Japan scolds Toyota on recall practices

[Flybrian]

Japan scolds Toyota on recall practices

Yuri Kageyama / Associated Press

TOKYO -- In a rare public scolding of Japan's biggest company, the government reprimanded Toyota Friday and called for improved recall practices amid a criminal investigation into a 2004 accident.

The transportation ministry issued a "guidance" order requiring the automaker to report to the ministry by Aug. 4 steps it is taking to better monitor reports of defects with its cars and speed up communication within the company about possible problems, a ministry official said on customary condition of anonymity.

The ministry did not fine Toyota or find it guilty of breaking the law.

But public prosecutors, who are independent of the government, may still file charges against Toyota Motor Corp. officials under investigation.

Toyota Executive Vice President Masatami Takimoto said the carmaker will do its best to beef up its practices as instructed by the ministry.

"We take the directives from the ministry very seriously," he said in a statement.

The widely reported recall investigation -- coming at a time when Toyota recalls are ballooning -- has been a major embarrassment for Toyota because of its solid reputation for quality.

Earlier this month, police said they were sending papers to prosecutors on three Toyota officials in a criminal investigation on suspicion of professional negligence for allegedly shirking recalls for eight years.

Police say they suspect the three Toyota officials, whose names have not been disclosed because they have not been charged, knew about the problems as far back as 1996 but took no action.

The defects being investigated, a suspected faulty steering part, may have caused an August 2004 head-on crash in southwestern Japan that injured five people, they say.

Toyota has denied any wrongdoing, saying the reported problems had not appeared serious enough to warrant a recall until October 2004, when Toyota recalled in Japan 330,000 Hilux Surf vehicles manufactured between December 1988 and May 1996.

The 2004 recall affected more than a million vehicles sold in 180 nations, including the U.S. and Europe, and some problems had been reported from abroad, according to Toyota. None of the reports from abroad had caused accidents, the company said.

At a news conference Thursday, Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe bowed deeply and apologized for the recall troubles that had stirred up worries among customers. He denied wrongdoing.

"I take this seriously and see it as a crisis," said Watanabe. "I want to apologize deeply for the troubles we have caused."

Toyota shares, which have dropped from about 6,500 yen ($56) three months ago, dipped 0.69 percent in Tokyo to close at 5,760 yen ($49).

[Paolino]

I swear, I've sent out so many emails to Toyota-preaching friends in the past month it's ridiculous. Two of them have consciously said, "Wow... maybe we overestimated Toyota." *takes bow*

[Polish_Kris]

What? at least they appologized, if this happened to an American company, they would make up every excuse in the book to get away with it...

[Snate]

What? at least they appologized, if this happened to an American company, they would make up every excuse in the book to get away with it...

170071[/snapback]

What else are they gonna say in the media? I could hear it now.."We are the best company in the world, we do not make mistakes, you should be privileged to buy our cars"

[Mr.Krinkle]

damn you toyota!! hang your head in shame. you have dishonered us greatly.

ok lets move on now.

we still number one!! well, almost. but soon. ok? lets go forward now.

[Newbiewar]

Toyota Executive Vice President Masatami Takimoto said the carmaker will do its best to beef up its practices as instructed by the ministry.

169906[/snapback]

This reminds me of a...

Your best? Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and f@#k the prom queen!

Kind of puts a perpective on their current outlook on business... someone dedicated... would say It would happen again, something that really ment business... not... OHH WE'LL TRY

[VenSeattle]

What? at least they appologized, if this happened to an American company, they would make up every excuse in the book to get away with it...

170071[/snapback]

Yeah... "Road to Redemption" meant nothing compared to this...

[ShadowDog]

I think it's easier to get through life as GM, since not everyone is quick to be brainwashed into thinking that GM is some sort of automotive Utopia. Their mistakes are accepted because its seemingly based on the law of averages.

Toyota has built themselves up on a reputation of infallibility. While the facts of the past can support this, it's a shame that the present circumstances of their operations and media reports can end up placing them in a more difficult position (deep hole) that only well-thought PR can keep them out of. What I mean is, Toyota had better start accepting the fact that they cannot grow at this pace without some setbacks that relate directly to the reliability of their engineering and high-output.

If not too simple a comparison, Toyota appears to be on a higher pedestal than GM by way of their customer satisfaction and perceived reliability. The only problem is, that pedestal is a wooden dowel, next to GM's tree-trunk-stump of owners who accept that the vehicle they buy may very well have issues.

To me, if Toyota doesn't accept that there is no such thing as perfection, and chooses to market their vehicles in the same manner they do today, it won't take much to see that pedestal snap beneath them. Really, the salesmanship of their vehicles that borders on complete arrogance that 'nothing goes wrong with our cars' has to stop, or they're in for a world of hurt.

[VenSeattle]

ShadowDog, Very well put.

[FAPTurbo]

ShadowDog, Very well put. 

170326[/snapback]

[Sixty8panther]

Ding-Dong the Witch dead! [/2026]

[Mr.Krinkle]

i think you're all missing the point. toyota did apologize. $h! the whole damn country said im sorry. isnt that good enough for you. cant we just forget it and move on now.

things will get back to normal soon enough. (as soon as the investigation is over and we find better ways to avoid these "recalls"... which will soon be termed product improvements.)

its not problem if no one says it is. :AH-HA_wink:

no more under the carpet bull$h! when your dealing with the numbers theyre dealing with. it wont just go away. the heir of invincibility is diminishing and so too goes the reputation.

[ponchoman49]

Japan scolds Toyota on recall practices

Now if we could only get them to scold Toyota on terribly styled North American products!

[balthazar]

What? at least they appologized, if this happened to an American company, they would make up every excuse in the book to get away with it...

You got it ass-backwards, my friend. Look no further than mitsu and.... toyota for outright lying to the public for years about defects in order "to get away with it".

[FAPTurbo]

You got it ass-backwards, my friend.

171369[/snapback]

The only other person I have ever heard that phrase from is Nikki Sixx.

I use it myself and it should be used by more people more often!

[Sixty8panther]

Here's one XP uses on occassion:

"uglier than a bag of mashed a$$holes"

There's a mental image for you, & we've come full circle since

this phraze relates directly to the styling of today's Toyotas.

[Imaj]

Heh heh, that should ruin Toyota's image, a bit!

[andy82471]

Heh heh, that should ruin Toyota's image, a bit!

172562[/snapback]

Maybe or maybe not. Seems like a very light punishment to me. Just a reprimend and no fines. Toyota afterall is Japan's golden goose, and I seriously doubt the government would take any action that could damage the brand in the long run. They are not that stupid.