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Reeling from quake, Japan automakers cut output in U.S. plants
Ripple effects from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan continued to be felt by the U.S. work force this week as Japanese automakers announced cuts in plant production at North American factories.
While the cuts were expected, the news signals the long road ahead for Japan's economy, the world's third largest, and how other nations will be affected.
Japan's big three - Honda, Nissan and Toyota - and the global auto industry are increasingly hampered by parts suppliers in Japan who are struggling in the aftermath of the worst disaster to strike the island nation since World War II.
CNNMoney: Toyota tells U.S. plants 'prepare to shut down'
Toyota's U.S. manufacturing arm is preparing for a possible shutdown because of parts shortages from Japan, a Toyota spokesman said, according to CNNMoney.
Word has gone out to all 13 of Toyota's factories in the United States, Canada and Mexico. This does not mean that the plants will stop working, Toyota spokesman Mike Goss said, but that they should be ready in case the need arises.
FULL STORY
On the Radar: State of the Union reaction, new Toyota recalls, Giffords' condition
Review of Obama's speech - If you missed President Barack Obama's speech to the nation Tuesday night, here's a full transcript and video. The president touched on many familiar themes, and CNN's iReporters tried to sum up all his points in a single tweet.
How about the "economy"? Obama said it's headed in the right direction but the country's priorities should change, especially when it comes to spending. The president called for increasing investments in key areas such as education and clean energy, but he also wants to make reductions in spending to help get America's deficit under control and proposed a five-year domestic spending freeze.
During another portion of the speech, he highlighted a small-business owner, describing the man's story as a symbol of the American dream. Obama also spoke of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head after a gunman's rampage at a political meet-and-greet this month in Tucson, Arizona. The congresswoman's name was met with applause.
On Wednesday, the president will take his message on the road, discussing opportunities for job growth in clean energy during a stop in Wisconsin.
Dollars & Sense: 3-D TVs at CES, Ford gets high marks from consumers
A roundup of today’s CNNMoney news:
A spike in small-business hiring: Companies with fewer than 50 workers added 117,000 jobs in December. That’s the biggest monthly surge in almost five years. And companies that have fewer than 500 workers added 261,000 new positions, according to payroll processor ADP.
Boehner targets House spending: Last year, the House shelled out almost $190,000 for bottled water during the first quarter. During the same period, members also spent $10.2 million on mail and $6.4 million on travel. New House Speaker John Boehner wants to cut lawmakers' office budgets by 5%, which is only $35 million, but he says you have to start somewhere.
3-D TVs without glasses (video): Can’t get to the Consumer Electronics Show but want to know what techies are talking about? How about a 3-D TV that you don’t need to buy glasses to watch? Toshiba has one, and you’ll be able to buy your own by the end of the year. If you can’t wait that long, you’ll be able to get your hands on a 3-D laptop this summer. Are they any good? Watch our preview.
Holiday 2010 winners and losers: 2010 was one of the best holiday seasons retailers have seen in years, with shoppers hitting Macy’s, Kohl’s, Ann Taylor, Gap, Apple and Target. But with gas prices above $3 a gallon, consumers might take a breather and regroup after the holiday marathon.
Shopping for a new car? You might want to consider a Ford: The brand is getting high marks from consumers. Toyota is still No. 1, but Ford is nipping at its heels, according to Consumer Reports.
Toyota reaches settlement over product liability claims
Toyota has reached a settlement with two families over product liability claims, a spokesman for the automaker said Friday night.
Toyota announced voluntary safety recall for Corollas
Toyota has announced a "Voluntary Safety Recall" on Certain Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix Models, CNNMoney.com has confirmed.
The company says the recall is to address some “Engine Control Modules (ECM) that may have been improperly manufactured.”
The voluntary recall is for the approximately 1.13 million 2005-2008 model Corolla and Corolla Matrix models sold in North America.
No other Toyota or Lexus vehicles are involved in this recall, the company says.
There are three unconfirmed accidents alleged to be related to this condition, one of which reported a minor injury, the company says in its press release.
The day's most popular stories
The five most popular CNN.com stories during the last 24 hours, according to Newspulse.
Four bodies found in Maryland home: Investigators are questioning at least one person in the deaths of four people found Friday in a debris-filled Maryland home that "gives the appearance of a landfill," the police chief said.
'Birther' Army doctor faces court martial: Charges should be thrown out against the Army officer who refused deployment to Afghanistan because he says President Obama doesn't have the authority to send him, his lawyer said.
Toyota recalls Sequoia SUVs
Toyota Motor Sales has announced plans to recall about 50,000 Toyota Sequoia SUVs because of a problem with their Vehicle Stability Control systems that can cause the vehicles to hesitate or slow down at low speeds.
The SUVs involved were all manufactured early in the 2003 model year. As part of the planned recall, Toyota will upgrade the VSC software.
"In vehicles without the upgrade, the VSC system could, in limited situations, activate at low speed (approximately 9 mph) for a few seconds after acceleration from a stopped position and, as a result, the vehicle may not accelerate as quickly as the driver expects," Toyota said in a written announcement.
Toyota recalls 9,400 Lexus GX 460 SUVs
Toyota Motor Corp. has announced a recall of 2010 model year Lexus GX 460 SUVs. The recall is related to an increased risk of rollover.
