Toyota Motors (TM) has a problem. Accelerators on eight models of its cars can stick, causing the car to race forward. It's a dangerous problem, and many owners are afraid to drive their Camrys. This is the world's largest car company with one of the largest car recalls in history. Dealers are closed down for several weeks. New cars aren't being sold. And it's not only the drivers and dealers that are nervous. So are investors.

As a complete contrast, look at Ford (F). It announced a 25% increase in sales in January, selling 116,534 cars and trucks in one month, up from 93,506 same period last year. And most importantly, it was the new cars that lead the way, not SUV's or trucks. Cars were up 43% with SUVs ahead by 8%. Crossovers (the new station wagons, mini SUVs) increased by 20%, and trucks went ahead by 14%.

There has been a recent avalanche of press coverage regarding the alleged engineering problems being experienced by Toyota Motor Company (TM). Pretty much all of that press coverage depicts a company that is writhing in shame on the one hand and that is desperately looking to retake a foothold within itself on the other. My initial reaction to the knee-jerk downward pressure on TM that seems to be the result of this situation is: Really, you have got to be kidding.

First of all, how many of the people who might be reading this blog found themselves taken aback by the announcement that some automobiles were being recalled? Yes, I understand that the potential vehicle problems are serious. Yes, I understand that the situation affects literally millions of vehicles. However, at its root, this is just another recall of just another manufacturer's product. It's hardly an earth-shattering event.

Now that Toyota Motor Company (TM) is embroiled in a sea of bad publicity and severe trust problems around the world, Ford Motor Company (F) has now announced that a "software upgrade" to owners of recent Ford Fusion Hybrid vehicle owners is needed to fix "strange feelings" in the brakes of those cars.

So, what is it with all these higher-tech vehicles having so many odd braking problems? Good question -- and now that the similar issues from Toyota and Ford are now public, how many other cars will need a reboot to fix problems? Although Toyota's CEO has now publicly apologized for that automaker's numerous issues, will Ford do the same? Is this the new order of the day: transparency and apology from automakers in lieu of recalls?

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Apple Inc. (AAPL) posted its highest quarterly revenue ever, easily beating estimates, as iPhone sales doubled.
• Boeing Co. (BA) swung to a larger-than-expected Q4 profit but guidance fell short of analysts' estimates.
• Chevron Corp. (CVX) fell short of analysts' earnings estimates for Q4, sending shares lower.
• Cisco Systems Inc. (CSCO) shares rose after optimistic statements by the CEO ahead of Q2 results.
• Eastman Kodak Co. (EK) shares surged after it beat Q4 expectations by a wide margin and cash flow improved.
• Ford Motor Co. (F) reported its first annual profit in four years due to cost-cutting and improved market share.
• Halliburton Co. (HAL) reported lower Q4 earnings but beat estimates by a penny, and revenue also fell.

In light of Toyota Motor Corp. (TM) string of recalls recently, one can wonder what the large automaker is going to do in the U.S. to salvage its reputation. Toyota, as far as this writer can recall, has never seen a model-variety recall like this in its history. So much is wrong that the world's largest automaker has halted production of eight separate vehicle models until it finds out just what is causing some of them to accelerate uncontrollably.

Five assembly lines that help build these models are being suspended as of Monday, and Toyota has sent messages to 1,200 U.S. dealers asking them to stop selling the models in question immediately. The models include some of Toyota's most popular: RAV4, Corolla, Matrix, Avalon, Camry, Highlander and the Tundra pickup.

Ford Motor Co. (F) has reported its first annual profit in four years due to cost-cutting and improved market share.

Specifically, the automaker's 2009 earnings totaled $2.7 billion, or 86 cents per share, while the fourth-quarter earnings came to $868 million, or 25 cents per share.

President Barack Obama late Wednesday put job creation at the top of the agenda in his first State of the Union speech. He promised not to abandon health-care reform and promised tough, new rules on Wall Street.

As we move gradually closer to a stable economy where retail investors are again ready to enter the markets, we see a lot written about which stocks, sectors, and investment types are smart bets for future growth.

Money Magazine recently ran a piece in their Investor's Guide 2010 series entitled "10 Stocks That Can Keep Running," which offers three areas in which the markets are likely to be solid in the coming years. This author's opinion is they were mostly right. But there needs to be a little more explanation for the average retail investor.

Ford (F) and Japanese partner Mazda are about to part ways for good. The two automakers -- who have shared manufacturing and design platforms for over two decades, now find it better to research, design and manufacture independently. This is bad for Mazda mostly -- and now there is word the two companies may pull out of their Chinese joint venture with partner Changuan Automobile.

Ford Motor Co. (F) has turned over a new leaf in 2010, starting this year with a heck of a lot more promise than the last. Last weekend, Ford nabbed the North American Car of the Year honors at the Detroit auto show for its Fusion hybrid -- and quickly followed that up with the Truck of the Year award for its European-styled Transit Connect van. All this on the heels of impressive December sales numbers.

Ford reported an increase of 32% in its sales for December compared to last year, while GM and Chrysler saw significant drops. What's more, auto sales in general are growing. The final figure of about 1 million vehicles sold in December marks the second-best month of 2009 after August, showing that the industry is looking up for 2010.