Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda says the company is taking several steps to improve quality, including an initiative to review virtually every process from a quality perspective.
Toyoda made the announcement on Friday in his first public address in months. He also apologized for the company’s vehicle safety problems.
In two separate campaigns, Toyota is recalling more than 8 vehicles worldwide to address design issues that could result in the throttle remaining open unintentionally in several Toyota/Lexus models. This week the company also is expected to launch a recall to fix a software glitch that can cause the brakes in the current model Prius hybrid sedan to briefly stop working in certain conditions. The new campaign reportedly could include as many as 300,000 Prius models worldwide.
To avoid such problems in the future, Toyoda says he will head a new task force that will inspect every aspect of its operations from design and production to sales and service to find new ways to improve quality. He says Toyota also will open new centers for quality excellence in key regions to recruit and train quality managers.
In addition, the company plans to bolster customer information research offices to improve regional information collection and genchi-genbuts—which translates as “Go and see for yourself”—activities. As a further check, Toyota says it will work with outside experts to help benchmark, implement and monitor new quality practices. It also vows to work more closely with federal safety authorities in various countries and improve communication between its headquarters operations and regional offices.
Toyoda didn’t say when Toyota would roll out the new programs. The company has made similar pledges to redouble its quality efforts in recent years. Toyoda, the 53-year-old grandson of the founder, did so himself when he assumed control of the company last summer.