National Press Release

TORRANCE, Calif., June 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., and Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing, North America (TEMA) today garnered key awards in the 2008 J. D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study(SM), announced at a press conference in Detroit.

Toyota improved by eight problems per 100 (PP100) and two ranking positions over last year. Tied for fourth place among all industry nameplates, Toyota was the best-performing full-line nameplate and best-performing non-premium nameplate in the 2008 IQS.

Lexus LS ranked first among all segment winners in this year's survey with the fewest PP100, at 68, an all-time low for segment winners in the IQS study.

Combined, TMS won three individual segment awards. Besides the LS award in the Large Premium category, Lexus also took the Midsize Premium MAV award with the RX. The all-new second-generation Toyota Sequoia was tops in the Large MAV category.

Toyota production facilities garnered the most plant awards of any manufacturer, reflecting the lowest number of defects per 100 vehicles at plants in North America and Asia. In North America, the Baja, Mexico plant (Tacoma) won the gold and the San Antonio, Texas plant won the Silver (Tundra). These are Toyota's two newest production facilities in North America. For the San Antonio plant, the Silver Award came in the first year of production of the all-new Tundra, in the first year of operation of the all-new plant. In Asia, the Fujimatsu, Japan plant (Prius) won the Gold and the Tahara, Japan plant (4Runner, Land Cruiser, RAV4 and Lexus models including the LS) won the Bronze.

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SOURCE Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.