(November 5, 2009) Toyota Motor Corp. reported a surprise quarterly profit and slashed its annual loss forecast by more than half as sales and cost cutting beat its forecasts, putting it on track to follow Japanese rivals into the black next year.

Toyota now expects an operating loss of 350 billion yen ($3.9 billion) for the year to March 31, closer to an average projection of a 293 billion yen loss in a poll of 22 analysts by Thomson Reuters.

(November 4, 2009) Toyota has confirmed that it will pull the plug on its Formula One program immediately, AutoWeek reported today. The news was announced by company boss Akio Toyoda in Tokyo some 11 days before a much anticipated meeting where the team's budget was to be discussed.

Toyota's withdrawal comes following the departure of Honda 11 months ago, and confirmation from Bridgestone on Monday that it will leave F1 at the end of 2010. It leaves Japan with no strong connections to the sport for the first time since Honda's return in 1983.

(November 2, 2009) General Motors is recalling 53,000 model year 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt And Saturn Ion vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in Arizona and Nevada for potential engine fires.

It is also recalling 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G5 And Saturn Ion cars originally sold in or currently registered in Arizona, California, Florida, and Nevada and Texas.

(November 2, 2009) Chrysler is recalling 13,000 model year 2009 and 2010 passenger vehicles equipped with rear wheel drive. Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger and Charger models may have been built without a front-wheel spindle nut, as the result of a new supplier coming on board after the existing one went bankrupt.

Affected cars were built from Aug. 4 through Sept. 28, 2009.

The company said that while driving, “a tire and wheel separation could occur increasing the risk of a crash.”