Driver Sues Toyota Because His Car Was Tracking Him

Cars have been collecting data the moment vehicle telematics became widespread.

These days, however, it’s more extensive now given the advancements in technology. There are more data points to collect, which has become a concern for consumers. The worry here is that the data is being collected by third-party companies that then offer it for sale to those who need, or rather, want it. 

Since then, there have been lawsuits against automakers that claim regarding the matter.

More recently, Toyota have been named in a US lawsuit for the “unauthorized collection and dissemination of private information collected” by a Florida resident, WTSP, a CBS-affiliated television station reported on January 11, 2026. The plaintiff claims that data was gathered from his vehicle’s telemetry, specifically a 2021 RAV4. 

He found that out when he was getting insurance for his vehicle, only to find that there was already a comprehensive driving profile on him. 

Toyota have since argued that the plaintiff accepted the terms and conditions of their connected services. It includes the collection of data “on a continuous and regular basis”, although there was no mention of whether said data could be purchased by affiliates outside of Toyota. That said, it’s unknown whether rejecting the terms and conditions disables the vehicle’s connected services. 

Sivasangari Subramaniam strolled into the second round of the $260,000 Windy City Open with a 11-8, 11-7, 11-8 win over Nele Gilis in Chicago, USA on Thursday.

It was the world No. 6's third win over the world No. 12 Belgian in seven meetings.

The Malaysian who finished second in the Karachi Open last month, will face Egypt's world No. 25 Kenzy Ayman for a place in the quarter-finals. Sivasangari has a 3-0 record against Kenzy.

Toyota Recall 100,000 US Vehicles

Japanese quality standards seem to be diving. If you've read my June 04 post, "Japan Automakers Hit by Safety Scandal", you'll know. And that was not even the first time that quality issues have hit Toyota. 

 

The news report below by CNN also published on June 04, will surely make you sit up and start looking at Toyota in a new disturbing light.

 

Toyota are recalling nearly 100,000 Tundra pickups and about 3,500 Lexus LX 600 luxury SUVs in the US to fix a problem that could cause their engines to lose power while driving. 

 

In some of these vehicles, debris from the manufacturing process may have been left inside the engine where it can lead to knocking, rough running and, in some cases, the engine stalling altogether while driving. 

 

The vehicles involved are 2022 and 2023 model year Tundras and LX 600s. Only regular gasoline-powered versions, not hybrids, are involved in this recall, according to Toyota. (The Tundra is available in both gas-only and “iForce Max” hybrid versions). 

 

At the time of this post, Toyota are still working to figure out a solution. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

China’s Chang’e-6 lunar probe departed from the far side of the moon on Tuesday, following successful sample collection over the previous two days, and moving a step closer to completing an ambitious mission that underlines the country’s rise as a space superpower. 

 

In a symbolic moment before takeoff, China also reportedly became the first country to display its national flag on the moon’s far side, which permanently faces away from Earth. 

 

Its return journey to Earth is estimated to take about three weeks, with a landing expected in China’s Inner Mongolia region around June 25. This is the second time China has collected samples from the moon, after the Chang’e-5 brought back rocks from the near side in 2020. 

 

The flag, made from the volcanic rock basalt, was designed to resist corrosion and the extreme temperatures on the far side of the moon with an eye on future lunar missions, a Chang’e-6 engineer told state-broadcaster CCTV. 

 

The rock “was crushed, melted and drawn into filaments about one third of the diameter of a human hair, then spun into thread and woven into cloth”, said engineer Zhou Changyi. 

 

“The lunar surface is rich in basalt”, Zhou added. “Since we’re building a lunar base in the future, we will most likely have to make basalt into fibers and use it as building materials”.

Japan Automakers Hit by Safety Scandal

Toyota Motor Corp. admitted Monday to improperly obtaining vehicle certifications for seven car models by carrying out safety tests in ways inconsistent with set government standards, in a renewed blow to the company following a recent spate of quality scandals at their group firms. 

 

Similar instances of misconduct were also found at Honda Motor Co., Mazda Motor Corp., Suzuki Motor Corp., and Yamaha Motor Co., according to the transport ministry. 

 

The ministry said they will conduct on-site inspections at the automakers' offices and consider taking administrative action. The latest issues were discovered after the ministry instructed 85 automakers and parts suppliers to investigate whether certifications were acquired properly following a series of scandals at Toyota group firms.

