Toyota is recalling 427 of its RAV4 vehicles from model year 2011 because one or both curtain shield air bags may not deploy due to the inflator potentially not performing properly. In the even of a crash, the air bags may not be able to properly protect an occupant, increasing the risk of injuries.

Toyota has expanded the coveted Prius brand by introducing this larger wagon, and it will soon flank the original Prius hatchback with the introduction of a smaller hybrid, the Prius C. The Prius V certainly seems like a good idea: Take a proven powertrain and fit it to a roomier vehicle, offering current Prius owners a step-up vehicle, well suited to growing families. But does it work? We bought a Prius V “Three Model” ($28,217) to see if Toyota got the formula right, or if it proved to, literally, be too much of a good thing.

The upcoming March 2012 issue of Consumer Reports magazine features road tests of the BMW X3, Jeep Wrangler, Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, Volkswagen Tiguan, and Toyota Prius V. These new or updated models were treated to the full battery of more than 50 tests, and the full results are available now to online subscribers.

Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota have a commanding lead in car brand awareness, as determined from interviewing car owners for the 2012 Car Brand Perception Survey.

Consumer Reports’ 2012 Car Brand Perception Survey reveals how consumers rank car brands across seven purchase-influencing factors, such as safety, quality, and value. And the research also sheds light on what brands consumers are likely to purchase from for their next new car. Ford, Toyota, and Chevrolet lead purchase intent, though Honda has a higher brand loyalty rate than its domestic competitors.

The people have spoken: Toyota, Ford, Honda, and Chevrolet excel over other brands in the minds of adult car owners, though the brand’s advantages are less this year than in the past. These are among the findings of the 2012 Car-Brand Perception Survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

A new report by the National Research Council's Transportation Research Board finds that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) acted appropriately in discontinuing its investigation of unintended acceleration claims with Toyota vehicles. However, the Research Council finds it “troubling” that NHTSA could not readily address public safety concerns in this matter.

Among the central themes at this year’s Detroit auto show was the rise of the mainstream plug-in hybrid. My colleagues who attended the show point to another key theme: the resurgence of American automakers in their hometown, with Detroit brands making the biggest splash with mainstream models. Either way, call it an American sunrise.

As I made my last tour of the Cobo Center show floor in Detroit, it struck me how few new models stood out to me this year. I love that most unveilings were practical, or at least skewed toward the practical, from traditional mainstream models edging upscale to prestige brands reaching down toward mainstream budgets. The cars that etch themselves into my memory are distinctive in appearance, function, and/or mission, leaving so many others anonymous in an army of clones.

When you’ve got a good poker hand, you might go all in. That’s certainly what Toyota has done with its hybrids. The Toyota and Lexus stands at the Detroit Auto Show are overflowing with them.

Toyota has released details on its updated Land Cruiser, treating the large SUV to a minor exterior freshening and additional feature content. The Land Cruiser carries forward a legendary off-road nameplate first introduced in Japan over 60 years ago, and for 2013, it is a far more luxurious machine.

When Toyota updated their top-selling midsized sedan for 2012, they addressed what needed to be improved without messing with the Camry’s recipe for success.

As the end of 2011 draws near, we decided to take a look and see which new and used vehicles were most popular on ConsumerReports.org for the year. Every day potential buyers seek our independent test scores and reliability ratings to aid their research and help determine the best vehicle to buy for their needs. While we maintain a list of the most popular searches of the month on the main Cars landing page, it is time to reflect on the year in review. For this, we looked at visits to our model overview pages to compile a list of the top 10 most popular new and used cars.

A total of 115 vehicles have earned the 2012 Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) including 69 cars, 38 SUVs, 5 minivans and 3 pickups. Eighteen new models make the list this year including the Acura MDX, Acura TL, Acura TSX, BMW X3, Buick Verano, Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Honda CR-Z, Honda Fit, Honda Insight, Honda Pilot, Honda Ridgeline, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Scion xD, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Camry, Toyota Prius V, and Toyota Yaris.

In response to the unintended acceleration issues that plagued Toyota vehicles in 2009-2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has proposed a rule to standardize keyless ignition systems across all vehicles.