Classic Toyota, a leading Toyota dealership in Waukegan, IL, wants to remind its valued Toyota customers that October is Fall Car Care Month. This Illinois dealership feels that fall is the ideal time to give your new Toyota car some extra attention before the harsh winter weather sets in.

Tires: On icy and snow-covered roads, your car’s tires make the difference between keeping a firm grip on the road or sliding into danger. Now that the temperature has dropped, check your tire pressure regularly. Cold temperatures can cause tires to lose air pressure. If you need new tires, Classic Toyota has a tire saving event (buy three tires and the fourth costs only a dollar).

Battery: If your Toyota Camry or Toyota Highlander is hard to start and has dim headlights when the engine is turned off, your battery is getting weak and should be replaced with a new Toyota TrueStart battery. It’s especially important to have a strong battery in winter to quickly start your car on cold mornings.

Wipers: During the winter, your windshield wipers are more important than ever. Getting a new set of wipers at Classic Toyota will ensure you always have a clear view of upcoming traffic and drivers. Scrape ice off your wipers before you run them.

Fluids: It’s a good idea to take a look at your Toyota car’s fluids for winter driving. These include antifreeze, motor oil, brake and battery cleaner, transmission and brake fluid. Check under the hood to ensure that your windshield washer reservoir is filled. If it’s time for an oil change, ask your Classic Toyota technicians whether they recommend a winter-weight oil for your vehicle.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment at our Illinois Toyota dealership, call us. Our service technicians would be happy to help get your car prepared. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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It should be a tourist destination for all Americans this fall, including those in the Waukegan, IL area. The newest museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. is the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), which just opened its doors to the public, in part, from backing by the Toyota brand. Customers of Classic Toyota, a leading Toyota dealership in Waukegan, IL, can drive their families in their new Toyota vehicles to Washington, D.C. in less than 12 hours or 745 miles to get a better understanding of the African American experience.

Waukegan, IL visitors will be able to visit the new museum’s five floors and see its display of more than 36,000 precious artifacts of African American history and culture that convey a compelling story of determination, faith, resilience and achievement. The imposing 400,000 sq. ft. museum on the National Mall sits next to the White House, other Smithsonian museums, and monuments and memorials to Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington. Visitors can see the trumpet once owned by Louis Armstrong and a guitar and case owned by James Brown, a costume hat worn by Diana Ross as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues, and the sheet music from Johnny B. Goode written by Chuck Berry.

The automaker has underwritten a special ‘Century in the Making: Building the National Museum of African American History and Culture’ exhibition, which records the major milestones over the last 100 years that led to the museum’s creation, beginning with a 1916 letter from the National Memorial Association to then-President Woodrow Wilson.

The Toyota brand is proud to be a founding donor and grand opening sponsor in preserving these priceless artifacts. This new museum will become a lasting landmark of the rich history of the African American experience for generations.

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Nearly 17,000 students from kindergarten to high school are back in school at the Waukegan, IL school district. More than 21 schools are spread across this large, urban district, enticing kids to after-school programs, football games, fundraisers, fine arts and music programs, and a variety of other events. Like the school district’s motto of putting kids first, Classic Toyota, a leading Toyota dealership in Waukegan, IL, wants to help drivers stay safe in and around school zones.

School buses: It’s best to be extra cautious and drive slowly near or around Waukegan’s school bus fleet. When the red lights start to flash, remember to stop on both sides of the road and do not move until the lights have stopped flashing.

Stop: Learn to make a complete stop in your Toyota vehicles and drive within the school zone speed limits of 15 to 25 mph in and around Waukegan. Children are inclined to be unpredictable as they walk to and from school. As a driver, it’s your duty to stop for them. Toyota Safety Sense offers a pedestrian detection function to alert drivers to students in front of their Toyota vehicle.

Be alert:  With 17,000 students in the Waukegan school district, drivers need to be especially vigilant at all times of the day. Use your rearview camera on the 2016 Toyota Camry to check for students as you back out of your driveway or leave your parking garage as well as your blind-spot monitoring and front and rear parking sensors.

Inspect your vehicle: Now is a good time to have your Toyota vehicle inspected to ensure that your lights, brakes, tires, and other car parts are working properly. Classic Toyota has an easy online system to set up a quick vehicle inspection.

Come in and visit this Illinois dealership to see why the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety chose 12 Toyota vehicles as its “Top Safety Picks” in 2015. Classic Toyota wants this year to be the safest on record in the Waukegan, IL community.

