Toyota chief: "I'm sorry"

Toyota has had a torrid last few weeks, facing what has is arguably its worst crisis in decades, after several global recalls concerning sticking accelerator pedals.
So damaging have the recalls been to Toyota's reputation as a reliable and safe brand, the company president and CEO, Akio Toyoda, has apologised to customers.

"I would like to take this opportunity to apologise from the bottom of my heart for causing many of our customers concern after the recalls across several models in several regions," Toyoda said in a statement.

The grandson of Toyota founder Kiichiro Toyoda, Akio Toyoda attempted to allay the fears of prospective buyers, adding: "Believe me, Toyota cars are safe."

It is estimated than more than US$25 billion dollars has been wiped from Toyota's company stock since major recalls started.

In the USA, it has been reported that 19 crash deaths could be linked to the sticking accelerator pedal issue, over a period of around 10 years. The president and Chief Operating Officer of Toyota America, Jim Lentz, said: "Nothing is more important to us than the safety and reliability of the vehicles our customers drive, and we are determined to live up to the high standards people have come to expect from Toyota over the past 50 years.

"Everyone at Toyota is focused on making this recall simple and trouble-free for our customers... The parts have been shipped, the dealers are trained, and they are already making the repairs," added Lentz.

At present there have been no recalls for Toyota vehicles sold in Australia, however Toyota has mentioned is it monitoring Prius braking issues. 

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