Toyota Produces 25 Millionth North American-Built Vehicle

Milestone Coincides With Start of Production of All-New Avalon

Toyota celebrated the 25 millionth vehicle manufactured in North America today at a ceremony at its Georgetown, Ky., plant coinciding with the start of production for the all-new 2013 Avalon. The milestone vehicle – a Classic Silver Hybrid Avalon – represents 26 years of manufacturing, a direct investment of nearly $24 billion in North American operations and 365,000 jobs created in the United States.

“Toyota’s 25 millionth vehicle signifies the tireless work of thousands of Toyota team members, hundreds of North American supplier partners, and great dealers giving their best every day,” said Steve St. Angelo, executive vice president of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. “We continue to evolve as a company thanks to their commitment to build the best vehicles in the market.”

Wil James, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc., the company’s largest manufacturing operation in North America, emceed the event. “This is a pivotal time in Toyota’s history,” James said to an enthusiastic crowd of manufacturing team members. “What better way to cap off 26 years of manufacturing excellence than with the all-new Kentucky- built Avalon, a shining example of what our customers have to look forward to in the future.”

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and University of Kentucky Men's Basketball Coach
John Calipari also addressed the audience. Toyota’s Georgetown plant employs approximately 6,600 and builds the Camry, Camry Hybrid, Avalon, Venza, and manufactures 4-cylinder and V6 engines. Toyota’s North American production includes 12 models representing 70 percent of U.S. sales.

"We thank the millions of customers, some of the finest team members in the world, hundreds of excellent North American suppliers and our outstanding dealers who have supported us in reaching this milestone,” said Bill Fay, Group Vice President and General Manager, Toyota Division, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

The following are rounded production figures for North American Toyota plants by vehicle:

Manufacturing Site	Model	Total Production
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK)	Sienna	551,000
	Solara	210,000
	Avalon	1,264,000
	Camry	6,779,000
	Camry Hybrid	200,000
	Venza	243,000
	Total	9,247,000
New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI)	Voltz	10,000
	Corolla	3,237,100
	Tacoma	2,550,000
	Total	5,797,100
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc. (TMMI)	Tundra	989,000
	Highlander	319,000
	Sequoia	517,000
	Sienna	1,418,000
	Total	3,243,000
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Inc. (TMMC)	Solara	215,500
	Corolla	2,951,000
	Matrix	653,000
	RX 350	661,000
	RAV4	514,000
	RAV4 EV	400
	Total	4,994,900
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi, Inc. (TMMMS)	Corolla	111,000
	Total	111,000
Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California (TMMBC)	Tacoma	336,000
	Total	336,000
Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc. (TMMTX)	Tacoma	198,000
	Tundra	608,000
	Total	806,000
Subaru Indiana Automotive, Inc. (SIA)	Camry	465,000
	Total	465,000
Total North American Vehicle Production	Grand Total	25,000,000

Vehicles

• Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, Inc. (TMMC), Cambridge, Ontario and Woodstock
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Indiana, Inc. (TMMI), Princeton, Ind.
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. (TMMK), Georgetown, Ky.
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, Inc. (TMMTX), San Antonio, Texas
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi, Inc. (TMMMS), Blue Springs, Miss.
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California (TMMBC), Baja California, Mexico

Parts and Materials

• Bodine Aluminum, Inc., St. Louis, Troy, Mo. and Jackson, Tenn.
• Canadian Autoparts Toyota, Inc. (CAPTIN), Delta, British Columbia
• TABC, Inc., Long Beach, Calif.
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama, Inc. (TMMAL), Huntsville, Ala.
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California (TMMBC), Baja California, Mexico
• Toyota Motor Manufacturing, West Virginia, Inc. (TMMWV), Buffalo, W.Va.

Article and image courtesy of Toyota News.

"Excellent service all the way around," says Derek in this 5-star review on Cars.com!

"Excellent service - all the way around. A little expensive for my repairs, but they were done right the first time. Beautiful facility - comfy, top of the line customer waiting area - very nice employees - pretty much what you would expect from a Toyota Dealership!. Highly recommended...." - Derek

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Germain Toyota of Naples "gets a big Thumbs up and a 10 for their service," according to this happy customer on DealerRater!

