Toyota’s woes in China have so far been limited to a recall of 75,552 RAV4 vehicles due to faulty accelerators, but Toyoda’s visit after a grueling hearing in the US Congress underscores the importance of a market that surpassed the United States last year to become the world’s largest. “We will continue to work hard. I’m here to offer my deepest apologies,” Toyoda told a packed room of over 300 reporters in Beijing, speaking calmly with no visible sign of emotion. Toyota is sticking to its target of selling 800,000 units in China this year, he said, adding he hoped the company’s swift handling of the RAV4 recall would restore consumer confidence.
The RAV4 was the only model sold in China that had experienced an accelerator problem, Toyoda said, specifying that Chinese consumers need not worry about the Prius or Lexus because parts behind recalls of those models were not used in China. The company founded by his grandfather has recalled more than 8.5 million cars globally for unintended acceleration and braking problems in a widening safety crisis that broke in January. The bulk of the recalls are in the United States, where Toyota’s February sales are expected to take a major hit. Toyoda’s China visit comes at a time when the company is already struggling to keep up with rivals including General Motors, Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co in China’s auto market.
