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Toyota CEO ‘deeply sorry’ for worldwide pedal recall

By Matt Brogan |

Toyota CEO, Mr Akio Toyoda, has said in an interview with Japan’s NHK that he is ‘deeply sorry’ for his company’s massive accelerator pedal-related recall.

Mr Toyota offered an apology to all current Toyota customers. The recall now spans some 4.2 million vehicles worldwide.

“I am deeply sorry,” said Mr Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota’s founder.

The recall has caused the suspension of Toyota sales in some markets and has seen the Japanese giant now halt production of eight models.

Mr Toyoda said it was unclear when the ultimate solution for the recall would be available to customers and dealers, but did his best to reassure Toyota drivers that his company was ‘still investigating’ a viable fix.

When asked how the recall might affect Toyota’s reputation for quality, Mr Toyoda responded with “I would like for the people to trust us.”

Toyota has yet to officially address the public on the topic of the latest recall.


 
  • Twin Clutch

    At last……Toyota are getting the publicity that they have been paying to hide. It will now be known widely that Toyota cars are really no more reliable than any other (almost) car company. I have worked at Toyota dealers as a mechanic and how they have come to be known as reliable and fault free cars is a case of marketing genius only, not reality at all.

    • app_master

      Surely at some point a good majority of toyota vehicles must have been reliable, as it is still relfected in their resale value, today.
      However times are changing, as little as 2-3 years ago we would have never thought we would be driving a Hyundai over a Toyota…but we could no longer see the value in the brand name alone.

      • Car Enthusiast

        How reliable a car is depends mostly on the driver/owner, and how they take care of their cars or use their cars.

        I’ve driven some cars that have done + 250 000kms that drive better then some cars that have only done about 100 000kms, & some of these cars are even the same make and model.

        I have a 2003 model car at the momemt that has done over 600 000kms, It still has the original engine and gearbox, the only major part that has been changed is the Diff.

  • Reckless1

    A few years ago it was Mitsubishi hiding all faults on all vehicles. Some of their executives ended up in jail, others topped themselves in shame.

    What staggers me is that they cannot seem to come up with a solution. I guess white goods engineers are out of their depth……

  • Callous Aussie

    Oh What a “Felling”. “I am deeply sorry”. Yes I bet you are!!

    • spellbound

      No ” deeply solly ” , sh!te happens , every brand has experienced it , and just as seriously , toyota today , guess who tomorrow , gloating is a dangerous pastime .

  • Matthew

    I wonder how much more this will spead, just today it was announced NZ has the Avensis being recalled and I imagine that there will be more world-wide.

  • Michael

    To be fair, this recall was over what, a pedal that had a chance of sticking? I don’t mean to trivialize the tragedies caused by this fault, but if this had something to do with the engine or driving mechanics THEN there would be something to talk about. To dismiss Toyota’s historically renowned reliability over a pedal mishap is just silly. Fact – American car companies reverse engineered Toyota’s in a bid to make their cars more reliable and of higher quality. Even with poor to average maintenance, Toyota engines fare better than any other (almost) car. They are built to last. That is no myth. Japan uses robots. America uses labor unions. It’s funny that I just saw this info is in my Microeconomics textbook, which listed the annual statistics of automakers with the least engineering faults and Honda and Toyota topped that list. As for driving a Hyundai over a Toyota I’d wait a few years, considering that list didn’t speak too highly of Hyundai, which was right down there with Chrysler and Chevy.

    ‘Twin Clutch’, I believe your comment reeks of jealousy and uninformed exaggeration. Have a look at Consumer Reports or Car Talk sometime before you decide to dismiss Toyota’s successful history as some kind of disingenuous marketing ploy.

    • Ken

      Michael, tell that to the friends and family of the deceased. Toyota have known about this issue since 2007 and decided selling more cars and covering up the issue is more important than protecting the drivers of their vehicles.

      I’d like to see how you would feel if you were driving one of these vehicles and because of a stupid pedal, you lost control and killed someone innocent. Would you then hold Toyota accountable or would you accept the blame and live with the guilt?

      I hope their is a massive law suit against Toyota for this cover up and management should be held responsible for involuntary manslaughter due to ignoring a known potential hazard.

  • Rowman

    To be fair Michael, your comments to Twin Clutch show you to be as ignorant to the facts as you say Twin Clutch is exaggerating them. You belive an issue with such a basic piece of hardware that has killed many people is of low importance. People are dead mate. The main issue is the long term cover up of this problem by Toyota. This is a problem which has been circulating on American blogs for a couple of years and the NHTSA has been chasing Toyota with no luck on this complaint also.
    Face it mate Toyota has made a big mistake. Perception is reality and many people will be saying “if they cant make an accelerator pedal properly what else is wrong with my car”.

  • davis

    Here’s an idea: buy a manual transmission. When the pedal sticks, push in the clutch, problem solved you lazy americans