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No matter if it’s Child Passenger Safety Week or any other time of the year, parents and caregivers set a priority that children need to be protected when riding in a vehicle. Classic Toyota in Waukegan, IL is proud of its parent company for taking the lead in this important area and creating Buckle Up for Life, a national injury prevention program for families, along with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Since its creation in 2004, Buckle Up for Life has reached thousands of parents and families with critical passenger safety information through partnerships with leading children’s hospitals, community organizations, local governments, schools and non-profit organizations to teach parents and children about the proper use of car seats and seat belts and to provide free car seats to families in need. Organizations that offered the program observed a marked improvement in members’ auto safety behaviors.

Our Waukegan Toyota dealership, in conjunction with Buckle Up For Life, would like to present the five top tips for car seat safety:

• Purchase a new car seat. While it’s great to save some money on a used seat, the plastic can degrade over time. Plus, car seats for Toyota brands have expiration dates. They can be found on a sticker affixed to the seat.
• Check how snug the seat fits the child. Once the child is buckled in, do a quick test. Pinch the car seat strap near the child’s shoulders. If there’s a pinch of fabric, tighten the strap until it’s snug. Next, tug the car seat from side to side and front to back to see if it moves an inch in any direction. If it does, tighten it.
• Brand is not an issue. No matter the price or extra features, all car seats sold in the U.S. meet the same federal safety standards.
• Keep in mind children shorter than 4’9” need booster seats.
• Ask for help. Parents and caregivers might get frustrated with car safety seats. There are many expert resources for additional tips and advice including videos on BuckleUpForLife.org.

Of course, if you have any additional questions, you’re always welcome to contact us at Classic Toyota. We would be more than happy to speak with you!

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With the recent transition in August of the Scion brand to Toyota, there’s been a lot of questions among current car buyers. Classic Toyota, a leading Toyota dealership in Waukegan, IL, wants to provide answers about this important transition.

When Toyota established the Scion brand in 2003, its main purpose was a testing ground to see how Toyota could develop new products, innovate the car buying process and overall, bring new customers to the Toyota family. Toyota proved successful by making younger consumers more aware of the Toyota brand (including its reputation for quality, reliability and value) and became a stronger company because of that.

With the transition complete, a few cars are getting updated names along with the Toyota badge: FR-S will become the 86, Scion iM becomes the Corolla iM, and the iA becomes a Yaris iA. The Scion tC finished production in August as the Scion tC and the future Toyota C-HR will come fresh to dealers like Classic Toyota. The Scion xB was discontinued this past December.

As of this month, all 2017 Toyota models are being issued as Toyotas and no longer will carry Scion models. One of Toyota’s top priorities is to support all Scion customers throughout the transition. Customers with auto loans through Toyota Financial Services will stay the same except the Scion name will no longer be on your bill. The Scion Service Boost, warranties, and Certified Pre-Owned warranty and service agreements will continue to be honored, and Scion owners will continue to get the best service. Scion service part numbers will continue to crossover with pre-existing Toyota part numbers so there will always be a consistent supply of parts at Toyota service departments. One difference is that Pure Process Plus won’t be offered at Toyota dealers since it is Scion-specific.

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The new 2017 Toyota Camry

Artificial intelligence is all the buzz in the automotive world. It is set to become an essential element in the self-driving car of the future. Classic Toyota in Waukegan, IL, shares the excitement and delight of what this on-going research will bring to the driving community. Our Toyota dealership is proud of its parent’s commitment to AI research and its effect on the manufacturing of new automobiles.

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The new 2016 Toyota Corolla

When TopSpeed.com, a popular car enthusiast website, recently compiled a list of the auto manufacturer brands most searched on Google by country, the management at Classic Toyota in Waukegan, IL took notice. The colorful map produced by the editors at TopSpeed shows which countries and states searched for particular car brands. According to specific data used from Google searches over a 12-month period from April 2014 to March 2015, the Toyota brand was named the most popular brand worldwide.

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Selling or trading an automobile can be one of life’s most nerve-wracking decisions. Did I get the most amount of money for my vehicle? Could I have made a better trade? The staff at Classic Toyota in Waukegan, IL, knows how difficult this can be, and has made its system as fast, easy, and comfortable as possible for auto sellers.

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Posted in Classic Toyota News, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Value Your Trade-In at Classic Toyota

There are few cars in the world that broke one million on their mileage. At Classic Toyota, your trusted Waukegan, IL dealership, it warms our hearts to share the story of Victor Sheppard. This Louisiana resident could truly call his Toyota truck his partner, as they’ve traveled more miles that fit on the odometer.

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Tags: 2016 toyota camry, pre-owned Toyota cars
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Toyota Tundra Joins the Million Mile Club

Post the 4th of July celebrations, our dealers at Classic Toyota feel more patriotic than ever. Luckily, thanks to the Toyota brand, there’s another way to support the country’s economy and locally produced goods. Among our lineup of new and pre-owned Toyota cars, the Toyota Camry remains a fantastic choice that supports the American economy in more ways than it’s apparent.

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