"Love the new format for service on cars. Everyone was friendly. Service was fast and especially loved the fact that the service rep handled everything from checking me in to checking me out! He was friendly, informative and helpful in explaining the process and what was done and needed to be done in the future. Germain gets a big Thumbs up and a 10 for their service and new process. Ada Rhodes(I purchased my Corolla in 2004 and have had it serviced at Germain everytime!)" - rhodesavfl

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"Just moved to Naples from New England and this is the best dealer service I've ever had," says one New England transplant in this 5-star review on Cars.com!

"Excellent service experience. Just moved to Naples from New England and this is the best dealer service I've ever had. I will buy a car from this dealership next time around." - Long time Sienna owner

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"How does one go beyond excellence? Great work from the beginning to end." - Michael

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Toyota Boosts Home Reconstruction in Joplin Since Devastating Tornado

Like most residents of Joplin, Tara Johnston’s mind is frozen in time when she thinks back to that late Sunday afternoon on May 22, 2011 – the day a catastrophic tornado destroyed thousands of homes, including her house on S. Jackson Ave.

“Losing my home was one thing; the worst part was I thought I lost my daughter,” she said. “It was horrifying.”

While her daughter and the rest of her family survived the tornado, she was faced with the daunting task of rebuilding her home – made even tougher because she had no insurance. Johnston told her story from the front porch of that very home today at a press conference. The house, which is just weeks away from being completely rebuilt, is the result of many helping hands coming together to get one more displaced family back into their home.

As part of the celebration, a partnership between Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America (TEMA) and Rebuild Joplin, a local non-profit group whose mission it is to get storm survivors back into their homes, was outlined. Toyota has worked with the group the past six months in an effort to reduce the amount of time it takes to rebuild homes and get Joplin residents out of temporary housing. In addition, Toyota donated $100,000 to Rebuild Joplin and its home-building efforts.

“Rebuild Joplin helps people like me who can’t get loans; they help you either rebuild your home, or if damaged, help you fix it up at no cost or little cost to you,” said Johnston, a single mother and full-time student whose two children and grandchild live with her.

The partnership is working.

“This has allowed us to take donated dollars and donated time from volunteers and make it more efficient,” said Jerrod Hogan, co-founder, Rebuild Joplin.

Hogan said that by using lessons from the Toyota Production System (TPS), Rebuild Joplin has reduced construction time by three weeks on average. Bottom line, he said, “These improvements are making an incredible difference in our ability to rebuild homes for families in Joplin quickly and affordably.

“We are so excited to be partnering with Toyota. Now, one of our biggest challenges is securing enough volunteers so we can get people back in their homes. We not only need corporate support, we need the help of volunteers to get the job done. We still have more than 160 families in FEMA trailers and hundreds of families who don’t have funds to rebuild their homes.”

Toyota, through its non-profit arm – the Toyota Production System Support Center (TSSC) – partnered with Rebuild Joplin in May with the intent to help the group make substantial improvements by increasing quality, productivity, safety and reducing customer wait time in the rebuilding of houses.

Rebuild Joplin is just one of 189 companies or not-for-profits that have been aided by Toyota.

“We’ve seen over and over again where our manufacturing techniques can help any kind of organization – whether it’s a manufacturer or a non-profit group,” said Steve St. Angelo, executive vice president, TEMA, and a managing officer for Toyota Motor Corp. “There is a lot of demand for this and we are sharing it free of charge.”

Since Toyota came on board, the time it takes for Rebuild Joplin to reconstruct a home has dropped from an average of 62 days to 41 days – a 34 percent improvement.

This time reduction can be credited to the following:

 

• Improved processes: the collaboration has consisted of sharing TPS know-how and working closely with Rebuild Joplin’s professional staff, skilled construction supervisors and AmeriCorps volunteer members to improve homebuilding efficiencies;
• Better scheduling of volunteers and construction contractors: while there was no organized system before, today, as you enter Rebuild Joplin’s headquarters, “management boards” track everything from volunteer/worker schedules to inventory to status reports on homes being rebuilt.

 

TSSC’s Sylvester DuPree, who has worked closely with Rebuild Joplin since the onset, points to another success. “One of our main goals coming into Rebuild Joplin was to reduce the amount of time it took from when a home owner applied to when construction began on their house,” he said. “Couple that with reducing the amount of construction time and we are getting people back into their homes faster.”