The recall covers about 9,400 SUVs in the United States.
Toyota suspends sales of Lexus GX 460
Toyota asked dealers to temporarily suspend sales of the new 2010 Lexus GX 460 after Consumer Reports issued a safety warning on the SUV.
"We are taking the situation with the GX 460 very seriously and are determined to identify and correct the issue Consumer Reports identified," said Mark Templin, Lexus Group vice president and general manager, in a prepared statement.
Earlier on Tuesday the magazine said there was an increased risk of rollover during a turn, a problem it uncovered during routine tests. It urged car shoppers not to buy the GX 460 until the problem is remedied.
New Toyota documents shed light on accelerator concerns
CNN has obtained e-mails between Toyota execs over concerns with the company’s accelerator pedals, which came under fire after several reports of unintended acceleration in their vehicles.
The documents also include a timeline of events related to concerns over the issue.
CNN reached out to Irv Miller, Toyota's group vice president for environmental and public affairs, in response to the e-mails he wrote. He declined to do an interview or offer any context to the emails.
"I have no comment at all," Miller said.
Read the emails (PDF) | Read the timeline (PDF - Part 1) | Read the timeline (PDF - Part 2)
Agency seeking $16 million penalty against Toyota
[Updated at 4:29 p.m.] Under federal regulations, automakers are required to inform the agency within five days of determining that a safety defect exists in one of its products. NHTSA learned, through documents obtained from Toyota, that the automaker knew of sticky gas pedal problems since at least September, 2009, the agency said in an press release.
"We now have proof that Toyota failed to live up to its legal obligations," said Secretary LaHood. "Worse yet, they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from U.S. officials and did not take action to protect millions of drivers and their families. For those reasons, we are seeking the maximum penalty possible under current laws."
NHTSA is still investigating to see if Toyota committed any additional violations that may warrant more penalties, the agency said. Under federal regulations, $16.4 million is the most an automaker can be fined for a single violation.
Toyota seeks consolidation of acceleration lawsuits
An attorney for Toyota Motor Co. told a panel of federal judges Thursday that the company prefers to have the dozens of lawsuits filed against it nationwide consolidated into a single lawsuit, preferably heard in Los Angeles.
Toyota seeks consolidation of lawsuits
An attorney for Toyota Motor Co. told a panel of federal judges Thursday that the company prefers to have the dozens of lawsuits filed against it nationwide consolidated into a single lawsuit, preferably heard in Los Angeles.
The suits were filed in the aftermath of reports of sudden unintended acceleration.
On the Radar: Signing health care into law, Toyota docs
President Obama will sign the health care reform bill into law today.
Here’s a look at some of the stories CNN.com reporters are working on Tuesday:
Health care - President Obama will sign sweeping health care reform legislation into law at the White House at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, according to two Democratic officials familiar with the planning. Once signed, the Senate will take up House fixes to the law, which Republicans are already trying to stop. Their first attempt to prevent debate was knocked down last night by the Senate parliamentarian, according to Democratic and Republican sources.
The signing comes as ten states plan to file a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the new health care reform bill, according to Florida's attorney general.
Obama will continue to discuss the reform in hopes of pulling in line many members of the skeptical public. We'll continue to provide live coverage and today we'll take a look at what the health care bill means to you, when things will begin taking effect and whether Obama has used up much of his political capital on this one issue and how it might impact the rest of his agenda.
Toyota hearing - CNN looks into internal Toyota documents given to us by a group of attorneys now seeking a nationwide class-action lawsuit against the company. One attorney said the document - not previously made public - indicates Toyota knew much earlier about an electronic connection to sudden acceleration problems when they sent a memo to dealers in 2002.
Investigation points to driver error in Prius wreck
Early evidence points to driver error as the reason a 2005 Prius sped into a stone wall on March 9, federal investigators said Thursday.
Troubled Toyota not so bad, J.D. Power says
A new study gives high marks to more than two dozen vehicle brands for improving their quality in 2010 - including troubled Toyota - but said that many of these names suffer from lousy consumer perceptions.
Clues sought to Prius wreck from black box data
Investigators from Toyota and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Wednesday inspected a wrecked Prius and extracted data from the car's event data recorder they hope will help determine what caused the car to speed out of control.
Toyota takes aim at California runaway Prius story
Toyota challenged a California driver's story of an out-of-control Prius at a press conference Monday afternoon in California.
A Toyota spokesman, accompanied by engineers from the automaker, detailed preliminary findings of a joint investigation conducted by Toyota and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into an incident with an alleged out-of-control Prius.
On the Radar: Education, health care, severe weather
President Obama is set to introduce his plans to overhaul failing schools.
No Child Left Behind - President Obama is set to give Congress a blueprint Monday for overhauling the nation's education system and the No Child Left Behind program in an effort to improve schools, support teachers and set standards that would give high school graduates "the best chance to succeed in a changing world." Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said her first look at the plan made teachers the sole "scapegoat" if students' test scores did not improve, much more so than principals, school administrators, parents and the students themselves.
We look at the current state of the educational system, break down what the changes may mean and look at what role the government should play in the best and worst schools in the country.
Health care - President Obama heads to Strongville, Ohio, on Monday, to further push for a health care overhaul on what may be the make-or-break week for health care, especially after Obama canceled his trip to Asia and with the latest deadline for full legislation on Thursday looming.
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