 

Three of the seven models are still in production – the Corolla Fielder, Corolla Axio, and Yaris Cross – while the rest have been discontinued, the company said. 

 

Toyota were instructed by the ministry to halt shipments of the affected models, as well as Mazda, which had irregularities in two car models, and Yamaha, which had irregularities in one class of motorcycle. The misconduct at Honda and Suzuki only affected discontinued models, the companies said.

 

Of the 85 firms surveyed, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism received responses from about 70 as of the end of May. No other misconduct was found beyond what was reported by the five companies, and the ministry expect the rest of the firms to turn in their reports soon, they said. 

 

Toyota insist their vehicles in question are all safe to drive, if you can believe them. It is a disturbing fact that the Toyota group have been hit with quality issues in recent years. 

 

Their small-car unit Daihatsu Motor Co. said in December that safety data had been manipulated for most of their cars, while in January, affiliate Toyota Industries Corp. revealed that engine data had been falsified for years. Not to mention that their truck-manufacturing subsidiary Hino Motors Ltd. had admitted to cheating on emission and fuel efficiency data in 2022.

 

Japanese quality is now very much suspect.

Toyota’s Eco-friendly Short Distance Mobility Option

As the automotive market adopts the commitment to develop environmentally friendly modes of transportation, vehicles are increasingly being designed for specific niches and their particular needs. 

Throughout 2019, a handful of extremely compact electric vehicles and concepts – Citroen’s Ami One, Seat’s Minimo, Nissan’s IMk, and Honda’s Urban EV – have been announced with the nearly-exclusive purpose of being used in strictly urban environments. 

On Thursday, Toyota, too, revealed their own rendition of the teeny-weeny city vehicle: The Ultra-compact BEV (right). 

And it is already one up on the other cars in this particular segment – this EV is not a concept; it’s production ready and truth be told, it is expected to launch in Japan in 2020. 

I read that the two-seater has a single-charge range of about 100 km and a top speed of 60km/h (or 37mph). 

This car is not designed for performance – instead, Toyota intend for it to be used by customers who make short-distance trips like “the elderly, newly licensed drivers, or business-people visiting local customers”. 

Though the technical specs of the model have not been released, Toyota’s Head of Development Akihiro Yanaka states that this model will provide customers with “greater autonomy”. 

The Ultra-compact BEV will be on display at the Tokyo Motor Show (October 24 to November 04) at the Future Expo. 

Yesterday, I was at the MIDA premise in KL Sentral in Kuala Lumpur to attend the KL Advanced Toastmasters meeting. I was both an assignment speaker as well as a speech evaluator. 

My speech was from the Humorously Speaking manual, project #2 Leave Them With a Smile and it was titled The Day My Best Friend Died 

‘Twas a speech that contained dark humor – and it was about Bernard. 

BTW, I was voted Best Evaluator for my feedback for an Ice-breaker speech:

Photos from the said meeting:

Toyota’s Wakudoki Dance

Japan is a prolific producer of creative or more correctly, quirky ads. Toyota’s ad campaign is no different.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image credit: http://nukilangadiskampung.blogspot.com/2014/07/waku-doki-toyota-win-trip-to-tokyo.html

 

The automotive behemoth is promoting its “Wakudoki” dance contest with two wacky yet absolutely fun video clips which could possibly spark a new dance craze.

 

In the first clip of Toyota’s first digitally-led campaign, you see businessmen in the middle of a tropical jungle doing a synchronised dance with tribesmen and a gorilla. TIME deemed the clip ‘The Most Delightful Two Minutes of Your Day’, and it’s not hard to see why.

 

It definitely got viewers hitting the replay and share buttons – uploaded on July 13, 2014 – the clip has garnered more than 1.5 million views to date.

 

The second instalment that followed is a beach-themed clip, which features the same businessmen – with swim caps this time – and, you guessed it, lots of girls in bikinis

This was uploaded on August 24, and so far, it’s got over 600,000 views.

 

The two clips are in line with Toyota’s “wakudoki” theme, which boasts sleeker, sexier and more exciting styling as the carmaker sets its sights on younger buyers.

 

Just what is wakudoki? Well, apparently it’s a portmanteau of “waku-waku” – Japanese for that rush you get you’re feeling excited – and “doki-doki” which is a Japanese onomatopoeic word for heartbeat. Basically, it’s an exciting adrenaline rush, which we’d say translated pretty well into the two offbeat clips it has produced.

 

So here’s the deal: Toyota is offering a host of prizes including a flight for two to Tokyo!