The chief of Toyota Motor Corp has apologized for accelerator pedal flaws forcing the recall of millions of cars in North America, China and Europe, DPA reported.
Akio Toyoda, the reclusive president and chief executive officer of Toyota, apologized for the manufacturing flaws in brief comments made to Japanese broadcaster NHK at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Friday.
"We are very sorry to have made our customers uneasy. We are now working to grasp the facts so that we can deliver an explanation as quickly as possible to alleviate our customers' concerns," he said.
A personal statement of contrition by a major Japanese business executive is rare. Analysts said the top automaker is facing a major blow to its reputation for reliable manufacturing.
Toyota had earlier announced the recall of nearly 3 million vehicles in North America, and on Friday said it would recall 1.8 million cars in Europe. The total number of cars affected by faulty accelerators or floor mats could reach more than 7 million units, industry analysts said.
Toyota Motor Europe said eight models produced between November 2005 and September 2009, including the best-selling Yaris, were subject to recall.