Japan will study the way the government handles vehicle recalls after Toyota Motor Corp.'s fixes to more than 8 million cars hurt the country's image.
Japan will improve the way it collects and organizes information on vehicles, Transport Minister Seiji Maehara told reporters in Tokyo today. The government will also review how it issues recall advisories, he said.
"I want Toyota to respond sincerely, recognizing it's a U.S. company as well as Japanese," Maehara said today while announcing the measures.
Japan has increased criticism of the world's largest automaker as U.S. lawmakers press the company on its handling of recalls. Toyota is fixing more than 8 million vehicles globally for flaws including unintended acceleration, and faces an investigation into a possible steering flaw on its Corolla sedan, the world's top-selling car.
Toyota's shares fell 1.1 percent to 3,305 yen as of the 11 a.m. trading break in Tokyo.
Maehara said on Feb. 19 he would urge Toyota to take "appropriate action" on the U.S. recalls. Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said the company's problems were "an issue for Japan as a whole."
Toyota also announced a recall of 437,000 hybrids, including the Prius, on Feb. 9.