New Orleans Connection
Rebuild Joplin is the first affiliate of the St. Bernard Project (SBP), a non-profit organization that was founded in 2006 by Zack Rosenburg and Liz McCartney, an attorney and teacher, respectively, from Washington D.C., after they saw the tremendous needs in the New Orleans region following Hurricane Katrina. Following a month of service in the area, the pair started the nonprofit, focusing on finding a solution to fulfilling the needs expressed by community members.

SBP believes that by sharing lessons learned and best practices, disaster recovery in America will be more effective in reducing human toll. Through St. Bernard Project’s Disaster Recovery Lab, a community hit by a natural disaster can get a head start by using these lessons learned and utilized in New Orleans, and, now, Joplin.

“We have seen the toll of delay in post-disaster recovery; clients have died waiting, seniors have had their ‘golden years’ irreparably tarnished, and young people have spent their formative years in untenable living situations,” Rosenburg said. “Understanding the urgent need for a new model – recognizing that disaster recovery in America is broken and that families in other parts of the country impacted by disaster yearn for home as strongly as families in New Orleans – St. Bernard Project decided to share its model with other disaster-impacted communities.”

Developed in collaboration with skill-based corporate partners, Disaster Recovery Lab is an answer to reduce recovery time and minimize the devastating impact of delayed recovery on businesses, government and the social and civic fabric of a community.

Communities at-risk will be trained to develop resilience by understanding and mitigating risks, by learning SBP’s model, understanding challenges that they will face and by developing an initial recovery plan.

Disaster-struck communities will learn SBP’s model, receive a playbook/framework for action and will benefit from technical and on-the-ground support.

“We are a one-year-old organization operating with four-plus years of experience,” said Hogan. “It makes an enormous impact on our ability to serve families.”

Article courtesy of Toyota News.

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"I love coming to this dealership because the Customer service is wonderful. The employees are friendly and knowledgeable and I can get in and out in a timely manner. I love the new facilities as well." - Naplesgal

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Your Monday Maintenance Tip: Check your battery terminals

Most modern cars run on a 12 volt negative ground electrical system. If your battery terminals or contacts aren't clean, you're making it more difficult for the current to pass around the electrical system. Remove the terminal caps as described above and clean each contact post with a wire brush to get a nice clean metal contact surface. Do the same to the terminal caps, then reattach them as described above.

Your Monday Maintenance Tip courtesy of Car Bibles.

 

Three new 5-star reviews on DealerRater for Germain Toyota over the weekend! Great job, team!

"why 5 stars? This is where I will be purchasing my next toyota! Garren was great - he gave me a detailed copy of estimates for other service repairs" - mauk1pe

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"The service manager was terrific... I am very satisfied with the experience," says this 5-star review on Cars.com! Great job, David!

"The service manager (David Wade) was terrific. The shop seems to have found the problem and fixed it. I am very satisfied with the experience." - notatall

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[VIDEO]: Martha Stewart and the 2013 Avalon

Martha Stewart shares her excitement about the 2013 Toyota Avalon during her "American Made" event in New York City.

Video courtesy of Toyota's Youtube channel.

Don't forget to take advantage of our $139.95 Complete Vehicle Detail eCoupon this month!

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"Great fast and friendly service," says this 5-star review on DealerRater for Germain Toyota!

"Great fast and friendly service. This was the first time I had to bring my new car in to be serviced. I was not sure exactly where to go, however by the time I was out of my car Garon was greeting me and helping me out. The service was quicker than expected. Easy in and out." - shortyjbc

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[VIDEO]: Toyota Presents: The Tundra Endeavour -- Mission Accomplished

Mission Accomplished. A stock half-ton Toyota Tundra tows 145-ton Space Shuttle Endeavour across LA's 405 freeway. Watch it happen.

Video courtesy of Toyota's Youtube channel.

"I had an excellent overall experience," says this 5-star review on DealerRater!

"I was greeted promptly and courteously by Ann-Marie for regular maintenance service to my 2012 Tundra Pick-up. Everything was explained well and I was taken to the customer waiting area. Following service, the bill was explained and Ann-Marie told me that she would be my intermediary if I needed anything else or had questions. Ann-Marie was great - and I had an excellent overall experience." - dapbrock

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Toyota pickup will tow space shuttle to museum

Toyota, in a publicity-stunt coup, has arranged to have one of its pickup trucks tow the space shuttle Endeavour through the streets of Los Angeles on the last leg of its journey to a museum.

