Toyota Motor Corporation on Wednesday announced details of new quality related actions at a press conference in Tokyo.
The automaker said it would appoint a new chief quality officer for each principal geographical region “to help make the company more alert to customer concerns”.
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These officers will joint a newly established ‘special committee for global quality’ headed by TMC president Akio Toyoda, which would “move the company’s quality improvement activities to a new, higher level”.
It will meet for the first time on 30 March and Toyota will consult independent, third-party experts to review the outcome.
In a separate move, Toyota said it was strengthening its framework for reporting customer feedback from each region directly to its quality and product development groups “so that that information received can be translated more quickly into product quality improvements”.
This will be launched first in the US where the automaker will expand its network of technical offices and “fine-tune its information gathering capabilities”.
“The aim is to be able to conduct on-site inspections within 24 hours of every reported incident of an equipment malfunction,” Toyota said.
Electronic throttle
Toyota’s electronic throttle control system, introduced in 2002, has come under scrutiny following a number of ‘unintended acceleration’ crashes in the US. These have been investigated both by the government safety organisation NHTSA and Toyota itself which have dismissed owner and media allegations the system can be affected by external electronic interference.
The automaker today insisted again that the system incorporates overlapping failsafe features that are linked to a number of sensors.
“If a problem occurs, the system shifts the engine to idling, or shuts it down completely,” Toyota said. “[We have] conducted rigorous testing under extremes of electromagnetic interference, vibration and other adverse conditions, and that testing has conclusively verified that the system cannot accidentally induce acceleration.”
The automaker said its had also commissioned an independent, third-party research organisation to test its electronic throttle control system and would release the findings as they become available.
Brake override system
Toyota said it would add a brake override system to all future models worldwide which would cut engine power when the accelerator and brake pedals are applied at the same time.
On-board data recording
It would also “make more active use” of on-board data recorders noting that, if a malfunction occurs, these can provide information to support technical investigations and repairs.
“Toyota, taking to heart the customer feedback it has received, reaffirms, together with its dealers, suppliers and employees worldwide, its commitment to unwavering quality in products and services, and to the spirit of ‘customer first’. Toyota will continue to endeavour to provide products that are safe and reassuring,” the automaker added.
