Toyota Donates to Hurricane Sandy Relief Funds, Offers Car Payment Deferment

WARWICK, R.I., Nov. 7, 2012 — After being battered with extreme winds, intense rain and a huge storm surge from Hurricane Sandy, the Northeast has started to rebuild. To help out, Japanese automaker Toyota has made a $1 million donation to the American Red Cross and other non-profits aiding relief efforts, and it will match any employee donations to those organizations.

As the largest-circumference tropical storm ever spotted in the Atlantic Ocean, Sandy brought widespread damage to heavily populated areas like New Jersey and New York City while affecting most of the rest of the Eastern Seaboard, leaving millions without power and others with heavy flood and fire damage. Toyota has begun reaching out to customers in impacted areas who are delinquent or could become delinquent on car payments due to circumstances from the storm, offering solutions like extensions and deferred payments, as well as alternative payment systems for eligible owners and lessees.

"There are enough stresses when dealing with damage to your home and property, so Toyota is doing what it can to make it easier for Hurricane Sandy victims to get their lives back to normal," said Bill Camastro, general manager of Balise Toyota of Warwick, a Rhode Island Toyota dealer. "With the possibility of deferred payments for existing Toyota customers, as well as for those who need to replace a vehicle lost in the storm, Toyota's efforts can make an appreciable impact."

Toyota witnessed firsthand the profound effect of a natural disaster following the March 2011 earthquake in Japan, which caused major damage to facilities in its supply chain, limiting its inventory and sales for months. With its production again at full strength, and new vehicles reinvigorating its lineup, the automaker has bounced back and then some, posting double-digit sales increases this year.

So far in 2012, Toyota's U.S. sales have risen 31 percent year-over-year, punctuated by a 17-percent jump in the month of October. The redesigned-for-2012 Toyota Camry has been key to that sales boost, with the midsize sedan moving more than 344,000 models through October, a 37-percent increase compared to the same period in 2011.

Toyota has also gained sales momentum from its newly expanded Prius lineup, which now includes the Prius Liftback, Prius v, Prius c and Prius Plug-in. Sales of the fuel-sipping hybrids have nearly doubled in 2012 compared to 2011, with 200,114 units sold through October compared to 104,251 units the year prior.

"Toyota has shown that with hard work and ingenuity, what was lost can be rebuilt better than ever," added Camastro. "We're proud to have been a part of Toyota's comeback, and we're glad they've taken steps to help the recovery efforts in the areas hardest hit by Sandy."

About Balise Toyota of Warwick:
A member of the Balise Auto Group, Balise Toyota of Warwick's dedicated staff has earned the trust of discerning Rhode Island drivers. Offering a broad inventory of new and used Toyota vehicles, the Warwick, R.I. Toyota dealer is home to an expert sales team that takes great pride in finding each customer's ideal vehicle at the right price. Existing Toyota owners have also come to rely on Balise Toyota's expert service technicians to keep their car running like new. Browse their inventory online at www.balisetoyotaofwarwick.com or call 401-352-5911 to set up a test-drive at their dealership, which is located at 1400 Post Rd. in Warwick. They can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BaliseToyotaScionWarwick.