Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda apologized for the quality problems that led to the recall of millions of the company’s cars at a “hastily arranged news conference” on Friday night, Feb. 5, at the company’s Nagoya, Japan, headquarters,
the
New York Times
reported.
“I deeply regret that I caused concern among so many people,” Mr. Toyoda said. “We will do our utmost to regain the trust of our customers.”
In response to a question about whether Toyoda had underestimated the situation, according to the
Times,
Toyoda said:
“I believe what is happening now is a very big problem. We are in a crisis.”
The
Times
report noted that Toyoda, grandson of the company’s founder, also apologized for the drop in Toyota’s share price and said a committee would be formed to investigate quality issues. The
Times
article said:
With his comments, he became the second successive Toyota president to apologize for defects on the company’s cars — and the second to assemble a committee to address them. In 2006, his predecessor, Katsuaki Watanabe, shocked onlookers by bowing low at a news conference and vowing Toyota would improve its quality. But many cars involved in the two recent recalls … went on sale after that effort.
The
Times
noted that Toyoda
would not answer question about whether the company has ever withheld information related to safety concerns. “Toyota is committed to safety,” he said…. Asked why he was not attending Congressional hearings, Mr. Toyoda said, “Whoever attends from Toyota, we speak with one voice.”
Toyoda has faced harsh criticism over the last two weeks about his lack of public appearances during the crisis. The tone of the news conference … was very out of character with what is normally seen at corporate press conferences in Japan. Reporters did not show the typical deference to a top executive. Some demanded answers about why there is no leadership and why the company was dodging questions.
The
Times
report noted that Toyoda “appeared very nervous” at the briefing.
After about 30 minutes, Mr. Toyoda signaled he was ready to leave but reporters implored him to stay. One reporter told him that journalists did not trek all the way down to Nagoya from Tokyo, a distance of about 200 miles, on a few hours’ notice for a half-hour news conference.
Update:
Akio Toyoda announced at a Tokyo press conference on Feb. 9 that Toyota will recall 437,000 hybrid cars globally, including the Prius, to fix faulty breaking systems,
Bloomberg reported.
“We will redouble our commitment to quality,” Toyoda, 53, said …. “I would like to apologize again to our customers who are worried about Toyota’s quality and safety.”
Toyoda said he plans to travel to the U.S. and “will try to explain with my own words,” Bloomberg reported.
(Sources:
New York Times,
Feb. 5, 2010; CNNMoney.com, Feb. 5, 2010; Bloomberg, Feb. 9, 2010.)
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