Toyota has announced it is to recall over 180,000 cars in the UK as the crisis over faulty accelerator pedals continues.
The world’s biggest car maker has recalled nearly eight million vehicles around the world which the company estimates will cost approximately $2bn (£1.26bn) in extra costs. The global safety recall has also greatly impacted on the company’s long standing reputation for vehicle reliability.
The company has said 180,865 vehicles may be affected by the problem in Britain, and it is writing to the owners to arrange repairs, scheduled to start on February 10. In the UK, the seven affected models include the iQ, Aygo, Yaris, Auris, Corolla, Avensis and Verso.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda has apologised for the recall of millions of cars across the world and pledged to set up a new quality control committee. The company has said that that anyone in Britain who has suffered an accelerator problem should not have the problem fixed independently but should contact Toyota directly.
Despite the recent dilemnas, Toyota has raised its annual profit forecast to an ¥80bn profit (£550m), a considerable change from its earlier estimate of a ¥200bn loss. In 2009, the company fell victim to the global economic recession and suffered a losses of ¥436bn.
