Cars In The News

Toyota

According to Reuters, Toyota Motor Corp will replace an oil hose in some 933,800 vehicles in the USA, due to the risk of a potential leak that could damage the engine if left untreated. The cars to which damage might occur are:

• Camry
• Avalon
• Rav4
• Lexus

The vehicles, equipped with V6 engines, might experience damage to the rubber portion of the engine oil hose, potentially causing oil leakage and engine failure, Toyota said in a document sent to US dealers and obtained by Reuters.

Safety issues have put Toyota under media and public scrutiny, forcing them to recall more than 8.5 million vehicles worldwide.

General Motors

News portal, the Malaysian Insider, has reported that General Motors Co is recalling 1.3 million compact cars in North America. The move is to address a power steering problem that has been linked to 14 crashes and one injury. The recall affects the 2005-2010 model year Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007-2010 Pontiac G5 in the United States; 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit sold in Canada, and the 2005-2006 Pontiac G4 sold in Mexico.

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigations in January after receiving more than 1,100 complaints of loss of power steering assist in the US Cobalt models. GM was reported to have said it told US safety regulators about the voluntary recall after concluding an investigation that began in 2009.

Hyundai

Bernama reports that Hyundai Motor Co is voluntarily recalling 515 sport-utility vehicles in the USA over a defect in the airbag system. The recall affects new Tucson sport-utility vehicles, produced in South Korea, from 10-30 Nov 2009, exported to the USA.

According to the news report, the defect involves the airbag system in the front passenger seat and may not properly protect a passenger in a crash. Hyundai has notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the USA of the defect.

This recall comes shortly after the company recalled some 47,000 units of its new Sonata sedan in the USA and South Korea over a glitch in the front-door locks.

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Malaysia’s Reaction To Marks & Spencer’s Sustainable Palm Oil Campaign

Malaysia has hit out against British retailer, Marks and Spencer, in relation to its anti-palm oil campaign. According to news reports, the country is not destroying its forests to plant oil palm trees. Sabah Finance Assistant Minister, Tawfiq Abu Bakar Titingan, was reported to have said that Malaysia has adopted a firm policy and forestry laws that clearly state that forest reserves should remain untouched.

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Malaysia’s Green Building Index For Tropical Structures

By Daniel Chandranayagam

In August 2008, PAM (Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia or Malaysian Institute of Architects) Council endorsed and approved the formation of the new Sustainability Committee, tasked primarily to develop and establish the Green Building Index Malaysia. A target deadline of April/May 2009 was set to launch this Green rating.

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Toyota Under Fire From Malaysian Consumer Organisation

While earlier news reported that UMW Toyota Motor will be initiating a special service campaign to address the brake issue of Toyota Prius., the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) has taken the local distributor of the Japanese brand to task.

Malaysiakini has reported to that CAP has detected faulty steering rack ends in at least two Vios models. This defect apparently causes the front wheels to go badly out of alignment.

However, UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (UMW), the sole Malaysian distributor, claims that this is not a manufacturing defect. UMW was reported to have said that the alleged defects were caused by “an external impact to the front left tyre with sufficient force (which caused) the steering rack to bend backwards.”

Nevertheless, CAP President, SM Mohamed Idris, stated that, in the case of the first car, the steering rack end had bent upwards when the car started moving from a motionless position, while the second car’s steering rack broke into two as the car stopped at a T-junction.

UMW has been reported to have maintained silence on inspection reports by Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) and Goodyear Marketing and Sales submitted by CAP. Both reports are said to have found no sign of external impact or evidence that the vehicles were speeding.

The CAP President added that Toyota Japan has placed the onus on UMW. These allegations come in the wake of worldwide recalls of seven Toyota models last year, including the Vios, for defects found in the accelerator and brake systems and power steering hose.

However, UMW issued an official statement in January, reassuring customers that Toyota Japan had cleared all models distributed in Malaysia of similar problems. According to Malaysiakini, the distributor was unavailable for comment, being closed until 22 Feb 2010 for Chinese New Year.

Meanwhile, in the USA, it was reported that a US House panel yesterday subpoenaed confidential company documents that a former Toyota lawyer has said prove the automaker routinely concealed evidence from the courts and federal regulators.

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How Companies with Vehicle Fleets Can Cut Costs and Carbon Pollution

Companies with vehicle fleets can cut costs and carbon pollution by following a few simple steps as outlined in a new video from Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). The video, entitled The Power of Scale, visually depicts how small actions done by many can result in big changes for the corporate bottom line and the health of the planet. Read more

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Lanxess Supports Haiti Relief Efforts

Lanxess is supporting relief efforts in the aftermath of the earthquake tragedy in Haiti. The specialty chemicals company has donated USD200,000 to supply more than four million chemical water treatment tablets. The tablets are used in water purification systems and can provide about 76 million liters of clean water for at least 20,000 Haitian families. Read more

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Tales of Two Countries

by Amanda Coffin

It boggles the mind of many a visitor to this region how Malaysia and Singapore, acrimoniously divorced in 1963, can now – a mere 46 years later – be such different worlds. The two states have much in common, certainly, but if a traveller awoke from a deep sleep whilst in transit, it would take him but a moment to discern which side of the straits he was currently on. Thus, it should come as no surprise that two CSR books from the neighbours on either side of the causeway would provide quite different reading experiences. Read more

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