Recall crisis dampens Toyota sales growth in China
Toyota Motor Corp. announced on July 5 that the company saw 27 percent annual sales growth in the Chinese market. Affected by the recall crisis, Toyota failed to achieve sales growth equal to that of the whole market.
Last year, sales of Nissan, another Japan-based auto giant, increased by 47 percent to 330,600 units in the Chinese market, while Toyota's sales were 362,300 units.
On the same day, China Automotive Technology & Research Center said that new car sales in China boomed 30 percent in the first half of 2010, and auto production increased by 44 percent.
In June, Toyota's sales in China grew by 8 percent.
China's quality inspection authorities said yesterday that Japanese car-maker Toyota is to recall 5,791 Lexus LS series sold in China's mainland because of engine defects.
The recall, beginning July 19, covers three imported models, LS460 models produced between Sept. 5, 2006 and July 2, 2008, LS460L models produced between Sept. 5, 2006 and Aug. 1, 2008, and LS600hL models produced between July 3, 2007 and Aug. 21, 2008.
