Toyoda says sorry to China

Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota, bows at a press conference in Beijing Monday. Photo: AFP

By Chen Xiaomin

Toyota's beleaguered president bowed Monday in apology to Chinese consumers, amid huge global safety recalls and days after the Japanese automaker's chief faced a grilling by angry US lawmakers on Capitol Hill over fatal accelerator pedal faults.

Despite the latest appeal by Toyota President Akio Toyoda to "win back consumers' confidence" during his short-notice trip to Beijing, people seem to remain highly skeptical of the reliability of Toyota vehicles, while analysts said the 53-year-old president attempted to contain the current crisis in the United States from spilling over into China.

China overtook the US in 2009 as the world's biggest car market, with 13 million units sold to 10 million.

"I would like to express my sincere apologies to Chinese customers for the impact and worries caused (by this incident)," Toyoda told some 300 reporters at a Beijing hotel, reading out a prepared statement in Japanese.

More than 100 journalists were denied entry into the press conference.

"Toyota as an automaker thinks it is important to not cover up ... and to put consumer safety first," said Toyoda, who also pledged to improve the quality of Toyota cars.

Toyota has recalled more than 75,000 of its RAV4 sport utility vehicles made in China over faulty accelerators. Those were among the company's recall of more than 8 million vehicles worldwide.

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) also warned drivers of imported Toyotas, including Camry and Corolla models, to check their cars for possible defects in a notice posted online Thursday.

But the product safety watchdog did not specify the number of automobiles with possible defects. Neither did it provide any cases of injury or death caused by faulty Toyotas.

The AQSIQ refused to comment Monday.

At least 34 deaths have been blamed on sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles, according to complaints filed with US authorities.

"We have long seen China as an important market," said Toyoda, who later told reporters he would not resign due to his obligation to reform the company, which he said may have become too focused on profits.