Toyota says its full-size Tundra pickup truck will tow the retiring Endeavour on the final quarter-mile stretch on its way to permanent display at the California Science Center in Exposition Park, just south of downtown Los Angeles. The pickup will pull it down Bill Robertson Lane inside the park perimeter on Oct. 13 to a "finish line," followed by a big party.

But that job will only come after Endeavour had already been towed about 12 miles from Los Angeles International Airport to the area near the museum site. Preparations are already underway for the spectacle, including the cutting of 400 trees along the way.

Endeavour weighs 300,000 pounds, Toyota says. The automaker plans to use a Tundra CrewMax half-ton pickup with a hulking 5.7-liter V-8 engine. Normally, its maximum towing capacity is limited to 10,000 pounds.

Toyota says it has done extensive testing and worked with The Sarens Group, a heavy lifting and engineered transport company, to develop a dolly specifically for hauling the Endeavour.

Article and image courtesy of USA Today.

 

"Professionalism" and "timeliness" says this customer about our service department in this 5-star review on DealerRater!

"acceptable wait time for vehicle repair; price of tire was expensive, but it needed to be replaced and there was no time to go elsewhere. professionalism and timeliness was the reason for the rating." - naplesnd@aol.com

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Be sure to take advantage of our Special APR offer on 2012 Prius models this month!

New 2012 Prius Financing - 0.0%/36 0.9%/48 1.9%/60 Months APR

0.0/0.9/1.9 annual percentage rate financing on new 2012 Prius, excludes v & c models, with respective terms of 36/48/60 months. All offers require approved credit through Southeast Toyota Finance. Payments for the first 90 days are deferred. Interest is deferred for 90 days for the 48- and 60-month terms. Monthly payment for every $1,000 financed is 0.0% - 36 months = $27.78; 0.9% - 48 months = $21.25; 1.9% - 60 months = $17.54. No down payment. Excludes tax, tag, registration, title and dealer fees. Dealer fees vary by dealer. Cannot be combined with other offers. Must complete retail sale and take delivery between 10/02/12 - 10/31/12.

#SpiritDay -- there's an app for that!

GLAAD is happy to announce that you can now take part Spirit Day right from your phone! 

GLAAD and Toyota Financial Services today launched the “Go Purple for #SpiritDay powered by Toyota Financial Services” app for iPhone and Android. The app provides users with anti-bullying resources, calls to action, and a tool that can turn photos purple and share to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The free app is now available in the Apple and Google Play app stores.

Millions of Americans wear purple on Spirit Day as a sign of support for LGBT youth and to speak out against bullying. This app makes it easier to take part in Spirit Day, and to learn how you can support bullied youth. This year, GLAAD is counting down to Spirit Day with 19 Days of Action – quick and easy steps you can take each day to help stand up to bullying. The app will send reminders to users each day. Check out some screenshots below!

Article and image courtesy of GLAAD.

Teams Hustle to Complete their Builds on Time for the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge

Customizing a vehicle can often be broken down into a series of tasks that can then be scheduled and executed—at least until the clock runs out. Then all bets are off. And so it goes for the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge teams with time to complete their ambitious builds coming to a close in about two weeks, just before voting begins on October 20. And just like a race car, these one-off rides must be ready to go when the green flag drops.

Kyle Busch's "Rowdy Edition" Camry is "getting close." Busch's team at Detroit Speed has extensively reworked the Camry's body with strong fender flares, a NASCAR-style splitter and front and rear belly pans to direct airflow under the car. All of these parts have been custom designed and fabricated by hand—a painstaking and time-consuming process. More recently, the team has been scrambling to finish custom interior touches with completely redone seats and a custom electronic entertainment package.

Getting a complex collection of custom-built electronics to work seamlessly in his "Tekked-Out Prius" seems to be keeping Clint Bowyer's RKM Performance Center team awake into the wee hours. It's loaded with hi-tech gadgets like side-view cameras that replace the mirrors, 45 feet. of fiber optic interior lighting and a 16-speaker stereo with six crossovers and dual amplifiers. Then there's the suspension which has dropped the Prius "lower than a Sprint Cup car." And, there’s certainly no lack of team spirit as their build will sport no less than 364 copies of the Toyota logo.
Alexis DeJoria's Pre-Runner Tundra concept has her Racer Engineering team working on virtually every aspect of the truck. Long-travel suspension (20 inches in the rear), an elaborate custom roll cage wrapped in leather, and a TRD-supercharged engine are all part of her design to make a serious off-road tool. The team is also squeezing in a JBL audio system and a specially-built fuel cell. It’s all more than enough to keep them busy right up to the due date.

