Sales of Toyota cars in the US in April rose 11.6% on the previous year, according to research firm Autodata Corp.
Toyota, the world’s second biggest carmarker, is continuing to claw back market share in the US after production was hit by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
Car sales in the US have been slow up until recent months as the country’s economy goes through a painful rebuilding following the financial crisis.
In recent months, however, car production and sales have recovered strongly and Toyota production has returned to normal as the US economy improves.
“We’re watching consumer confidence and consumer sentiment very closely,” said Bob Carter, vice president of Toyota US. “As both of those indices improve, we’re starting to see more showroom traffic.”
In 2011, production of Toyota and other Japanese cars were disrupted by Japan’s nuclear crisis and then by heavy flooding in Thailand.
The car company has also recalled almost 12 million vehicles over the past two-and-a-half years, following more than one parts design failure, which has damaged its reputation.
But it seems its popularity in the US and Europe has recovered and Autodata said it expects its sales to increase further in the coming months.
