Consumer Confidential: Another Toyota recall, coffee prices rise, Sex.com fetches big bucks

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Here’s your thoughtfully Thursday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--Haven’t we heard this song before? Toyota is recalling about 1.5 million vehicles worldwide because of brake and fuel pump problems. In the United States, the recall involves Lexus and Avalon models. Most of the vehicles being recalled need to be fixed for a problem in the brakes’ master cylinder, which could leak fluid under certain circumstances, causing a loss in braking power. Toyota also found an electrical fault with the fuel pump that could cause the engine to stall. Models affected include the 2005-6 Avalon; 2004-6 non-hybrid Highlander and Lexus RX 330; and 2006 Lexus GS 300, IS 250 and IS 350.

--From the shoot-me-now file: Wholesale coffee prices have hit a 13-year high because of concerns about weak crops in Brazil and Colombia. This will almost certainly mean higher prices at Starbucks and other venues as retailers pass along their rising costs. I always thought it was kind of weird paying $3 for a cup of brew. How does $5 sound?

--Remember when the Web first showed up and people registered domain names in hopes of making some fast cash selling them to others? Well, here’s some news that make such folk look less silly. The Sex.com domain has been sold for $13 million by its bankrupt owner. The new owner of what many believe is one of the most valuable addresses online is something called Clover Holdings. Um, anyone interested in Lazarus.com?

-- David Lazarus