Some builds are more ambitious than others, and Antron Brown's “DragQuoia” is a big concept that's challenging its capable builders. The "family dragster" idea means that whatever they do has to leave room for the family to ride safely and comfortably. And they're doing quite a lot. For starters, the Motorsports Technical Center team is lopping more than 2,000 lbs. off the factory curb weight. A TRD blower and nitrous coax the 5.7-liter V8 to pump out more than 650 hp for those "quick" runs to the supermarket. Massive 21.5-inch wide rear tires put the power to the ground, which in turn need big fender mods—inside and out—to keep the hot rubber bits contained in the wheel wells. Fortunately, Junior will have a comfortable perch in the back to view the scenery rushing by, secured with his own five-point racing harness. And between runs, he can watch his favorite DVD on the seat-back media player.

Every one of the Dream Build vehicle teams has the chops and experience to deliver for their driver. The simple question on delivery day may come down to this: Which team will be the least sleep deprived.

Article and image courtesy of Toyota News.

Big thanks to Jim A. for this 5-star review on DealerRater!

"As a repeat customer I originally brought in my 2006 Highlander for service and was able to negotiate a good deal on a 2012 Camry while we were there. The new dealership is wonderful and we were made to feel right at home throughout the day. We really like the new car and are now a two Toyota family. We are looking forward to many trouble free miles from both vehicles. Great dealership with great people." - jimanderson1

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Your Monday Maintenance Tip: What to Expect When You Get to the Repair Shop

Whether you've come in for a simple oil change or a more extensive repair, consumers should be armed with a series of expectations for what to look for once you get to the repair shop. Episode 3 in Car Care's series of videos aimed at educating consumers seeking car repairs answers that exact question.

Your Monday Maintenance Tip courtesy of Car Care's Youtube channel.

"I like the way I've been treated" and "I trust my car is in a good hands" says this 5-star review of our service department on Cars.com!

"I like the way I've been treated, I trust my car is in a good hands and after the service I feel my car is been in the right place" - Colombian

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"[Ann Marie Robuck] is the best service person I have ever used" says Billy in this 5-star review on Cars.com! Keep up the great work, Ann!

"I always use Ann Marie Robuck when I have our cars serviced. She is the best service person I have ever used and frankly, that is the reason I have purchased both of our present cars and prior cars. She is honest and never never recommends work that does not need to be done. She is the best." - Billy

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[VIDEO]: Toyota supports Hiring Our Heroes

Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Dakota Meyer has joined Toyota and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in supporting Hiring Our Heroes, a program aimed at giving veterans and military spouses the personal branding tools needed to transition into jobs in civilian life.

Video courtesy of Toyota's Youtube channel.

Three new 5-star reviews for Germain Toyota of Naples on DealerRater! Excellent work, team!

"From the moment that David greeted me to the moment I drove away from Germaine, I felt I was working with someone I could trust. I came to Germaine very apprehensive and concerned about a problem I was experiencing with my 2007 Scion, which I purchased there. David showed me around the new building and I must say I was very impressed with what I saw. He offered me snacks and beverages and then to my amazement, David told me I could sit at any computer station and go online, if I wished to. I am a Graduate student in the Mental Health Counseling field and I had homework to do!

Later, David came to talk to me about my car and described exactly what the problem is. He then gave me several options, which I really appreciated. I felt so much better when I left the garage than when I drove in and you can credit David for that. He is such a gentleman and so professional. In addition, he seems to genuinely care about the customers he works with. I will return to Germaine for service in the near future because of the treatment I received from David. In my opinion, he delivers what I call "great customer service."

I will definitely refer my friends to Germaine and tell them to ask for David Wade!" - meditationab

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Get a great deal on your next service visit with this $139.95 Complete Vehicle Detail eCoupon!

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Toyota Motor Sales Reports Increase In September Sales

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported September 2012 sales results of 171,910 units, an increase of 41.5 percent compared to the same period last year on both a daily selling rate (DSR) and a raw volume basis, unadjusted for 25 selling days in both September 2012 and in September 2011.

