Toyota to install brake override system in new models (Roundup)

Feb 17, 2010, 11:26 GMT

Tokyo - Toyota Motor Corp said Wednesday that the automaker was still looking into a possible power-steering defect with the Corolla subcompact.

Shinichi Sasaki, Toyota's executive on quality control, said 'if anything is related to safety, it will result in recall.'

Sasaki, however, said they were in the process of looking into the complaints in the US and that no decision had been made.

Meanwhile, President Akio Toyota denied accusations that the world's largest automaker had attempted to cover up a series of safety problems and vowed to take measures to boost quality control.

'I ask that you understand that we have never covered up or run away,' Toyoda told a news conference.

His comments came as US regulators stepped up a probe into Toyota, demanding documents to determine whether the automaker had dealt with the recalls 'in a timely manner.'

Toyoda said the automaker had formed a special quality control committee, chaired by himself. It is to hold its first meeting on March 30. The automaker added external experts would also review issues studied by the committee.

Toyoda also announced that the automaker would install a brake-override system in all new vehicles to rebuild trust after a massive recall in recent months.

When a driver steps on both the accelerator and brake pedals, the system will be designed to let the brake function kick in first, the automaker said.

Toyota said they expected to repair up to 80 per cent of Prius hybrids, that were affected by the brake problems, by end of February.

Toyota published advertisements in local and national newspapers throughout Japan Wednesday, apologizing for the recall of the four hybrid models.

'We apologize from the bottom of our hearts for the great inconvenience and concerns that we have caused you all,' the ads said.

Toyoda suggested he was unlikely to testify before a US congressional committee investigating problems that caused global recalls of Toyota vehicles.

The president told reporters that Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc president Yoshimi Inaba, who is scheduled to sit on the hearings next week, is the 'best' person to speak.

He said he was preparing for a visit to the US but did not specify the date.