Toyota moves under the gun as a congressional investigation concerning Toyota’s recalls and product quality begins this week. The embattled Japanese automaker’s president, Akio Toyoda, has also conceded that the company’s rapid expansion is partly to blame for the lapse in quality assurance.
Heeding to increasing pressures from federal regulators, and from concerned consumers, Toyota has released an outline of reforms that the automaker believes will be necessary to get the company back on track in terms of quality.
Since last fall over 8.5 million vehicles have been implicated in recalls. Historically, the U.S. has been Toyota’s most profitable market, but with repeated recalls, Toyota’s quality and overall appeal has come into question.
Although Akio Toyoda had originally indicated that he would not to be present for congressional hearings on Toyota’s recall woes, Toyota’s president has since announced his intention to attend the hearings, and take that beating that he’s expected to receive.
“I have received Congressman Towns’ invitation to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on February 24 and I accept. I look forward to speaking directly with Congress and the American people.”
Toyoda had previously planned to come to the U.S. in order to rally workers, dealers, and suppliers. However, the time and details of this new trip have yet to be announced.
Despite the precarious situation the automaker has found itself in, Toyota is moving fast to employ its new quality improvement measures. These measures include the appointment of a chief quality officer for each geographic region, expanding the network of local technical offices to conduct on-site troubleshooting, add brake-override systems on all future models worldwide, and finally utilize onboard data event recorders to analyze accidents.
Toyota’s growth in the U.S. has been steady over the years, but in recent years the automaker has seen unprecedented growth, even as others the industry began to weaken. This breakneck growth may have temporarily eroded internal reverence for “The Toyota Way,” but all has yet to be lost. While the world’s largest automaker may have serious speed bumps ahead, the company is still adhering to many of the same tenets of the company’s original philosophy, especially when it comes to the Toyota Production System. Hopefully, the company’s recent missteps will ensure they don’t stray from the conservative business strategies and commitment to quality moving forward.
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