Toyota is being hit hard by a storm of criticism stemming from the US and now China – its top two markets – following massive automobile recalls in recent weeks.
The Japanese automaker has pulled 8.5 million vehicles off the roads as a result of sticking accelerator pedals and braking problems.
But in a sharp contrast to media reports out of the US, voices of leniency and softened tones have emerged in China on the issue, with some people going as far as highlighting the massive safety recalls as a sign of "responsible business operations."
However, some auto industry analysts in China, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Global Times Wednesday that certain media practitioners in the country have sacrificed impartiality in their reporting, bowing instead to requests by influential multinational corporations.
In the wake of the recalls, Chinese consumers face increasing exposure to design and manufacturing faults, due to weak quality assurance measures on the mainland, analysts warned Wednesday.
The latest blow to consumer safety and confidence came Wednesday as the Honda Motor Company said it would recall 438,000 cars globally to replace an airbag inflator that can reportedly injure drivers during a crash.
Additionally, US authorities said Tuesday that they were reviewing complaints by Toyota Corolla owners about steering problems. Toyota made no immediate comment on the fresh claims.
More than 75,000 of Toyota's RAV4 SUVs are among the recalled models in China, but none of the defective Honda models are yet sold in the country.
Belated apologies by Toyota president Akio Toyoda amid the safety crisis seemed to pale in the face of angered consumers in the US, as members of Congress alleged that Toyota knew about the "sticky accelerators" for years but was slow to respond until it was forced into action by US transportation safety authorities.
The Toyota chief is expected to testify to the US Congress about the recalls, Japan's transport minister said Wednesday.
"President Toyoda told me (Tuesday) that he would like to visit the United States as early as next week and give a firm explanation to all the stakeholders involved," Seiji Maehara told US Ambassador John Roos. "I think he will give an explanation to Congress."
The problems could damage confidence in all Japanese cars, as auto analyst Tatsuya Mizuno told AFP that "Toyota is a representative of Japan Inc. The issue may shake the credibility of the whole of Japan and its technology."
Zhong Shi, a Beijing-based auto industry analyst, said Chinese consumers seem to be reluctant to file complaints, as most of them are not well-enough informed on where to turn to when problems arise.
"Authorities can hardly be notified of any major production defects because they can't count on carmakers to take the initiative by timely reporting their problems," Zhong said.
More than 3.3 million vehicles have been involved in more than 211 recalls in the auto industry in China since the reporting mechanism was established five years ago, with Mercedes-Benz topping the ranking with 18 recalls and Toyota with nine recalls, figures by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) indicated.
Only one-third of the recalls have happened as a result of AQSIQ pressure.
Full story