The Toyota Division posted September total sales of 151,524 units, an increase of 42.3 percent on a DSR basis from September 2011. On a raw volume basis, Toyota Division sales were also up 42.3 percent from the year-ago month.

“The auto industry had another very encouraging month in September,” said Bill Fay, Toyota group vice president and general manager. “Our dealers got off to a great start over Labor Day weekend and that momentum carried through the rest of the month, as Camry continued to stretch its lead as the most popular car in America.”

The Lexus Division reported total sales of 20,386 units in September 2012, up 36.0 percent from September 2011 on both a DSR and raw volume basis compared to the same period last year.

Toyota Division
Toyota Division passenger cars recorded combined monthly sales of 85,642 units, up 47.1 percent from September 2011. Passenger car sales were led by Camry and Camry Hybrid with combined sales of 34,252 units, and Corolla reported September sales of 23,026 units. The Prius family of vehicles posted September sales of 18,932 units.

Toyota Division light trucks recorded September sales of 65,882 units, an increase of 36.6 percent compared to the same month last year. Light truck sales were again led by the RAV4 compact SUV and Tacoma mid-size pickup truck, with monthly sales of 13,796 and 12,176, respectively. Highlander and Highlander Hybrid reported combined monthly sales of 10,927 units, and the Tundra full-size pickup reported sales of 9,338 units.

Scion posted September sales of 6,743 units, up 75.7 percent on a volume and DSR basis over September 2011. The tC sports coupe led the way with sales of 2,186, up 24.8 percent over the year-ago month, while the recently launched FR-S sports car reported sales of 1,133 units. The xD five-door urban subcompact posted September sales of 942 units, and the xB urban utility vehicle posted September sales of 1,799 units. The all-new iQ premium micro-subcompact posted monthly sales of 683 units.

Lexus Division
Lexus reported passenger car sales of 12,020 units, up 35.7 percent from September 2011. The ES 350 entry luxury sedan and the first-ever ES Hybrid led Lexus passenger car sales with sales of 6,553 units, while the IS luxury sports sedan reported sales of 2,248 units. The CT 200h premium hybrid compact posted sales of 1,195 units.

Lexus luxury utility vehicles recorded sales of 8,366 units, up 36.4 percent over September 2011. Lexus light truck sales were led by the RX and RX Hybrid luxury utility vehicle, which posted combined September sales of 7,046 units. The GX 460 mid-size luxury utility vehicle reported sales of 948 units, while the LX luxury utility vehicle recorded sales of 372 units.

TMS Hybrids
TMS posted September hybrid vehicle sales of 26,747, an increase of 120.6 percent compared to the same period last year. Toyota Division posted September sales of 23,110 hybrids, while Lexus Division reported sales of 3,637 hybrids for the month.

Article courtesy of Toyota News.

"Your dealership is great, and everyone from the GM on down is very customer focused," says Lesley in this 5-star review on Cars.com!

"This was the 4th car I either purchased or leased from Germain Toyota, from Rafal M. specifically. I will say again and again that Rafal makes a customer feel like a million bucks by the time their purchase has been completed. He is great, your dealership is great, and everyone from the GM on down is very customer focused. That makes for happy customers and more car sales for TOYOTA!!" - Lesley

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Your Monday Maintenance Tip: Preserve Vehicle Value Beyond Your Wildest Clean

Keeping your car clean will significantly help preserve its overall value, according to the Car Care Council.

“Simply cleaning your vehicle not only fosters a sense of pride and accomplishment, but it also protects your valuable vehicle investment,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “It’s a task that takes very little money or effort, but has huge returns.”

Polishing your vehicle once every six months and washing it once a week prevents the buildup of damaging chemicals and dirt that may harm the vehicle’s finish. In addition to regular care, it is important to look for any dents, dings, scratches or cracked glass. These problems, when left unattended, can lead to more expensive repairs down the line. Frequent washing and polishing is also the best way to protect your car’s finish from the damaging effects of harsh ultraviolet rays and acid rain.

It is imperative to clean your car only with products sold specifically for cars which are specially formulated to ensure that the treatments your vehicle’s manufacturer included on the paint finish remain intact. Using harsh detergents, like dish soap, that are not intended for use of vehicle exteriors can damage those protective layers leaving your vehicle even more vulnerable to the elements than before you washed it.

Your Monday Maintenance Tip courtesy of Car Care.