Toyota's president acknowledged the company's rapid global growth was partly behind a surge in problems that has plagued the Japanese automaker in recent years. Toyota Motor Corp. President Katsuaki Watanabe said the company has improved quality controls, and is sticking to its sales targets, including those in North America, despite worries about a credit crunch and a slowdown in the auto market.
Speaking at the Japan National Press Club, Watanabe noted the reasons behind the defects were varied, spanning development, design, production, suppliers and maintenance.
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But Watanabe said at least some of the problems, including time pressures and shortage of experts, stemmed from the company's dramatic growth in recent years.
"That is not zero," he told reporters, referring to quality problems rooted in Toyota's expansion.
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