exports expanded to North America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. (Japan Times) Jul 25 Toyota still doesn't get it All automakers in the United States are required to report flaws in their vehicles to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within five business days of detection. Despite the law, Toyota has repeatedly failed to report potentially deadly problems. The latest omission to be brought to light - and not by the automaker - regards problems with steering wheel relay rods, which transmit changes in direction from the steering gearbox to the wheels. In 2004, Toyota issued a recall of 330,000 vehicles in Japan after complaints about cracking rods. It told American regulators that, because of different driving conditions, the problem did not affect Toyota cars in the United States. It said it had not received a single complaint in this country. (New York Times) Jul 20 Toyota settles U.S. suit over hybrid patent Toyota has settled a patent-infringement dispute that had threatened U.S. imports of its newest hybrid vehicles, including the Prius. The agreement with Paice, ending six years of litigation, was announced Monday as a hearing was to begin on a claim against Toyota before the International Trade Commission in Washington. Terms weren't disclosed and suits pending in Texas and at a U.S. appeals court will be dismissed. (Japan Times) Jul 17 Toyota, Nissan want bigger slice of the pie in Latin America Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co. will invest a combined $1.2 billion to expand production in Latin America amid growing regional and export demand. Toyota is spending $600 million on a new car plant in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, the company said in a statement, and Nissan is spending the same amount to expand Mexican production to build three new models, Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn said Thursday in Mexico City. (Japan Times) Jul 15 Has Toyota been right all along? Were we all wrong about Toyota? News came this week that the "black boxes" in Toyota and Lexus cars and trucks, which constantly monitor and record every usage aspect of throttle and brake position, vehicle speed, engine temp and much, much more, are showing overwhelmingly that the vehicles involved in "unintended acceleration" accidents were wrecked because drivers were stepping on the gas pedal, not the brake. Accidents attributed to unintended acceleration have been blamed on sticky throttle pedals, floor mats which held the throttle open, problems with the drive-by-wire system and more. (huffingtonpost.com) Jul 15 Toyota prepares new hybrid with best mileage in the world Toyota Motor Corp. plans to roll out as early as December 2011 a hybrid subcompact car with the highest fuel efficiency of any mass-produced, fuel-powered vehicle in the world, sources said. The planned hybrid hatchback is capable of running about 43 kilometers per liter, over 10 percent more efficient than the automaker's Prius hybrid, whose mileage is currently the top ranked, at 38 kpl, the sources said. (Asahi) Jul 14 Driver error caused 'virtually all' acceleration accidents: Toyota Toyota Motor Corp.'s investigation of accidents involving unintended acceleration traced "virtually all" to drivers who stepped on the wrong pedal, a company spokesman said. The automaker is looking into causes of unintended acceleration in its cars and trucks and has recalled more than 8 million worldwide in the past year for defects such as pedals that stuck or snagged on floor mats. U.S. auto-safety regulators are also probing the causes and haven't released their findings. (Japan Times) Jul 13 How Toyota lost its way A principal ingredient in Toyota's success has been the job of the chief engineer, or shusa. Unlike a chief engineer at GM or Ford, whose role is essentially coordination, the Toyota shusa has complete responsibility for a vehicle, beginning with its conception and sometimes lasting through its entire sales life. Besides engineering decisions, the shusa is responsible for a program's business success. He defines a vehicle's intended market and is responsible for hitting targets of cost, weight, performance, and quality. (moneycontrol.com) Jul 9 Toyota open to China pay hikes Toyota Motor Corp. is open to raising the wages of workers in China, where a series of strikes have disrupted its operations in that fast-growing market, the automaker's president said Friday. Akio Toyoda said raising wages in China would bring some benefits, like helping to create a middle class of consumers who can go out and buy Toyota vehicles. He said managers and workers need to communicate better in China, adding that they share the same goal of building quality vehicles. (Japan Times) Jul 7 Toyota to extend development time to ensure quality Toyota Motor Corp will extend the time it takes to develop its vehicles by an average of four weeks in a bid to ensure quality following a string of high-profile recalls, a top executive said. "The fast growth of the past decade has been too much in some areas for the company to keep up with," Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada told a small group of U.S.-based reporters at Toyota headquarters on Wednesday. (Reuters) Jul 7 Prius ranks as nation's top car for 14th month The Prius ranked as the nation's top-selling car in June, clinching the No. 1 spot for the 14th straight month on the back of brisk demand for green vehicles. Toyota Motor Corp. sold 31,876 of the gas-electric hybrids last month, far outnumbering Honda's fuel-efficient Fit, which came in second with 15,955 sales, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Tuesday. (Japan Times) Jul 5 Troubled Toyota recalls about 92,000 cars in Japan Toyota on Monday began recalling more than 90,000 luxury Lexus and Crown vehicles in Japan as part of a global recall over defective engines - the latest setback for the automaker beset with quality problems. On Friday, Toyota Motor Corp. said it would recall a total of 270,000 Lexus and Crown vehicles worldwide to fix flaws in the valve springs, a crucial engine component, that could make the automobile stall while in motion. That includes 138,000 vehicles in the U.S., 91,903 in Japan, 15,000 in Europe, 10,000 in the Middle East, 6,000 in China, 4,000 in Canada, and 8,000 in other regions. (AP) Jul 1 Lexus engine woes may spur global recall Toyota Motor Corp. is considering a global recall of eight models, including its top-of-the-line Lexus LS460 sedan, due to possible engine failure, company officials said Thursday. Up to about 270,000 cars worldwide, including roughly 90,000 sold in Japan, could be subject to the recall due to fears that in the worst-case scenario the engine could quit while the car is in motion, the officials said. According to the sources, there have been cases in which engines in the affected models produce an unusual sound or suffer unstable idling because of component defects. (Japan Times) Jun 30 Japan's big four car makers issue over 100,000 recalls Car makers Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors will recall more than 100,000 vehicles in Japan due to defective air bags and seat belts, the transport ministry said Wednesday. The recalls trace back to a single supplier, Tokyo-based parts maker Takata, local media reported. The company also supplies Audi, Daimler, Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. Toyota Motor will recall 50,738 vehicles, Honda 24,522, and Nissan 35,964 built in 2000-2001 due to problems with the airbag inflator in the passenger seat that causes shards to fly out when the airbag opens, the ministry said. (AFP) Jun 27 Australian, Japanese killed in Indonesian fire An Australian and a Japanese national were among nine people killed in a nightclub fire in Indonesia on Friday, police said. They were trapped inside the Cafe Redboxx in Surabaya, east Java, when it caught fire at around 3:20 am, local police chief Bahagia Dachi told reporters. The officer said that the Australian worked for a leading tobacco company and the Japanese was an employee at carmaker Toyota. (AFP) [ More... ]