Autoline Daily

Runtime 7:44

Now Toyota is being accused of hiring former employees of NHTSA who convinced it to stop investigating reports of unintended acceleration. In a sign that the economy may finally be picking up speed, sales of heavy trucks were up last month. A new kind of drivetrain seal could save a lot of fuel. All that and more, plus a preview of this week’s Autoline Detroit about what it costs for an automaker to advertise in the Super Bowl.

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Runtime 6:45

California Congressman Darrell Issa wants Akio Toyoda to testify in Washington.  Porsche previews a new racecar – the 911 GT3 R Hybrid – ahead of next month’s Geneva Motor Show.  Car prices in China are creeping up because of increased demand from government stimulus measures.  All that and more, plus a recap of the major product reveals coming out of the Chicago Auto Show.

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Runtime 6:41

Major reveals from the Chicago Auto Show, which include the Ford Edge and the heavy-duty version of the Chevy Silverado. Looking to the Geneva Auto Show, we get a sneak-peek at the all-new Volvo S60. All that and more, plus John responds to your comments on our report on using “power-to-weight” to measure performance.

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Runtime 6:41

Toyota recalled more than 400,000 Priuses worldwide today and added the Lexus HS250h and Sai hybrid to the list. January sales in China more than doubled last month. The EU wants to use satellite navigation for vehicle tracking. All that and more, plus John looks at the effect of Toyota’s recalls. Could this be the beginning of a buy-American movement?

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Runtime 7:20

Hyundai’s Chairman, Chung Mong-Koo, has been ordered to pay $60 million for embezzlement.  Toyota’s residual values have dropped because of all of its recent recalls.  Wolfgang Bernhard is back at Mercedes-Benz.  All that and more, plus a look at Ford’s RUTH robot that’s helping the company make better interiors.

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Runtime 7:47

Now even Ralph Nader is attacking Toyota. Ford released a technical service bulletin for its Fusion and Milan hybrids over a potential braking issue. All that and more, plus a preview of this week’s Autoline Detroit about just how complicated it could be for any automaker to track down electronic glitches in a car.

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Runtime 8:06

Toyota is running into more trouble.  Federal investigators are looking into sudden acceleration claims on the Tacoma, plus Prius braking performance is in question.  Sergio Marchionne gets scolded by the Pope for closing a plant in Italy.  Chinese automakers Geely and Chery will start selling cars in Australia this year.  All that and more, plus we take a look at a different way of measuring a vehicle’s performance.

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Runtime 7:13

Ford and other automakers take advantage of Toyota’s problems. Nissan came within a whisker of capturing the “best-selling car in America” title. GM turns in an impressive sales performance for January. All that and more, plus John responds to viewer comments about the Toyota recall in the “You Said It!” segment.

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Runtime 6:43

Toyota denies that rapid global expansion is to blame for its recent quality issues.  Spyker says it will make Saab profitable in two years by moving the brand up market and targeting BMW and Audi.  New car sales in Brazil tumbled 27 percent last month compared to December.  All that and more, plus we take a drive down memory lane with some amazing photographs.

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Runtime 7:16

Toyota says it has a fix for sticking gas pedals but its problems are just beginning. Tesla might do an Initial Public Offering. Believe it or not, on a global basis, car sales barely fell at all last year. All that and more, plus a look at some issues John recently ran into on the Lincoln MKS.

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