Massive Prius recall pummels Toyota
- Source: Global Times
- [01:54 February 10 2010]
- Comments
Surrounded by journalists, President of Toyota Motor Akio Toyoda (right) answers questions during a press conference at the Tokyo head office Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Toyota said Tuesday that it is recalling hundreds of thousands of hybrids globally, including its best-selling Prius, plunging it deeper into crisis as lawsuits in the US pile up.
Facing a barrage of complaints ranging from unintended acceleration to brake failure, Toyota is scrambling to reassure drivers that it did not sacrifice safety in its successful drive to be the world's largest carmaker.
But in another heavy blow to its brand image, long synonymous with reliability and quality, Toyota said it was pulling 437,000 Priuses and other hybrid vehicles from the road to repair a braking-system flaw.
The company is now recalling almost 8.7 million vehicles around the world – far more than its entire 2009 global sales of 7.8 million automobiles.
"We will do everything in our power to regain the confidence of our customers," Toyota president Akio Toyoda said at a news conference, offering yet another apology to customers for the technical troubles.
The Toyota family scion said he planned to travel to the US to explain the safety problems, but will not attend a US congressional hearing today.
Toyota is now facing a raft of lawsuits in the US.
A class-action suit filed Monday on behalf of US shareholders accuses Toyota of issuing "materially false and misleading statements" about its "operations, its business and financial results and outlook."
At least 30 class-action suits have been brought over Toyota's recent troubles.
Despite denials of slow action on the safety problems, Toyoda was publicly rebuked by Japan's transport minister, who said the company should have been quicker.
And separately, Japan's Koito Industries has admitted to fabricating safety data for seats in more than 1,000 aircraft used by 32 carriers, striking another blow to corporate Japan's image of reliability.
The Japanese transport minister will meet with US ambassador John Roos today to confirm the two countries' strong ties amid mounting criticism.
Agencies
