National Press Release

TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to attract new buyers to the hybrid market, Toyota today launched the all-new Toyota Certified Used Hybrid (TCUH) program, an extension of the Toyota Certified Used Vehicles (TCUV) brand which provides added inspection and warranty coverage on certified used Toyota hybrids.

"The program is a great way to increase awareness of certified used hybrid vehicles," said TCUV Marketing Manager, Steve Gallagher. "As more hybrids enter the used vehicle marketplace, Toyota Certified Hybrids offer high-quality options to customers interested in purchasing these fuel-efficient vehicles."

As the industry's first dedicated certified pre-owned program for hybrid vehicles, TCUH was designed to drive sales of certified used hybrids while expanding Toyota's customer base for these types of vehicles.

Customers benefit from additional inspection and warranty coverage on Toyota hybrids within the program. Each vehicle comes with the three-month/3,000-mile comprehensive warranty, seven-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty and roadside assistance plan offered on traditional TCUV models. The program also brings added awareness to a pre-existing eight-year/100,000-mile factory hybrid battery warranty. The TCUH quality insurance inspection also includes 14 additional inspection points beyond the current TCUV 160-point quality assurance inspection. This expanded 174-point Toyota Certified Hybrid inspection includes examination of key hybrid components, such as the hybrid transaxle, control modules and battery.

The Toyota Certified program combines the confidence of purchasing a new vehicle with the value of a used vehicle to provide a "like new" ownership experience. Toyota certified used vehicles offer consumers a smart alternative to traditional used car options and give them the peace of mind they seek when purchasing a used vehicle.

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

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of more than 1,400 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers. Toyota directly employs over 36,000 people in the U.S. and sold more than 2.2 million vehicles in 2008. For more information about our company, please visit http://www.toyota.com.

About Toyota Certified Used Vehicles

Launched in 1996, the Toyota Certified Used Vehicles (TCUV) program offers the next best thing to the purchase of a new Toyota. TCUV provides peace of mind in the purchase of a used vehicle that only a Toyota factory-backed certification program can offer. Since its inception, TCUV has sold over 2.4 million certified vehicles. Under TCUV, all vehicles undergo a minimum 160-point quality assurance inspection, including mechanical and appearance reconditioning. TCUV also offers a seven-year, 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, a seven-year, 100,000-mile 24-hour roadside assistance plan, a three-month, 3,000-mile comprehensive used car warranty and a CARFAX vehicle history report. Currently, over 93 percent of Toyota dealers offer vehicles under the TCUV program.

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SOURCE Toyota Motor Sales